Evergreener: Long-running Ford Ranger augments safety features for 2010
Click on the image above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Ford Ranger
Despite dwindling sales in a dwindling segment, Ford's Ranger refuses to pack up. For 2010, the compact pickup looks unchanged on the outside, but beneath the skin it gains some new electronic gubbins to help make it more competitive.
In the main, the trucklet soldiers on into its next model year with a larger complement of standard safety equipment. Traction and stability control (AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control in Blue Oval-speak) will be built into every 2010 Ranger, along with new side airbags designed to protect the head and torso.
The rest of the package continues essentially unaltered, with Ford continuing to wave the Ranger's banner as America's most fuel-efficient pickup (the base 2.3-liter four-cylinder nets 21 miles-per-gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway).
Rumors have persisted that the Ranger might be euthanized ahead of its Twin Cities production plant's scheduled closing in 2011 – and indeed, just yesterday word came down that the truck's assembly lines will be idled for an additional two weeks due to slow sales. But the added investment in safety equipment for 2010 would seem to indicate that the Ranger is likely to soldier on until the plant's scheduled closing date. Click on the jump for Ford's official press release.
Gallery: 2010 Ford Ranger
[Sources: Ford Motor Company; Minneapolis Star Tribune]
PRESS RELEASE
2010 FORD RANGER: AMERICA'S MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT PICKUP ADDS NEW, STANDARD SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES
- America's most fuel-efficient pickup – the Ford Ranger – will add as standard equipment this summer a segment-exclusive safety technology – AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control). This unique technology helps prevent skidding and dangerous rollover conditions
- The new 2010 Ranger also adds new combination side air bags – offered standard – designed for head and torso protection
- With 2.3-liter I-4 engine, the Ranger is the most fuel-efficient pickup truck with an EPA-estimated fuel economy at 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway
- Ford has more U.S. government 5-star safety-rated vehicles than any other brand and more IIHS "Top Safety Picks" than any other automaker.
Industry-exclusive AdvanceTrac with RSC goes a step beyond stability control systems found on competitive models with a gyroscopic roll sensor that determines both the vehicle's body roll angle and roll rate.
If it detects the vehicle is about to roll, the system automatically applies additional countermeasures – such as reducing engine power 15 percent and/or applying brakes to one or more wheels – to enhance vehicle rollover resistance.
The new Ranger's head-and-chest combination side air bags provide enhanced head and torso protection in certain side impacts. The side air bag system is designed to cushion the head, minimizing lateral head injuries in case of collision, in addition to acting as a barrier between the occupant and the side of the vehicle,
"The 2010 Ranger's Roll Stability Control and combination side air bag technologies will help occupants stay out of harm's way," said Steve Kozak, chief engineer of safety systems, Ford Motor Company. "The Ranger has been America's most fuel-efficient pickup, and now it features a combination of safety features not offered in any other small pickup."
In addition, Ranger also provides high levels of safety and security with Ford's Personal Safety System®, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and SecuriLock® passive anti-theft system, all included as standard equipment on all models.
Also standard are four-wheel anti-lock brakes, driver- and front-passenger air bags, safety belts with front pretensioners for outboard seating positions and side-intrusion door beams. Ford's front-passenger sensing system helps ensure air bags are not deployed on the passenger side when small children are detected. Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) child-seat mounts are provided in the front-passenger seat on all models.
Further adding value to the Ranger is its class-leading fuel economy and low cost of ownership. With EPA-estimated fuel economy at 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway for the 2.3-liter I-4 engine, Ranger is the most fuel-efficient pickup on the market today. Plus its 7,500-mile service intervals for routine maintenance, such as oil changes, help Ranger historically rank among the lowest cost of ownership among all compact pickups studied by Edmunds.com.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Steve Lopez 1:10PM (2/06/2009)
Well,
How come Ford hasn't updated the exterior and interior of this good pick up truck?
What are they thinking.
How about a clean burning diesel engine as an option. Hybrid, maybe?
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ronEbear 1:29PM (2/06/2009)
They haven`t updated the int/ext because it is most likely dirt cheap to manufacture at this point. Any money that can be made and saved is essential in these troubled times.
James 1:49PM (2/06/2009)
The venerable Ford Ranger soldiers on...
Long Live the Ranger!
Jason 2:03PM (2/06/2009)
Personally I like the current interior and exterior of the truck (we have an '08 Ranger). No updating is needed there IMHO.
I agree that a diesel or hybrid option would be nice though. These trucks see a ton of use as parts-runners in the commerical market and a plug-in hybrid system would be an ideal powertrain for that application.
