Ford to bring Ranger pickup back to North America

Ford stopped the production of Ranger for North America in 2011.
Ford stopped the production of Ranger for North America in 2011. | File photo

Ford recently re-introduced the Ford Ranger pickup for North American customers.

Fremont Motor Co. said Ford plans to release the new model in North America in early 2019 and begin offering the vehicle in China later this year. Ford stopped the production of Ranger for North America in 2011, but continued to manufacture the truck in other countries.

The company said the upcoming model is specifically designed for the North American market.

The 2019 Ranger will come in three trim levels: XL, XLT and Lariat.

The new vehicle will feature a 2.3L EcoBoost engine; 10-speed automatic transmission; steel frame; configurations for half-size back doors and full-size back doors; front and rear steel bumpers; and an optional off-road package.

Safety systems vary across trim levels and will include adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, reverse sensing and blind spot information system, among others.

The truck will also offer information and entertainment features such as Amazon’s Alexa intelligent voice service and the Sync 3 system that can integrate with the Apple Carplay and AndroidAuto applications.