Major changes for 2026 Ranger bakkie and Everest SUV range

FORD South Africa has announced a significant overhaul of its Ranger and Everest range with new engines, revised derivatives and wider specification updates set to launch in the first half of 2026.

- WILLEM VAN DE PUTTE

The company says it forms part of Ford South Africa’s broader product strategy to strengthen its presence in both the bakkie and large SUV segments, while responding to shifting customer demands across work, leisure and family-focused vehicles.

The current Ranger, introduced three years ago, has been a consistent top-seller and remains one of South Africa’s most popular bakkies.

The refreshed range includes a new engine lineup, new derivatives and specification alignment across the XL, the XLT, the Sport, the Wildtrak, the Platinum and the Raptor variants.

New engines

As we reported earlier, for the first time the 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine will be offered in the Ranger.

With 222kW and 452Nm, it becomes the main petrol option in the lineup. Ford is also expanding the availability of its 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine with184kW and 600Nm output into more models across the range, including the new Sport derivatives, selected Wildtrak models and the Tremor.

All automatic bakkies will shift to Ford’s 10-speed gearbox meaning the six-speed auto falls away, while the updated 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel engine producing 125kW and 405Nm, that has been upgraded with a new timing chain for better durability and performance, will serve as the main powertrain for the XL and the XLT models.

Sport and Wildtrak