Ford Motor Company is slowly turning itself to the Ranger Motor Company if one were to look at their current breadth of product offerings. With 13 variants in Thailand, you’d think they were in every conceivable niche by now. It comes in a dizzying array of choices with single cab, open cab, double cab body styles, two wheelbase lengths, and at least seven trims. Well, here comes variant number 14.
Set to launch at the Thailand Motor Expo in a couple of days, the Ranger MS-RT has made it to the ASEAN region. If the name and treatment sound familiar, its close to what Europe got early this year.
MS-RT stands for, “M-Sport Road Technology.” M-Sport has a long history with Ford, engineering and building its rally cars as well as those used in the Global Rallycross and GT3 racing.
For the Ranger, its MS-RT transformation is envisioned to be the ultimate street truck. The changes start with the styling where the front has been given a more aggressive makeover influenced by Ranger racing pickup trucks in Thailand with the honeycomb grille and integrated splitter. Then, the stance has been lowered with sculpted side skirts, while the rear has been given a new bumper with an integrated diffuser.
At all four corners, the Ranger MS-RT wears the largest wheels ever offered on the Ranger at 21 inches. It’s then shod with low-profile 275/45R21 tires. They sit within flared wheel arches that extend the overall width of the vehicle by 82 mm both front and rear; track width is increased by 40 mm each side for enhanced grip and stability.
Further improving its handling, the suspension has been re-tuned to deliver a more ideal level of handling. Overall, the height has been dropped by 40 mm for a more sporting stance.
Like its European counterpart, Thailand shoved in the top-of-the-line 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine delivering 250 horsepower at 3,250 rpm and 600 Nm of torque at 1,750-2,250 rpm. It also uses a 10-speed automatic and a new e4WD full-time all-wheel drive system with an Active Center Differential and rear differential lock. Despite the modifications, the Ranger MS-RT keeps its one-ton payload capacity and 3,500-kilogram towing capacity.
Inside, the Ranger MS-RT has unique front seats with more aggressive bolsters and blue stitching. There’s also MS-RT badges on the dashboard, while the driver benefits from a thick, sculpted sports steering wheel with blue 12 o’clock marker and MS-RT branded inlay.
In Thailand, Ford is offering the Ranger MS-RT in two colors: Command Gray and Absolute Black. Interestingly enough, it will not directly compete with the Ranger Raptor, but will rather complement it.
The Ranger Raptor isn’t available with this particular engine as it comes either with a 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel or a twin-turbo V6 gas. Moreover, the Ranger Raptor is still the top dog with the Ranger MS-RT priced directly below it. It will, however, be more expensive than the Wildtrak or Stormtrak variants. If the Philippines were to get the Ranger MS-RT, expect it to debut the 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel for the local market.
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