SPY PICS: 2019 Ford Ranger

The Australian designed and developed Ranger ute that's taken the world by storm is closing in on its next conquest, North America.

Spied on the streets of Dearborn near Detroit, the heart and soul of the US car-making industry, the camouflaged ute – or pick-up, as they're called in the States – looks virtually identical to the version sold in Australia.

But looks can be deceiving. Underneath the bodywork is a new vehicle that's expected to carry several differences from the Ford Ranger available here now.

Although specifics are not yet known, the mid-size pick-up that will be built and sold in the US from next year will be based on an upgraded version of the current Ranger's T6 platform, which is currently being developed in Australia.

Based on the same ladder chassis, Ford's born-again Bronco SUV is also being developed alongside the US-market Ranger in Australia for international release around 2020.

North American buyers aren't as keen on diesels as the rest of the world, particularly in the wake of Volkswagen's dieselgate scandal, so expect a wider range of turbo-petrol engines to be offered Stateside.

Premium US Ranger variants could be packing serious heat too, with talk of the company's twin-turbo direct-injected EcoBoost V6 under study.

The Blue Oval has previously stated that a Ranger Raptor is not an impossibility  and with a 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 worth 240kW/500Nm already in use in regular F-150 trucks, there's scope for something special to get US customers interested in the new Ranger.

Ford's new 10-speed automatic gearbox, co-developed with arch-rival GM, is also expected to make its way into the US Ranger, and could even filter down to the next-generation Aussie version of the Ford ute.

The North American Ranger is expected to be unveiled next year, before production begins at the Ford Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, outside Detroit.