The All-New Ford Ranger Redefines the Midsize Truck

Sometimes a vehicle’s updates from one model year to the next can be pretty minimal, coming down to a few minor improvements or new exterior paint colors. This isn’t a bad thing since constant “revolutionary” upgrades would be exhausting for drivers and automakers alike. Every once in a while, however, the changes to a vehicle with a new model year surpass these minimal cues and alter how we look at that model forever. The 2024 Ford Ranger is among them.

Ford’s famous midsize pickup has undergone a complete redesign, and the release of this all-new generation takes everything we expected of the Ranger to an entirely new level. As your premier Ford dealer near Brownsburg, we here at Pearson Ford wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we let such a momentous and revolutionary change to this fantastic truck go unnoticed. The redesigned 2024 Ranger is better than ever and includes a huge number of changes inside and out, creating a midsize truck that’s perfect for a wide range of drivers.

Perhaps most exciting of all, Ford is set to unleash a new Ranger Raptor standalone model that’s ready to dominate any off-road trail you can imagine. No matter what you’re looking for in your next pickup, you should have this one on your radar and endeavor to experience it for yourself.

A Pair of Powerful Engines

At the heart of every truck is its engine, which should roar to life, showcase aggressive strength, and have the muscle enough to get any job done. It’s easy to think that only a full-size truck like the F-150 needs a powerful engine, but even midsize models should have plenty of power packed into them; Ford doesn’t make pickups as fashion accessories. You can see the Blue Oval’s understanding of what a well-suited truck needs perfectly illustrated in the two engines on offer for the 2024 Ranger.

Standard in the Ranger is a 2.3L EcoBoost Turbo I-4 engine that delivers 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, providing you with excellent performance even in the starting trim. You’ll find rear-wheel drive (RWD) standard on the Ranger, though four-wheel drive (4WD) is available for improved traction and overall performance.

For an elevated driving experience, there’s an available 2.7L EcoBoost Turbo V6 engine that puts out 315 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque for a pulse-pounding time behind the wheel. Both of these engines come paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission that ensures your truck handles smoothly and is exceptionally responsive no matter the conditions of the road or weather.

Fantastic Towing Potential

Solid towing capability is not simply the purview of full-size trucks, and you deserve to have a midsize pickup that can tackle whatever you throw at it. The all-new Ranger utilizes an incredibly strong fully-boxed steel frame, allowing it to handle tremendous amounts of weight that some other midsize trucks would flinch at. With the bold engineering that Ford has taken with the 2024 Ranger, it can handle up to 7,500 lbs of maximum towing capacity (or 8,500 lbs if you spring for the top-tier Platinum trim), making it perfect for hauling a boat up to Lake Michigan or getting a trailer loaded with building materials to a job site outside Indy.

Just as remarkably, Ford has provided fantastic towing technology to make trailering easier and more convenient so you can focus on the stuff that really matters. A Trailer Brake Controller ensures whatever you’re towing stops as effectively as the Ford Ranger, which ensures you control over the added weight behind you. Best of all, with the available Pro Trailer Backup Assist system, you can adjust the angle and direction of whatever you’re towing while in reverse with the turn of a knob, making it incredibly easy to maneuver with confidence and precision.

Go Wild With the Ranger Raptor

We didn’t want to bury the lede here, but we felt it was worth talking about the engines and towing capability of the all-new Ranger before detailing that which makes the best of the Raptor’s potential. What excites us most about this reimagined midsize truck is the all-new Ranger Raptor, the most powerful and capable Ranger ever made. It’s a standalone version of the Ranger, specialized around performance and geared toward hitting the trail, letting you leave the streets behind and explore the rugged outdoors with a degree of power and agility you never thought possible of a pickup.

The Raptor comes with an exclusive 3.0L EcoBoost V6 engine that delivers a massive 405 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque, giving you exceptional power for going off-road. This is paired with a long-travel suspension that includes a Watts link rear suspension along with class-exclusive 2.5-inch FOX Live Valve shocks for incredible articulation out on the trail, all while keeping you as stable and comfortable as possible. Ford has reinforced the front frame rails, front shock towers, rear shock brackets, suspension mounting points, and similar areas on the Ranger’s fully-boxed frame for the Raptor, ensuring it can handle a metric ton of abuse.

On the outside of the Ranger Raptor, you’ll find a gorgeous front-end with an all-steel bumper, aggressive grille design, and C-clamp signature lighting with LED projector headlamps. This beast rides on 17-inch wheels, with beadlock-capable wheels available, wrapped in 33-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. A high-strength steel front bash plate protects the underside, and there are additional shields for the engine, transfer case, and fuel tank.

Inside, the Raptor has signature Code Orange accents to set it apart from other Ranger models, along with cast magnesium alloy paddle shifters that keep you in control while surviving years of future use. All of this comes together to create a truck that’s a revelation to drive in the backcountry.

A Remarkable Interior

From the hints of the Ranger Raptor, you can get a sense of the impressive features Ford has put into the revitalized original Ranger, but we’ve barely scratched the surface. Looking between its four trims, three key convenience features that every Ranger comes standard with are a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen interface, Remote Keyless Entry, and a Remote Tailgate Lock.

Available features elevate your experience even further, with options like a wireless charging dock for compatible smartphones, a 12.0-inch infotainment interface, and a B&O ten-speaker sound system (included in higher trims) to provide you with an enviable driving experience. Ford has gone even further by combining this with exceptional bed-oriented tech like an innovative zone lighting system, a 400-watt in-bed power system, and a power sliding rear window.

Ready to Go Beyond the Ordinary

Ford is looking to throw down the proverbial gauntlet with the all-new Ranger against the other automakers in the midsize truck segment. They’ve done an excellent job of it, considering how these incredible features and options compare to what else is out there.

No matter what class of pickup most strikes your fancy, there’s no denying that the all-new Ranger is a new figurehead and future legend. While the Raptor variant model might be what we’re most excited about with this truck, we honestly just can’t wait to see the Ranger out in public—how people interact with it and enjoy it and the kinds of adventures our friends and neighbors will have with it.

If you’re ready to start planning your next adventure, visit us at Pearson Ford and we’ll help make it happen.