This is the new Ranger MS-RT - and it's Ford's 'ultimate street truck'.
The Ranger MS-RT has been designed as part of a joint venture with Ford’s global design and engineering team and a subteam of its rally partner M-Sport, MS-RT. The brief was to combine motorsport-inspired styling with an elevated driving experience while retaining the pick-up truck's practicality and payload space.
Thanks to the unique look, some of which has been inspired by extreme Ranger racing trucks in Asia, you'll have no fear of the Ranger MS-RT blending in with the rest of the Ranger line-up. The new honeycomb grille surrounded by C-clamp headlights, coupled with a redesigned bumper and integrated splitter, make it stand out from the pickup crowd.
From the side, sculpted side skirts make the Ranger MS-RT look lower than the regular model, while the rear has an updated bumper and integrated diffuser to enhance the look. Throw in a cab spoiler and ducktail spoiler on the tailgate — both of which, Ford insists, assist with the aerodynamic balance and high-speed stability of the truck rather than just being cosmetic — and you have a pick-up that will turn heads.
Even the wheels on the Ford Ranger MS-RT are designed to be different, with diamond-cut 21-inch alloy wheels — the largest wheels ever offered on a Ford Ranger — shod with low-profile 275/45 R21 tyres housed under wheel arches that are flared by 41mm on each side, with the wider tyres and track providing increased stability and grip.
The suspension is unique to the Ranger MS-RT, with front dampers and tuned rear suspension, and has been lowered by 40mm for a more sporty stance and improved cornering ability.
Once inside, new seats with more supportive bolsters are made from vegan-friendly eco-leather with suede trim and adorned with blue stitching and the embroidered MS-RT logo. The logo is dotted about the cabin, too, and proudly displayed in the centre of the heated sculpted sports steering wheel.
Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine that it shares with the Wildtrak and Platinum models, providing 240hp and 600Nm of torque. The Ranger MS-RT also shares the same 10-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive system found in other models within the Ranger line-up.
For many, the Ranger MS-RT will be a privately owned leisure vehicle — especially given the forthcoming company car tax changes — but it retains the one-tonne payload limit of the regular Ranger models, so it is still suitable for commercial users. The towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes is also the same as the rest of the range.
The Ranger is built in Ford’s plant in South Africa, and once models arrive in the UK, those needing the MS-RT treatment are sent to a specialised facility in Dagenham where they are transformed. With time built in for this final assembly and finishing, deliveries are expected to begin in September 2024, although order books are open now.
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