Farmboy 3:20PM (2/06/2009)
They have achieved economy of scales with the Ranger. (Thank you Mr. Oestreich!!) Because of this, Ford has payed off all the equipment to make them, so updating the Ranger with installation equipment (i.e. robots and lifts) and training would be too expensive. Ford is making a lot of money by making these. Even if they don't sell, Ford is not losing any money. Plus a redesign could threaten the fuel economy of this truck. So sales are still acceptable in Ford's eyes. Personally, I don't care what the Ranger looks like. I like them just the way they are. A couple facelifts didn't hurt this truck. It is a very nice car.
Judy Zik 11:03PM (2/06/2009)
Amen.
It is what it is. Nobody is pretending this is something it isn't. Just a dependable small truck. Glad to see Ford doing the updates to keep it on the market for another year or two. Hopefully by then they will have a suitable replacement. Makes no sense to abandon this segment especially when the Ranger still sells and it is pure profit.
The Luigiian 1:16PM (2/06/2009)
The Ranger is a simple honest truck. Diesel would be an OK option but a hybrid would be pushing it in terms of price.
The best thing Ford could do for the Ranger would be to upgrade the four-cylinder and add a four-cylinder four-wheel-drive option.
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JayP 1:35PM (2/06/2009)
I love my '01 to death- Put 30k miles on it in a year, averaging 26mpg.
A diesel would be perfect for me, but 4WD would wing that mileage I want. At least some limited slip option... even with the 2.3 I can spin one tire to the nubs.
FordTruckin 1:24PM (2/06/2009)
The Ranger is the only compact truck still left. It's useful for a lot of people who want a truck but don't need a full sized one. I'm still hoping they replace it with a different truck instead of just killing it off.
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Zog 4:20PM (2/06/2009)
This truck is an old dog, cosmetic re-freshens doesn’t hide its 30-year-old design. But what does that matter? It’s a truck. What’s more it’s the only small truck that remains, all the others have been bloated by successive re-designs (looking at you Taco).
Forget trying to redesign it, source a good 4 cyl turbo diesel for it, something with 30mpg, good load capacity and no sporting pretensions. Leave the rest of the truck alone. Dodge did the exact same thing 20 years ago with the Ram, it was a tired old design even then, but they offered it with a Cummins and they kept selling through to the re-design in ’94.
Or I could wait for Mahindra to come ashore.
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Steve Lopez 1:33PM (2/06/2009)
All true.
I think they need a real 4 door pick up and say good bye to the Sport trac or make the sport trac a Lincoln.
They got rid of the LT, well, update the interior of both and give them seperate looking exteriors and maybe you can start moving the stock.
Not sure what is happening in the American motor industry.
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Tang 1:38PM (2/06/2009)
I think the SportTrac is in a different category... I think it's a great-looking vehicle, but since it is larger than the Ranger, maybe midsize truck.
Sofa King Fast! 2:23PM (2/06/2009)
The sport trak is an Explorer with the back cut off.
Ford needs a real 4 door ranger to go toe to toe with the Tacoma and Frontier.
Bubba 2:44PM (2/06/2009)
The first-gen Sport Trac shared a lot with the Ranger, for example much of the drive-train. But then that was because that gen Explorer SUV did too. Most of the engineering that went into the Ranger in the last couple decades came to it by way of the Explorer.
Ever since the 4-th gen X the Ranger has been left in the dust to die.
Aren't these changes (the added safety crap) required to meet Fedral requirements? Seems like the bare minimum effort required on Ford's part. My guess is because they can't think of anything else to do to the model: Either keep it barely alive on life support or kill it.
Jake B 3:17PM (2/06/2009)
Ford shouldn't directly compete with the Tacoma I don't think. They need to build their green rep and then assault the Tacoma with an all new green Ranger than is somewhat smaller than the Tacoma. You can't just compete in this business anymore, it is cut throat.
tbyron 2:40PM (2/06/2009)
Side airbags...I thought their absence was one of the reasons they weren't going to keep making it. Not a small amount of engineering time there for a 2 model year run. Maybe they're preserving an option to keep it going...?
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Christophe 4:23PM (2/06/2009)
I think its smart of them to leave it alone...people who drive these are looking for the utility. Although I do find it funny that even the window switches are the same as the ones on the '94 Taurus my mom used to drive.
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michael pettibone 1:54PM (2/06/2009)
Can't they at least use the 2.5 four? If you won't make that much effort Ford,go ahead and die!
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Tired 2:17PM (2/06/2009)
The 2.5L would be a great upgrade, but I'm not sure it will fit without re-engineering.
Same goes for side curtain airbags - should be there, but they're not spending the money to redesign the cab.
Andrew L 3:23PM (2/06/2009)
I doubt they would have to re engineer it since they can fit a 4.0 in there