Jade Credentino
Australian-developed ute scores Guinness World Record
Stuntman Paul Swift has set a very peculiar Guinness World Record with a Ford Ranger Raptor in the United Kingdom.
1 Year Ago
About the Ford Ranger
Last updated Feb 10, 2025The new Ford Ranger is one of the most talked about new cars in Australia and for good reason given it has won CarExpert's Ute of The Year 2023.
Wait times for the new Ranger vary depending on variant but can be from immediate to around six months, for the likes of the Wildtrack and Raptor. Ute buyers have certainly picked the Ranger as their favourite ute offering in the Australian market and it continues to be a very popular purchase.
The new-generation Ranger ute has a bolder design, more interior technology, full-time four-wheel drive in some variants, a V6 diesel option, and plug-in hybrid-ready architecture.
Ford developed, designed and engineered the Ford Ranger and Ford Everest in Australia.
The 2023 Ford Ranger is available with a choice of four different turbocharged powertrains ranging from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel to a fire-breathing 3.0-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo petrol V6.
Standard on the entry-level XL is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 125kW of power and 405Nm of torque. This is exclusively mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and is available in two- and four-wheel drive configurations, depending on the variant.
Available on the rest of the range, excluding the Baja-ready Raptor, is the familiar 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo four-cylinder diesel engine producing 154kW (down 3kW on the outgoing Ranger) and an unchanged 500Nm. This is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and is available in in two- and part-time four-wheel drive configurations, depending on the variant.
The 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which produces 184kW and 600Nm, is available in the XLT double cab-chassis and the XLT, Sport, Wildtrak and Platinum double cab pickup models. This is also mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, with drive being sent through a full-time four-wheel drive system.
Only available on the range-topping Raptor model is a 3.0-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 petrol engine producing 292kW and 583Nm. This is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, with drive being sent through a full-time four-wheel drive system.
Pros
- Signature ride comfort, refinement
- New V6 diesel, permanent 4WD a great addition
- Enhanced interior ergonomics and displays
Cons
- No manual gearbox option at all
- Extra cabin storage limited to Wildtrak
- Putting 4x4 settings in a touchscreen may not be wise
Ford Ranger Rating
Ford Ranger News
2023 Ford Ranger Reviews
2023 Ford Ranger Price
XLS
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 2.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel RWD Double Cab Utility | $47,130 |
| 2.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 Double Cab Utility | $54,730 |
XLT
XL
Wildtrak
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 2.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 Double Cab Utility | $67,990 |
| 3.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 Double Cab Utility | $71,190 |
Sport
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 2.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 Double Cab Utility | $64,490 |
| 3.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 Double Cab Utility | $67,690 |
Platinum
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 3.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 Double Cab Utility | $76,990 |
Wildtrak X
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 2.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 Double Cab Utility | $75,990 |
Raptor
| Configuration | Price From* |
|---|---|
| 3.0L, 10 sp automatic Premium Unleaded 4x4 Double Cab Utility | $86,790 |
*excl. on-roads
All Ford Ranger Pricing
2023 Ford Ranger Specs
See our comprehensive details for the Ford Ranger
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2023 Ford Ranger Dimensions
1872mm
1910mm
5225mm
The dimensions shown above are for the base model.
See all 2023 Ford Ranger Dimensions2023 Ford Ranger Boot Space
The top-selling dual-cab models have a slightly wider tub than before, and is billed as sufficient to flat-stow a 1200mm x 800mm pallet.
This was partly at the behest of junior development parter Volkswagen, which wanted the new Amarok to retain this bragging point.
2023 Ford Ranger Gallery
CarExpert High Resolution Photos of the Ford Ranger
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2023 Ford Ranger Exterior
When it comes to designing and engineering a brand new product for a car company, there’s a degree of latitude international markets are given when it comes to the whole process. With Ford Australia being the main engine room for Ranger and Everest, they were given the reins when it came to the next-generation Ranger Raptor and were given a great deal of latitude to design a performance pickup truck that would need to stand on its own two feet in every global market from Australia to the US.
It's a very muscular and aggressive looking ute that will no doubt turn plenty of heads.
Some variants get matrix LED headlights, along with LED tail lights. The standard level of equipment is quite high across the entire range.
Other innovative features include clamp holes for the tray, a ruler built into the tray door and the ability to option a power outlet within the tray.
2023 Ford Ranger Interior
The interior of the new Ford Ranger is a huge step up in terms of material, fit and finish and the infotainment system. All variants except the Wildtrack gain the 10.1 inch infotainment screen and with a portrait orientation, larger than any of the screens in the outgoing Ranger and every other dual-cab ute on the market today.
The Wildtrack gets the larger 12.0-inch touchscreen, until such time as the Raptor arrives.
