Current Ranger is on the left and two new Rangers are parked next to it

New body is supposed to be larger

According to the reader who sent in these pictures, the new Ford Ranger has begun appearing in the back yard of AMI in Shah Alam, Selangor, where Fords have been assembled for three decades. Ford Malaysia has become stricter about pictures being taken on its premises and prominent signs at its office warn that ‘image-capturing devices’ must be surrendered by visitors. But no one said anything about having an image-capturing device outside the premises…

So what we can see from these pictures are the new Rangers which can be identified from the new front grille which is bolder. Information from Ford Thailand’s website indicate that the new model which was launched a year back, is larger and more powerful. There are three bodystyles but it is likely that Ford Malaysia will offer only the double cab.

As for engines, it is almost certain that the 2.5-litre turbodiesel will be under the bonnet. A check of the specifications on the Thai models shows that it’s much more powerful than before and could well grab ‘the most powerful pick-up’ title (in its class) this year, beating the Mitsubishi Triton.

Rumours are that Ford Malaysia will fit the 5-speed automatic transmission to the new Ranger, giving it an extra selling point. A 5-speeder gives a better spread of ratios for better flexibility and also enhances fuel economy, though the Ranger is already pretty economical to run.

We tried to get some ‘indications’ from Mike Pease, Ford Malaysia’s MD, but all he replied was “You’ll know very soon!” A reasonably reliable source hinted that the model will be launched next month but refused to give an indicated price. It is likely that the new Ranger will be priced close to the Triton which confounded Mitsubishi’s rivals because its price is unusually low.

• New Ford Ranger launched in Thailand