2019 Ford Ranger gets new turbo engines and a 10-speed gearbox

Exciting news bakkie fans – the 2019 Ford Ranger is now available with two new 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engines. Available in two flavours – single-turbo or bi-turbo – these advanced units offer, according to Ford, "superior performance, fuel efficiency and a significant improvement in overall refinement with lower noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels compared to the existing engine range".

Marketing talk aside we think these engines are a nice complement to the existing 2.2 and 3.2 TDCi motors that have been powering the Ranger lineup since about the same time the dinosaurs went extinct. 

The 2.0 bi-turbo is currently only available in the range-topping Wildtrak 4x4/4x2 double cab models. It's quite a sophisticated engine as it features both a variable-geometry high-pressure turbocharger along with a fixed-geometry low-pressure unit. These turbos work in series at lower engine speeds for enhanced torque and less lag, but at higher speeds the smaller turbo is bypassed and the larger turbo provides boost to deliver maximum power. Speaking of which, you're looking at 157kw and 500Nm of torque from 1,750 to 2,000rpm.

The 2.0-litre single-turbo motor can be found doing duty in the XLT 4x4/4x2 double cab derivatives. Packing a single variable-geometry turbocharger, it's tuned to deliver strong performance lower down the rev range. Especially when compared to the 2.2 TDCi motor. Figures? You're looking at 132kW and a respectable 420Nm between 1,750 and 2,500rpm. 

Both engines are available only with Ford's 10-speed automatic transmission that's already seen action in the Ford F-150 and Mustang. Do we really need 10 ratios? Although the jury may still be out, Ford claims that they see an improvement in fuel-efficiency of up to nine percent in the case of the 2.0-litre bi-turbo compared to the current 3.2-litre TDCi and six-speed automatic gearbox. 

In terms of pricing you can pick up the 2.0-litre single-turbo XLT 4x2 for R514,300. Its 4x4 brother is R570,200. The Wildtrak 2.0-litre bi-turbo 4x2 will set you back R632,300 while the 4x4 version wears a price tag of exactly R678,200.  

• Look out for our first drive impressions appearing here soon.