2018 Detroit Auto Show: Ford Ranger pickup truck unveiled

The Ford Ranger nameplate is finally returning to the US and once again as a pickup truck (obviously). With a boom across America for a truck with a bed in the back, it seems like a good time for the Ranger to return and this time around, it's Ford’s prize contestant in the mid-size category where it will go up against the likes of the Toyota Tacoma, Honda Ridgeline and the Chevy Colorado pickup trucks.

The company says that the American spec model has been tailor made for the US market. On the face of things, it is quite different in terms of features and options from the Australian spec RHD model that had been spied undisguised last week.

Well, the American market car gets the double slat chrome grille, high riding silhouette commonly associated with ladder-on-frame models and wrap around tail lamps with LED inserts. The inside is a typical Ford utility with a grey and black colour scheme and depending on which version you buy, you get the same colour scheme at the rear. You can have the 2019 Ranger as a Super cab (half doors) or as a super crew (four doors).

The American market will get the Ranger with a 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine. It produces 310bhp/474Nm in the EcoBoost Mustang and should be the same here. In the Ranger, this engine is mated to a 10-speed auto and can be configured with RWD or AWD a.k.a FX4 off-road package as dubbed by Ford.

This being the American market, you get a whole host of goodies on the offer. This list includes climate control, eight-inch touchscreen with SYNC3, instrument cluster with full colour dual displays. Optional extras include 4G wi-fi hotspot, B&O speakers and full LED lighting package.

Now here is the thing - we are unlikely to get the Ranger but this is the basis for the next-gen Endeavour that will come to India. The same Endeavour will also be the basis for a SUV that will be called the Bronco in the American market.