Each vehicle picks up Ford's SYNC4 infotainment system, which offers the ability to perform over-the-air updates, which add further features and connectivity down the track as part of ownership.
2023 Ford Ranger Infotainment
The Ford Ranger uses either a 10.1-inch portrat infotainment screen or a 12.0-inch unit.
Both come with SYNC4, which is Ford's latest infotainment system. Smartphone features include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Both infotainment systems also come with the ability to perform over-the-air updates to add additional features down the track.
2023 Ford Ranger Safety Rating
All variants of the 2023 Ford Ranger received a five-star ANCAP safety rating in September 2022 except for the Ranger Raptor which remains unrated.
It received 84 per cent for adult occupant protection, 93 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 83 per cent for safety assist.
Vehicles built before August 20, 2022, will need a software update to their lane-keeping software to mirror the specifications of five-star vehicles. Ford says dealers will carry out the update at an owner’s next service.
The 2023 Ford Ranger comes with the following standard safety equipment:
- Nine airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane-departure warning
- Road edge detection
- Blind-spot assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert (pickup only)
- Trailer Coverage (when factory Tow Pack is fitted)
- Rear-view camera
- Rear parking sensors (pickup only)
Other safety equipment such as front parking sensors, adaptive cruise control with stop/go, surround-view camera, and fully-autonomous parking assist are available on higher trim levels.
2023 Ford Ranger Fuel Economy
The 2.0-litre single-turbo-diesel uses between 7.6L/100km and 7.9L/100km, depending on the variant, according to ADR combined cycle testing.
Meanwhile, the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel is rated at between 6.9L/100km and 7.6L/100km, depending on the variant, according to ADR combined cycle testing.
The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 uses a claimed 8.4L/100km according to ADR combined cycle testing.
The 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 uses in the flagship Raptor uses a claimed 11.5L/100km according to ADR combined cycle testing.
| Ford Ranger | Fuel Type | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel 4x4 Double Cab Utility | Diesel | 7.6 L/100km |
| 2.0L, 10 sp automatic Diesel RWD Double Cab Utility | Diesel | 7.3 L/100km |
Cost of ownership
What are the running and servicing costs of a Ford Ranger?
Ford provides a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and the four four visits are capped at $329 apiece.
How does the 2023 Ford Ranger drive?
Our expert take on Ford Ranger drivability.
It’s quicker than most of its rivals in a straight line, although the Wildtrak V6 can’t match V8 trucks from the USA, and the torquey turbo-diesel engine combines with a smart suspension tune to make it comfortable with a 2500kg caravan hooked up. Likewise, it performed well against our high-tech trailer dyne.
Off-road, it wasn’t fazed by any of our tests. Along with solid hardware, all the onboard technology makes actually unlocking the car’s capability simple for nervous off-roaders.
Also on hand to make life easier for nervous off-roaders are the excellent front-view camera and a range of preset off-road modes. Not sure how to set up your four-wheel drive system? Choose your terrain using the dial, and let the car work it out for you.
It sets a new benchmark for dual-cab utes, and its rivals have some serious catching up to do.
The Ranger’s Aussie DNA remains evident once you break out of the city limits and find yourself loping along ungraded gravel and coarse tarmac.
It rides over corrugations with a minimum of fuss, offering plenty of softness in the suspension, matched with good amounts of control on rebound — even when there’s nothing heavy in the tub.
It’s also quiet in terms of the degree to which tyre roar, wind noise, and engine gruffness are filtered out of the cabin at cruise.
While the core ladder frame and coil front/leaf rear suspension setups are familiar, Ford Australia’s engineers added 50mm in track width and moved the dampers outboard, theoretically tamping down ever further on hopping and bouncing when lightly laden.
It’s also worth noting that Rangers graded XLT, Sport and Wildtrak now have rear disc brakes rather than drums.
The Bi-Turbo four is largely familiar but Ford has made some changes to iron out some bugs that affected the first iteration – there were indeed some issues.
Its sequential, differently-sized turbos cut lag, and the gear spacings perhaps felt better in this incarnation, meaning it seemed less fussy or prone to hunt about for the perfect ratio. It does still have a slim peak torque band, but overall it’s a refined and sufficiently punchy setup.
Yes, most people will lust after the $3000 more expensive V6, but the Bi-Turbo four offers the sort of punch its displacement belies, and there’ll almost certainly be much shorter wait lists.
The headline V6 offers better punch – 30kW and 100Nm to be precise – as you would expect, as well as idle stop/start and the aforementioned permanent 4WD. It’s also quite refined from outside, with a fairly muted diesel idle.
Overall it offers more immediate punch off the mark as well as better traction in the right setup, and a superior surge of torque from 1750rpm for easier overtaking. It isn’t hard to see the appeal, and it certainly puts a D-Max or HiLux in the shade for refinement and performance.
