Ford is reportedly considering a high-performance Ranger pickup that could serve as a smaller sibling to the F-150 Raptor.
Speaking to Australia’s Motoring, Ford Performance global PR manager Paul Seredynski dismissed a Ford Fiesta RS but acknowledged a Ranger Raptor was “a fascinating idea.”
The comments suggest the Ranger’s long-rumored homecoming may be more spectacular than expected.
The Blue Oval has already made a push toward performance positioning for the model, building a Ranger-bodied racer to compete in the Dakar Rally. The 2013 truck was outfitted with a 5.0-liter V8 capable of delivering 348 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque.
A production model could be a bit easier to build as the 2017 F-150 Raptor switches from a V8 to an EcoBoost V6. Despite its smaller displacement, the V6 is expected to generate more power — perhaps above 450 ponies. The midsize Ranger would likely come in below the top-spec F-150, however the report points to around 400 horsepower as a likely figure.
With or without a Raptor variant, the Ranger is expected to return to the US market within the next few years.
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