2020 Ford Ranger Named Free Press Truck of the Year
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press has named the 2020 Ford Ranger the Free Press Truck of the Year. Phelan sites the Ranger’s affordable price point — even when equipped with must-haves like the FX4 Off-Road Package or a range of Yakima accessories — as well as its exceptional capability as reasons for its victory.
“The Ranger went to the gym, got a new wardrobe, and came back this year with a new attitude,” writes Phelan.
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That new attitude helped propel the Ranger to a win over the second-place Jeep Gladiator and third-place Chevrolet Silverado HD. Name-dropped in the write-up are features like Trail Control, which is offered as part of the FX4 Off-Road Package and functions like cruise control for less certain terrains. The package also includes Terrain Management Control, which gives the Ranger unparalleled control on surfaces ranging from mud to rocks to sand.
The Ranger sports just one powertrain combination, but the 2.3-liter EcoBoost and 10-speed automatic — which enable best-in-class gas payload and torque as well as considerable fuel economy — were enough to sway Freep to bestow Truck of the Year upon Ford’s midsize pickup.
So convincing is the 2020 Ford Ranger that Phelan pledged his vote for 2020 North American Truck of the Year. The Ranger will contend with the Gladiator and new Ram Heavy Duty at the NACTOY awards, the winners of which will be announced on Jan. 13 in Detroit.
No matter how that result goes, the Ranger lays claim to one of the first major segment awards of 2020 (or, given the Dec. 29 announcement, last of 2019).
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Photos: 2020 Ford Ranger, the Free Press Truck of the Year
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.