Why Aren’t the Best Ford Ranger Models Available in the U.S?
What the heck y’all?! Did you know there are cooler Ford Ranger models outside of the United States? Australia, for example, has Ford Ranger models with exterior and interior treatments, performance upgrades, and other features that we can’t have in North America yet.
Why aren’t cooler Ford Ranger trucks in the U.S.?
According to AutoBlog, the 2021 Ford Ranger MS-RT variant is the newest cool Ranger that we can’t have. The Ranger MS-RT was designed by M-Sport, the company that crafts Ford rally vehicles.
It has unique sporty features, including a lip spoiler, side skirts, new bulging fenders, unique bumpers in the front and rear, a new grille design, and 20-inch OZ racing wheels. The interior has premium leather upholstery and orange stitching with special badging to show off what you got.
The Ranger MS-RT doesn’t have more power, but it does have a diesel engine, which isn’t available here. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine provides 210 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. It’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
We do have the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder gas engine with 270 hp, though. That engine would be an excellent option in a racing Ford Ranger. If you dd the Ford Performance ECU calibration, then you could get 315 hp and 370 lb-ft of torque. But the Ranger MS-RT just doesn’t have the appeal that the Ranger Raptor would.
Did you say Ranger Raptor?
Yes, we did. The Ford Ranger Raptor is another version that we can’t have in the U.S. Hopefully, this baby Raptor will come to our shores to take on rivals such as the Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro.
Car and Driver suggests that the 2021 Ranger Raptor could have the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine that’s currently available with the Mustang. It can provide up to 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque.
It has a lot of off-roading goodies such as fox shocks with position sensitive damping, a 2.3 mm skid plate, Coilover rear suspension, engine, and transfer case shields. Beefier off-roading tires, lightweight magnesium paddle shifters, and a unique instrument cluster are included too.
A new 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor is currently in the works for Australia and could eventually make its way to America. They are considering making a small batch of them with V8 engines, so that has our attention.
The Ford Ranger Storm
Brazil has another unique Ranger model known as the Storm. That’s a pretty cool name. It has black stripes on the hood and doors, black fender flares, and black running boards. Black 17-inch wheels also complement its dark and ominous look.
For adventuring, the Ranger Storm has Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus all-terrain tires that were specifically designed for this truck. It also has a locking rear differential and is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The dark and scary Storm also features the Ford 3.2-liter five-cylinder Power Stroke Puma engine. This engine was adapted to meet North American emissions standards to power the Ford Transit under the Power Stroke name.
