Volkswagen’s all-new Amarok midsize pickup is coming in 2022. That means the all-new Ford Ranger is coming in 2022. What’s the connection?

Ford and VW announced in January 2019 they will share certain platforms and co-develop other new ones. Part of that agreement included having the 2022 Ranger and Amarok share not only architecture but assembly plants. When VW Chief Operating Officer Ralf Branstatter recently stated the new Amarok was on track to debut in 2022, that means the new Ranger will also.

Ford and VW Collaboration

The collaboration is to be for midsize pickup trucks and commercial vans. The target for these vehicles was for 2022, and that looks like they will be hitting that date. Supposedly none of these vehicles will be electric-powered. Instead, they will use the 2.7-liter EcoBoost six-cylinder engine or 3.0-liter diesel currently found in F-150 pickup trucks.

Though new to the US, the Ranger has been around in its current form in other countries since 2011. The current T6 Ranger has its origins in Australia having been designed, engineered, and developed by Ford of Australia. By 2022 the Ranger will have been produced for 12 years in one form or another with only minor updates. So, while it may seem too soon to replace the current Ranger, looking at the larger picture it makes more sense. When you add that the new truck will be shared reducing costs, then it should be a great arrangement for getting both VW and Ford into new midsize pickup trucks.

2022 Ranger Shares Bronco Platform

The all-new 2022 Ranger will also share platforms with the upcoming Bronco due in 2020. Rumors persist the 2022 Ranger will get a new turbocharged V6 engine and optional seven-speed manual transmission. The current Ranger is powered by a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

Ford has said the Bronco will get a hybrid version, so we should expect the Ranger will as well. Also, expect a Ranger Raptor since the F-150 Raptor has been so successful.

Heavily disguised Ranger prototypes have been seen running around Melbourne, Australia, since the beginning of 2019. Though Ford no longer manufactures vehicles in Australia, it maintains a large research and development center there.

From those running prototypes, we can tell that the next Ranger will have a similar front end to the current F-150. Hood details will also be similar to the current Super Duty. Wheel openings are pulled out giving a slight “Coke bottle” shape to the body in plan view. There will also be a vertical vent in the front fenders along the door shut line.

2022 Ranger Won’t Be Overstyled

Thankfully the wildly sculptured body design we see on vehicles like the new Silverado won’t be part of the new Ranger styling. The body sides are fairly simple and actually less sculptured than the current Ranger. The tailgate will no longer have “Ranger” embossed into it but instead feature a Ford blue oval up higher under the tailgate handle. 

As all of the manufacturers ramp up development on their truck and SUV lines we will be coming into a truck-launch bonanza in 2020 so check back with MotorBiscuit for all of the good truck news.