Ford Performance Does Ranger Pickup a Solid
Ford Performance has expanded its catalog, adding tunes for the Mustang and Ranger that should make mashing the right pedal a tad more exciting. While the pony car kit is basically an extension of the staged Power Packs already on sale, just for the 2018-2020 model years, the Ranger package is rather novel — as this is the first factory tune available for the model in North America.
It also happens to offer noteworthy performance gains.
The tune adjusts the engine and rejiggers the shift schedule, which Ford claims should yield an additional 45 horsepower at 4,500 rpm and 60 pound-feet of torque starting at 2,500 rpm. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost also gets a high-flow K&N air filter for good measure. Considering the pickup starts out with 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, customers are bound to notice the difference after one trip around the block.
Officially, Ford estimates peak output after the the kit’s installation to be closer to 320 hp and 355 pound-feet. The tune just optimizes the power band to bring in maximum torque earlier in the rev range while allowing horsepower to spike a bit later.
Ready for more not-bad news? Unlike some aftermarket kits, this one happens to be legal in the entirety of the United States/Canada and comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. If you’re interested, Ford Performance is asking $825. Availability may be wonky while the coronavirus is in full swing, but you should be able to place an order soon. In the meantime, here’s a PDF of everything you could possibly want to know about the kit and how it should be installed.
Now we just need a factory brake upgrade.
[Image: Ford Motor Co.]
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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This would also be neat set up as a sport truck street cruiser. A fun bit of perspective... the GMC Syclone weighed ~3,600 lbs. and made 280hp/350ft.lbs. with it's turbo 4.3 V6. While the lightest configuration of the new ranger appears to be ~3,900 lbs., this 2.3T four banger can be equipped with ~320hp / 355ft.lbs. with this tune with a warranty right out of the box. Sounds to me like a recipe for a fun street truck with some suspension tuning.
This is an interesting option and I'd never criticize making these available for people who want them. We bought a Ranger in January to allow us more towing capacity. We've bought a new trailer with a 4300 lb dry weight so our all-up weight will be well within capacity and the overall length will be more than manageable and safe for the Ranger. But, based on my experience with the truck so far, without having hauled a trailer, I think it'll be perfectly fine with the stock tune. But... it's nice to know that this exists as an option if I think we need some extra oomph.
The 2.0 and 2.3 Ecoboost are supported by piles of performance parts builders. The Ford Performance Parts list is mostly Mountune parts. This particular offering is the same as for the Focus ST except the ST gets a snorkel extension to the air intake to put directly into the airflow. According to the ST community, the Ford tune isn't as aggressive as those from the Independents, but peace of mind can be had by buying a tune that includes a 3/36 warranty from FRPP.
I like it. I perused the Ford website a bit but could not find something similar for the v6 Mustang.