Old but new: Ford Ranger V6 is significantly changed

Significant body and drivetrain engineering was required to ensure the headline-grabbing ‘Lion’ V6 turbo-diesel engine was compatible with the new-generation 2022 Ford Ranger.

While the SOHC 60-degree V6 has been around since the early 2000s in one form or another, including a stint in the locally-built Ford Territory, it was far from a plug-and-play exercise for the new Ford Ranger ute.

Work began on the engine program by 2018 after customer clinics in both Australia and overseas fed back the desire for more performance.

The engine bay of the third-generation T6 ladder-frame chassis swapped from sheet-metal to hydroforming to ensure the V6 could fit and to generate more airflow.

Other modifications such as an all-new housing for the turbocharger were made to the V6 to ensure it could fit in the engine bay.

“There were significant packaging changes to the engine which meant redesigning components like the turbo and the air intake, all those peripheral systems,” explained Ranger program manager Pritika Maharaj.

“Even the front-end is changed because there is a single belt. So there is a whole lot of differences because of where we have located different accessories.

“There was a lot of application engineering to make the engine fit within the package space.

“Once you make that change you have to go and validate it and confirm it still delivers what you are trying to deliver.”

A new higher-capacity sump was required to ensure the V6 could cope with the wider range of on- and off-road duties the Ranger is required to perform compared to other models it had powered previously.

“It’s an all-new sump with a different amount of oil and that allows us our tilt angle, which we wouldn’t have been able to achieve with what it had on it previously,” explained Maharaj.

The new Ranger also swaps from mechanical to more efficient electric cooling fans across the entire engine line-up.

Componentry fitted to the V6 in Ranger was a combination of bespoke designs and off-the-shelf parts.

Maharaj said some new componentry triggered the need for other new parts.

“It kicks off a chain, especially when you are talking about something like the front-end drive,” she said.

“The genuine pure driver will have been packaging for a lot of that but once you kick that bucket you say, ‘Right, well how do we optimise and get the best for our particular application?’”

Work to fit and develop the V6 for Ranger was completed in both the US and at Ford’s Victorian product development centre.

“It’s a global effort,” said Maharaj.

The end result is an engine that makes 184kW at 3250rpm and 600Nm between 1750-2250rpm.

Average combined fuel consumption is claimed to be 8.4L/100km and the CO2 emissions claim 222g/km.

 The engine is also destined for the top-end of the new 2022 Ford Everest SUV line-up and has been confirmed for the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok, which is based on T6.

It would also be compatible with the two other models based on the third-generation T6 architecture, the new Ford Ranger Raptor and the Bronco off-road wagon.

The new V6 joins essentially carryover single and biturbo versions of the diesel 2.0-litre Panther four-cylinder in the local line-up.

It is paired exclusively with a 10-speed auto and permanent 4x4 and is available with the XLT, Sport and Wildtrak dual-cabs.

The old 3.2-litre inline five-cylinder has been retired with the transition to the new Ranger.

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