The Ford Ranger is a midsize pickup truck that slots between the compact Maverick and the full-size F-150. It’s comfortable and competent, but lacks the refinement Ford owners have come to expect from their trucks. Competitors include the Honda Ridgeline, the Chevrolet Colorado, the Toyota Tacoma, the GMC Canyon, and the Nissan Frontier.
2026 Ford Ranger Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 Ford Ranger
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 Ford Ranger
The 2026 Ford Ranger gets a handful of updates, though they’re largely superficial. The Ranger was last fully redesigned for the 2024 model year, and the 2026 changes don’t even count as a refresh. One grayscale exterior color is swapped out for another, the base trim now comes standard with black 17-inch steel wheels (silver aluminum wheels cost extra), a couple of new graphics packages are available, as is a power moonroof, which also upgrades the rear window to a power-sliding unit.
Design
The Ford Ranger has a traditional body-on-frame construction, which makes it more capable than some small trucks with a unibody construction, including the Ranger’s own sibling—the Maverick. However, in addition to workload, another advantages of a body-on-frame design is that it enables different cab styles and bed lengths. The Ranger sells in relatively low numbers, and as such, is available only with a four-door SuperCrew cab and a five-foot bed. The Ranger comes standard with 17-inch steel wheels, with 17- and 18-inch aluminum and alloy designs on offer. The Ranger Raptor, at the top of the lineup, adds skid plates, unique bumpers, and fender flares.
Powertrain
The Ranger is available with a relatively wide variety of powertrains. The base version gets a 270-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive (RWD). Options include four-wheel drive (4WD), a 315-hp twin-turbo V6, and, exclusive to the Ranger Raptor, a 405-hp twin-turbo V6 and upgraded 4WD hardware. The base turbo-four with RWD is rated for gas mileage as high as 21 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, 23 mpg combined, though with the Raptor, ratings drop as low as 17 mpg combined. The Ranger has a maximum towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, which is great for the class.
Interior
The Ranger’s standard SuperCrew cab seats five. It’s basic, with manually adjustable front seats, cloth upholstery, and a rear bench seat that flips up to make more space, with a storage cubby underneath. The seats themselves are supportive with good padding, and the first row has good legroom and headroom. There isn't much legroom in the second row, and the bench is firm, with an upright seating position. Higher trims offer power-adjustable and heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, synthetic leather upholstery, and real leather upholstery. However, all versions have a lot of hard plastic throughout the cabin. The bed comes with tie-down cleats, and there are plenty of available storage options and towing upgrades.
Technology
Ford equips the Ranger with an 8-inch digital instrument display and a 10-inch touchscreen running its user-friendly SYNC 4 infotainment interface with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A six-speaker audio system comes standard. Options include a 12-inch digital instrument display, a 12-inch touchscreen, wireless charging, and a 10-speaker audio system.
