Ford took its all-new Ranger MS-RT Champion Edition to Paris to brag about the motorsport-inspired street truck, built based on a collaboration between Ford Pro and the tuning firm MS-RT. The model features a bold styling package, while fully maintaining the workhorse credentials.
The Ford Ranger MS-RT Champion Edition builds on all the qualities that made the Ranger Europe’s best-selling pickup truck. The Champion Edition is finished exclusively in Agate Black paint with striking gold racing stripes running across the hood, doors, and sides.
The truck features aggressive wide-body flared fenders, widening the track by 1.6 inches (40 millimeters) on each side, a unique honeycomb grille and an integrated front bumper splitter up front, and a distinctive ducktail tailgate spoiler, along with a faux rear diffuser out back.
The Ranger MS-RT Champion Edition rides on massive 21-inch gold diamond-cut alloy wheels and sits on a suspension setup that lowers it by 1.6 inches (40 millimeters) compared to a stock Ranger. It features firmer front dampers and a custom-tuned rear suspension geometry, engineered for responsive street handling and more precise steering.
Photo: Ford
The lowered suspension and aerodynamic styling make it more aggressive, but do not compromise the Ranger’s heavy-duty truck capability. It still retains its one-ton payload capacity and can tow up to 7,716 pounds (3,500 kilograms).
The street race personality of the Ranger MS-RT is also visible inside the four-door double cab, which hosts sports seats in premium eco-leather and suede with highly supportive bolstering, contrasting gold stitching, and the MS-RT badges embroidered on the seatbacks.
A heated steering wheel with gold stitching and a 12 o’clock mark, custom gold floor mats, and an exclusive “Champion Edition” numbered plaque on the center console are also on the menu. The cabin also hosts the portrait-oriented 12-inch SYNC 4 touchscreen, alongside dual-zone climate control and 360-degree Zone Lighting.
Buyers can choose between the two engine options available. The 3.0-liter EcoBlue V6 turbodiesel generates 237 horsepower (240 metric horsepower) and 443 pound-feet (600 Newton meters of torque) for an acceleration from 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 8.7 seconds and a top speed of 112 mph (180 kph). A ten-speed automatic transmission puts the power down through all four corners with the help of a full-time four-wheel drive.
Photo: Ford
The other powertrain option offered by Ford with the special edition is the 2.3-liter EcoBoost Plug-in Hybrid, which pairs the 2.3-liter four-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor. Together they produce 277 horsepower (281 metric horsepower) and 514 pound-feet (697 Newton meters) of torque.
Those make the Ranger accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 9.0 seconds on its way to the same top speed of 112 mph. An 11.8-kWh battery pack stores enough energy to make the truck travel up to 26 miles (roughly 40 kilometers) on electric power only.
Production is capped at only 500 units in Europe, with each dual-cab vehicle being hand-finished by MS-RT (M-Sport Road Technology) in the United Kingdom. Order books are officially open through European Ford Pro commercial networks, and deliveries are slated to begin next spring.
Because this vehicle has been developed exclusively as a European specialty series, there are no active plans to launch it in the United States market. Ford hasn’t disclosed any pricing details, so we probably have to wait until next year to find out more.
