Spy Shots: Next-gen Ford Ranger global quad-cab spotted

Ford has done a lot of work over the past few years to really improve its F-Series line of pickups, in both standard F-150 and Super Duty forms. And while the Blue Oval's "Built Ford Tough" motto stands true to the latest and greatest versions of these pickups, the smaller Ranger has been greatly overlooked over the past decade.

These most recent spy shots show Ford's new Ranger, but don't get too excited. Despite the long-in-the-tooth truck's aging underpinnings and FoMoCo's push to standardize platforms with it's "One Ford" initiative, the all-new Ranger most likely won't make it to the States (despite our best hopes).

Our spies indicate that this new Ranger will be slightly larger than the version currently on sale in other markets, but that it's actually somewhat smaller than the truck currently sitting at U.S. dealerships. We think that may be a visual trick of the camouflage and the four-door configuration, however, as this vehicle is expected to be larger than the current North American model, as it will go on duty in countries where Ford doesn't offer the F-150. Still, should the Blue Oval perform an about-face and bring the truck to America, we don't think this would hinder Ford's overall sales too much, and this much-needed overhaul would make the model better positioned to compete with the likes of the Toyota Tacoma, as well as the Nissan Frontier/ Suzuki Equator twins in markets abroad.