This Is The Welding Line Where The U.S.-spec 2019 Ford Ranger Will Be Made

autoevolution

More on this:1 2019 Ford Focus (Mk4) To Debut In First Half Of 2018 2 Ford Ramps Up Fiesta Production To Meet Strong Demand In Europe 3 Christmas Special: Ford Focus RS Red Edition Is Santa’s Weekend Warrior 4 2018 Ford GT DTM Racecar Rendering Shows Wide Hips Don't Lie 5 Report: 2019 Ford Ranger (Probably Not) Set For 2018 Detroit Auto Show Debut
Up next

1965 Bizzarrini Prototype Racing Car Stops By Jay Leno’s Garage

This Is The Welding Line Where The U.S.-spec 2019 Ford Ranger Will Be Made

23 Dec 2017, 17:00 UTC · by Mircea Panait
/ Home / News / Industry

Miss the Ranger? The Ford Motor Company is bringing it back to North America for the 2019 model year, and as the Blue Oval previously confirmed, it will be made in Wayne at the Michigan Assembly Plant. And what you see in the following video is the welding line where the all-new Ranger will be assembled, including the no-nonsense Ranger Raptor off-road sports truck.
86 photos Wayne is the place where the body-on-frame Bronco will also be made, following an investment of $850 million in the facility. Production of the Ranger, meanwhile, is confirmed to start in late 2018, with the first pickups expected to arrive in dealership showrooms by the end of the year.
The industrial robots on the Ranger’s welding line are developed by FANUC, an automation products and services company that’s regarded as the best in the world in terms of industrial robots. As for how the U.S.-spec Ranger will differ from the one on sale right now in other countries, Ford will definitely modify the mid-size pickup’s chassis. A stronger frame is utmost important if the Ranger wants to comply with the safety protocol enforced in North America, which recently saw the Dodge Viper go the way of the dodo.
Based on spy photos of pre-production models, the real deal will be a mix of the F-150’s design and the proportions of the T6 Ranger. Think Chevrolet Colorado-sized, which is perfectly-sized even for the most urban of areas. Towing and payload capacities should also be comparable to the Colorado, although the European version of the Ranger is of better reference.
When specified with the 3.2-liter TDCi inline-five with 200 metric horsepower and 4×4, the European Ranger’s maximum towable mass is rated at 3,500 kilograms (7,716 pounds). As for payload, the most capable variant available is the 2.2-liter TDCi 160 PS 4×4, boasting 1,269 kilograms (2,798 pounds).
It remains to be seen if the U.S.-spec Ranger will be offered with a diesel option, which would make sense considering the optional Duramax of the Colorado and Power Stroke V6 of the F-150. As for the dune-bashing Raptor, the most likely powerplant to expect is the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6.
Who's Your Number One?
Autonomous Driving Levels Explained
Electric Car Charging Plugs, The Beta vs. VHS Battle of the 21st Century