The difference in fuel use between the four-cylinder (7.6L/100km) and V6 (8.4L/100km) is actually quite small.
The base four-wheel drive system available with the 2.0-litre single- and twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engines is a part-time system with a two-speed electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case featuring 2H, 4H and 4L modes.
It’s what we have come to expect from most dual-cab utes, forcing owners to manually shift from two- to four-wheel drive when the going gets rough. It shouldn’t be driven in four-wheel drive on sealed roads.
The 2023 Ford Ranger with the 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel or 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol engines, however, feature an on-demand four-wheel drive system that offers the same 2H, 4H and 4L modes, but also has a 4A automatic mode that can be used on “high-traction surfaces” like paved roads.
This 4A mode when selected can continuously distribute power between the front and rear axles for “optimum performance in all on-road conditions”. Essentially, it behaves like an all-wheel drive car in 4A.
There’s also an electronic rear differential lock that can be activated through the Sync4 infotainment touchscreen.
Depending on the Ranger variant, there are a variety of drive modes that change the vehicle’s throttle response, gearshifts, traction control and ABS. These include the following:
- Normal
- Eco
- Sport
- Tow/Haul
- Slippery
- Mud/Ruts (off-road use)
- Sand (off-road use)
- Baja
- Rock Crawl
Available on some models is an Off-Road Screen (ORS) that’s able to display the following information:
- Driveline and electronic diff lock indication
- Steering angle
- Vehicle pitch and roll angles
- Off-road features buttons
A surround-view camera, which is available on some models, can also be interacted with in this ORS.
2023 Ford Ranger Colours
What colours are available for the Ford Ranger
Ford is giving its gen-two Ranger and Ranger Raptor a handful of colours including some brilliant bright colours for the alter, including one exclusive to the flagship ute.
However, if you like 50 shades of grey – or, in this case, three – you’ll still have some options that’ll suit.
The colour palette comprises the following:
- Absolute Black
- Aluminium
- Arctic White
- Blue Lightning
- Meteor Grey
- Sedona Orange
- Luxe Yellow (Wildtrak only)
- Code Orange (Raptor only)
- Conquer Grey (Raptor only)
2023 Ford Ranger Warranty
2023 Ford Ranger vs other Utes to consider
The Ford Ranger's most direct rival is the Toyota HiLux, which has been on sale in its current form since 2015.
The Ranger also competes against the recently updated Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 siblings, as well as the Volkswagen Amarok, among others.
The Amarok is the only ute for sale on the Australian market at the moment, besides the Ranger, with the option of a V6 diesel engine.
A new-generation Volkswagen Amarok was recently revealed and is based on the Ford Ranger and shares its engines.
Should you buy the 2023 Ford Ranger
Is this the right car for you? Out experts buy or not guide.
The old Ranger was still among the best utes right to the end of its life, so the fact this new one is clearly the best option in its class should not surprise you.
The new V6 with full-time 4×4 is great for those who tow, the interior has improved ergonomics and flashier screens to be more SUV-like than ever, it has clever little touches like its app-based functions and the rear box step, and there’s a grade to suit everyone.
It also retains the Ranger’s signature ride quality over corrugated gravel and coarse Aussie B-roads since it was born on them, has slightly more connected-in-feel electric power steering, and walked all over the off-road challenges we collectively threw at it.
Ford Ranger FAQs
The cheapest Ford Ranger is the XL 2.0 HI-RIDER (4x2) that starts from $33,700.
The most expensive Ford Ranger is the RAPTOR 3.0 (4x4) that starts from $83,600.
The best towing capacity of a Ford Ranger is 3500 kg offered by the following variants: XL 2.0 HI-RIDER (4x2), XL 2.0 (4x4), XLS 2.0 HI-RIDER (4x2), XLT 2.0 HI-RIDER (4x2), XLT 2.0 (4x4), XLS 2.0 (4x4), SPORT 2.0 (4x4), XLT 3.0 (4x4), WILDTRAK 2.0 (4x4), SPORT 3.0 (4x4), WILDTRAK X 2.0 (4x4), WILDTRAK 3.0 (4x4) and PLATINUM 3.0 (4x4).
The largest Ford Ranger is the RAPTOR 3.0 (4x4) which measures 2028mm wide, 5380mm in length and sits 1926mm tall.
The most powerful Ford Ranger is the RAPTOR 3.0 (4x4) which has 292kW of power from its 3.0L TWIN TURBO CDI engine.
The Ford Ranger is built in Thailand and shipped to Australia.
The heaviest Ford Ranger is the WILDTRAK 3.0 (4x4) which weighs 3350 kg (kerb weight).
The Ford Ranger may use different fuel/energy types based on the variant which includes Diesel or Premium Unleaded Petrol.