RANGER & EVEREST RESET

Ford Australia revamps its line up of 4x4 utes and wagons mid-year

- WORDS MATT RAUDONIKIS

Ford Australia has given its lineup of Ranger and Everest 4x4 vehicles a considerable shakeup for the 2026.5 model year.

The rehash includes some new nameplates and a reconfiguration of existing models, plus revisions to the diesel powertrains.

The powertrain changes come as a result of the 500Nm 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder engine being discontinued from the Australian range. We are told this is due to it not meeting forthcoming emissions standards.

The class-leading bi-turbo has been replaced with a heavily revised version of the engine that uses a single turbocharger and makes a claimed 125kW at 3500rpm and 405Nm from 1750-2500rpm.

To cover for the loss of the more powerful four-cylinder engine, Ford has now made the 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine available across all models in the 4x4 lineup. It comes at a premium over the four-cylinder of around $6000 to $7000.

NEW LIFE FOR FOUR-POT

The single-turbo four-cylinder engine benefits from an extensive engineering makeover that includes wholesale changes at the front of the engine, where the cam belt that previously ran in oil has been replaced with a more durable timing chain. Stronger steel pistons replace the alloy items in the old engine, while a refreshed top-end and injection system are employed to get the most out of the engine in terms of performance and durability.

All 4x4 Rangers and Everests now use the 10-speed automatic transmission, with the previous six-speed that was used in some grades sent to the bin along with the bi-turbo engine.

The Ranger continues to be offered in cab-chassis and ute variants, in a wide range of specifications to suit everyone from the tradesman to the outback tourer.