Ford Ranger could be launched in India next year taking advantage of the homologation relaxations and it could be offered with a 2.0-litre diesel engine
A few months ago, the Ranger pickup truck was spotted in India fuelling the speculations that it could be introduced in the near future. A recent report emerged on the internet suggests that the Blue Oval is considering the launch of high performance cars for the domestic customers from its global portfolio as the Mustang Mach-1, Ranger Raptor and even Focus RS are in the spotlight.
While the BS6 compliant Mustang will go on sale in 2021, it could be accompanied by two of the above mentioned high performance models to strengthen the brand image in the premium space. However, Ford heavily relies on its partnership with Mahindra for introducing a range of new products, mostly SUVs and crossovers, in the coming years as a C-segment SUV could arrive in 2022.
It will be based on the next-generation Mahindra XUV500 bound for early 2021. Coming back to the Ranger, the rumours surrounding its possible India launch have been there for several years considering its popularity in the international arena and it has plenty in common with the Endeavour full-sized SUV. While the pickup truck space has not really caught on, it could do so in the near future.
Toyota is also expected to bring in the Hilux and it could be pitted against the Ford Ranger. The premium pickup has high loading and towing capacity due to its practical nature as the four-door model has a large loading bay at the back. Earlier, it was caught on camera wearing a black front grille, black alloy wheels and smoked out headlamps.
It is offered with a host of powertrain options in the overseas markets and India could get a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, which is good enough to generate a maximum power output of 165 bhp and 420 Nm of peak torque. The engine could be paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission that debuted in the facelifted Endeavour, sending power to all the four wheels through a 4WD system.
The Ranger could be packed with goodies pertaining to safety, driver assistance and convenience while being able to maneuver through tough terrains. It may get traction control, rollover mitigation, hill climb assist, different driving modes based on surface conditioning, active transfer case and so on.