Next-Gen Ford Ranger Getting Plug-In Hybrid: Report
Photo: Ford
We may have only just gotten the Ranger back, but Ford is still hard at work in development on its eventual successor. In an interesting twist, the next-gen Ford Ranger is set to arrive in Australia for the 2022 model year and should be bringing with it an all-new plug-in hybrid powertrain.
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Australia’s CarExpert reported last week that the 2022 Ford Ranger and 2022 Ford Everest are both in line for plug-in hybrid variants. Both vehicles will leverage the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder as part of their PHEV systems, a first for Ford. The expected result is impressive in any sense: 362 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque with 78 MPGe. Sign us right up for that!
Would the Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid come to America?
But before we all go and get excited about something like this, it’s good to keep in mind that this might not actually be a thing. Car and Driver in April reported that Ford was working on a PHEV for the next-generation F-150, but that rumor got smacked down but quick. And while CarExpert has yet to offer a comparable retraction, it’s never a bad idea to take any sort of rumor with a grain of salt.
Another fair question to ask is whether a Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid would even make its way stateside. Ford opted not to bring its current Ranger Raptor across the Atlantic — its successor is also under development in Australia and while there’s hope it may come to America, there’s as much reason to think it may not. Ford probably also won’t port over a version of the Ranger Thunder it’s releasing this summer, even though it totally should.
Whether the next-generation Ford Ranger hits for the 2022 model year in America or not, it’s shaping up to be a big 2021 for Ford trucks. In addition to the full-scale rollout of the next-generation F-150, Ford is expected to reveal an affordable small pickup that may or may not be called the Maverick, could reveal its all-electric F-150, and may roll out a new off-road pickup based on the upcoming Bronco. Future’s looking bright for all things truuuuuuucks.
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Richard Bazzy is the face of Shults Ford, the No. 1 Ford dealer in Pittsburgh and all of Pennsylvania. Known for his unique approach to selling cars and his penchant for cowboy hats, Richard runs Shults Ford of Harmarville, Shults Ford Lincoln of Wexford, and Shults Ford South. Visit his YouTube channel and see just how well Richard Bazzy can yee a haw.