Spied: 2019 Ford Ranger FX4 in Production Clothes

We’ve told you already that Ford isn’t letting off-road-focused variants of the Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado have all the fun when the midsized Ranger comes to market next year. The long-awaited pickup, Americanized for its 2019 model-year debut, will arrive with a brawnier FX4 model in tow.

Thanks to these spy shots, we can now take a look at a Ranger FX4 that’s not a test mule.

Obvious from the outset is the camo-clad Ranger’s increased ride height and longer suspension travel. While most buyers will never find themselves blasting through a dry wash in the desert Southwest, the beefier suspension and model-specific styling cues found on the FX4 will surely appeal to those looking for extra visual aggression in a vehicle they’ll probably only ever crawl slowly over a ditch in.

Besides stronger legs, FX4 models stand to gain underbody skid plates, model-specific wheels, and chunkier tires. Bet money on splashy graphics. A grille closeup shows a black eggcrate similar to that of the Explorer.

While powertrain details aren’t yet known, engine possibilities run the gamut of Ford’s larger EcoBoost line, with the 2.7-liter singled out as a distinct top-end offering. The automaker’s 10-speed automatic stands ready to tame high-torque powerplants.

You’ll recall there’s also a Ranger Raptor confirmed for the Asia-Pacific market. We don’t know yet whether the Raptor variant will join the other Rangers in the U.S., but it would be weird for it not to. It’s likely we’ll hear — and see — more at next month’s North American International Auto Show.

Scheduled to go into production at Ford’s retooled Michigan Assembly plant in the latter half of 2018, the Ranger spells the return of a once wildly popular nameplate that never faded away overseas. Ford waited until it became clear the U.S. midsize pickup segment held promise as a revenue-generator before sending the Ranger to the United States, where it will share factory space with the reborn Bronco.

Still, just how much growth is left in the midsize market remains to be seen.

[Images: © 2017 Spiedbilde/The Truth About Cars]