Ford Ranger 2020 pricing and spec confirmed: Key changes for HiLux' main rival

Ford’s Ranger has received minor tweaks and an adjustment in price for the 2020 model year, including an increase in equipment for its hot-selling Wildtrak.

Headlining the changes is a new automatic-rolling hard tonneau cover for the Wildtrak, which is able to be remotely opened and closed. This replaces the existing manual hard tonneau.

The hero-spec Raptor, Wildtrak, and XLT now all gain Bi-LED headlights (17 per cent brighter) to replace their current projector LED globes and the Raptor’s hero ‘Lightning Blue’ colour option is replaced by a slightly deeper ‘Ford Performance Blue’.

The Wildtrak will also gain a new alloy wheel design, while further down the range, the XL workhorse is able to be optioned with a ‘heavy-duty’ suspension pack.

Part of the hot-selling Wildtrak's changes includes a new alloy wheel design.

The suspension pack is for 4x4 variants only and includes new rear springs, new dampers, upgraded tyres and a recalibrated stability control program.

The heavy-duty suspension is a $500 option and Ford says it was included to improve the XL 4x4s ride when towing and under load.

Ford notes that the specced-up Wildtrak X will not necessarily continue to the 2020 model year as it is limited to 500 units for the 2019 model year only. The FX4 will however continue into next year.

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Due to these updates and alongside “incremental pricing adjustments”, the Ranger’s pricing has increased slightly across the board.

The Ranger continues to be offered in diesel only with a choice of three engines across five variants. The three engine choices, consisting of a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo (118kW/385Nm), 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo (147kW/470Nm) and 2.0-litre bi-turbo (157kW/500Nm) are unchanged for the 2020 model year.

The Wildtrak gets the lion's share of upgrades for the 2020 model year.

For a full layout of available engine/transmission, body style, and trim combinations, see the table below.

In terms of standard features by trim level, the entry level XL features an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, as well as new USB ports in the windscreen for mounting dash-cams (Ford says this was added due to customer demand). Other standard items include cloth seats, auto halogen headlights, 16-inch steel wheels, mud flaps, locking rear differential, and remote entry with turn-key ignition. The XL can be had as either a 4x2 or 4x4 with a choice of the 2.2-litre or 3.2-litre engines.

Standard safety across the Ranger line-up includes auto emergency braking, lane keep assist, auto high-beams, reversing camera, load adaptive control, hill descent and launch assist, auto high beams, and six-airbags.

Next in the line-up is the XLS which is available as a 4x4 auto dual-cab only with the 3.2-litre engine. Standard spec is increased to include 16-inch alloy wheels, grey contrast highlights with body coloured accents, single-zone climate control, sat-nav and DAB+ digital radio, keyless entry and push-start, front and rear parking sensors, as well as driver attention alert (DAA).

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Stepping up to the XLT adds 17-inch wheels, chrome body highlights, new Bi-LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, smart key memory key fobs, tyre pressure monitoring, a tub liner, tow kit, sports bar, cooled centre console box, privacy glass, semi-digital dashboard, as well as heated and auto-folding rear vision mirrors.

The XLT is the first grade in the line-up optionally available with the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine and 10-speed automatic.

The limited-edition FX4 will launch at the same time as the updated Rangers. Limited to 1000 units, the FX4 will be available with either the 3.2- or 2.0-litre engine and features unique ‘tinted graphite’ styling, 18-inch wheels, sports bar, decal pack, red-on-black seat trim, and the same specification level as the XLT 4x4 on which it is based.

The FX4 will launch alongside the rest of the updated Ranger line-up in December.

The Wildtrak gains grey and silver highlights for the body, 18-inch alloy wheels (in a new design) auto-rolling hard tonneau cover, auto-locking tailgate, ambient interior lighting, leather seats with 8-way power adjust and heating for front occupants, puddle lamps, and decal pack.

The hero of the Ranger’s lineup is the Raptor, which is a double cab 4x4 2.0-litre only and comes with enhanced suspension courtesy of Fox Shox off-road suspension tuners, as well as a bespoke set of Ford Performance 17-inch alloy wheels, 33-inch BF Goodrich tyres and Raptor-unique trimmings to suit its wider track. The interior of the Raptor gets unique seats, steering wheel and grey-on-black aesthetic. The Raptor does not come with a tonneau cover, instead the tray is adorned only with a tub-liner.

The FX4 gets its own interior trim, although the rest of the Ranger lineup is unchanged on the inside.

All Rangers are covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and comprehensive capped price servicing that extends out to 10 years, with the first four services locked at $299. The Ranger requires servicing once a year or every 15,000km no matter which engine option is fitted. Ford also throws in state auto club membership and a free loan car with each service.

Ford Ranger 2020 price