Not each truck purchaser is chasing mud-slinging heroics or Baja-style bravado such as you get with the Raptor. Some simply need one thing that appears sharp, drives effectively on the highway, and nonetheless hauls a trailer on the weekend. For these people, Ford’s received a distinct segment reply hidden in its rising Ranger lineup throughout the pond.
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The Ranger MS-RT stands out as Ford’s solely street-tuned pickup in Europe and the UK. Consider it because the Ranger Lobo North America didn’t get, a minimum of not but. It wears a large bodykit, sits decrease than every other Ranger, and brings a sportier angle with out ditching the core capabilities.
Developed with rally specialists M-Sport, the Ranger MS-RT (brief for M-Sport Highway Expertise) targets patrons who need the feel and appear of a efficiency car however have little interest in crawling over rocks or fording streams.
To see how that M-Sport DNA performs out in the actual world, we visited a Ford supplier in Greece for a better look, and importantly, a back-to-back drive with the high-flying Raptor.
QUICK FACTS
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What Units It Aside From the Common Ranger
What instantly units the MS-RT aside is the brand new bodywork. Because of swollen entrance and rear fenders, the truck is 164 mm (6.5 inches) wider than its siblings. Filling these bulging arches are huge 21-inch alloy wheels, the biggest ever supplied on a manufacturing Ranger.
A brand new entrance bumper with a deeper decrease part and a honeycomb grille provides the face a sportier vibe, whereas motorsport-style vents on the fenders and extra sculpted facet skirts lean additional into the street-truck look.
On the rear, the styling effort continues with an built-in ducktail spoiler on the tailgate and a secondary roof-mounted spoiler above the cab. The rear bumper homes an ornamental diffuser flanked by honeycomb textures. The one factor lacking? Actual exhaust suggestions. The Raptor will get twin pipes, and it’s laborious to not discover the absence right here, particularly on one thing pitched as a high-performance avenue truck.
Our tester wore the subdued Command Gray paint, however brighter choices can be found, together with Quick Blue, Yellow Inexperienced, Frozen White, Metallic Carbonised Gray, and Metallic Agate Black.
Inside Tweaks and Tools
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Contained in the MS-RT, the modifications are refined however noticeable. Closely bolstered bucket seats with built-in headrests and blue-stitched Eco Leather-based upholstery give the cabin a sportier really feel. A thicker steering wheel rim and several other MS-RT logos spherical out the particular remedy.
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Past the visible updates, it’s commonplace Ranger fare with a strong listing of apparatus: a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, an 8-inch digital instrument cluster, heated entrance seats, and a collection of lively security options. It’s well-equipped, however not excessive.
So, Is It The Sportiest Truck?
Let’s speak concerning the apparent factor that units the MS-RT aside: its lowered stance. Sitting 40 mm (1.6 inches) nearer to the pavement than the Ranger Wildtrak, it rides on a revised suspension setup with firmer entrance dampers, retuned rear leaf springs, and wider tracks, all tuned for sharper dealing with. Floor clearance now lands someplace in SUV territory, not fairly car-low, however removed from off-roader tall. That, paired with its road-biased tires, makes it clear this Ranger isn’t meant for trails or terrain.
From the second you get behind the wheel of the Ranger MS-RT, you’re feeling such as you’re driving a scorching SUV quite than a ladder-frame pickup. You’re nonetheless sitting excessive with nice visibility throughout the car, however physique roll has been considerably lowered and the steering feels faster and extra direct.
On the draw back, the stiffer suspension and the 21-inch wheels with the low-profile tires (275/45R21) end in journey consolation taking a toll, with most highway imperfections being felt within the cabin. In fact, the road truck is just not as stiff as a scorching hatch, however not practically as comfy as different members of the Ranger lineup both.
Some may argue {that a} absolutely impartial rear suspension would higher swimsuit a road-focused truck like this. However the MS-RT retains its strong rear axle and leaf springs, which assist protect the total 1,000 kg payload and three,500 kg towing figures. For patrons who want utility with their model, that’s a tradeoff value making.
The Engine: Acquainted however Untouched
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Below the hood is identical 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel discovered within the Wildtrak, producing 237 hp and 600 Nm of torque. It’s paired with a 10-speed computerized and Ford’s e4WD full-time all-wheel drive system. It really works effectively, however right here’s the factor; the styling guarantees greater than the powertrain delivers.
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There are not any efficiency upgrades, no tuning modifications, and no added grunt. For a truck that appears this imply, it appears like a missed alternative to not push the numbers a bit larger. On the very least, a gasoline possibility would spice issues up and higher match the MS-RT’s visible drama.
The engine is paired solely with a 10-speed computerized, sending energy to all 4 wheels by the Ranger’s acquainted full-time 4WD system. It additionally retains the usual drive mode lineup that features Regular, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, and Sand, even when most of these gained’t see a lot use right here.
Throughout our time with the MS-RT, we caught to tarmac, which felt like the fitting name given the mushy, road-focused Continental ContiSportContact 5 tires that might in all probability flinch on the sight of a gravel path.
How Does Is Evaluate To The Raptor?
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Climbing into the Raptor proper after the MS-RT makes the peak distinction instantly apparent. You’re now not stepping in, you’re climbing up. The Raptor’s cabin additionally goes for a flashier vibe, with brilliant orange accents and Ford Efficiency scuff plates including some further aptitude. The MS-RT skips the theatrics, however its inside nonetheless holds up simply fantastic with out the additional coloration or branding.
Driving the Raptor appears like floating, because of its Baja-ready suspension with long-travel geometry and plush Fox shocks that take in absolutely anything. In a fast side-by-side take a look at, I rolled each vehicles over a curb. I barely observed it within the Raptor, positively felt it within the MS-RT. That stated, the Raptor’s mushy setup comes with trade-offs. There’s noticeable physique roll in corners and a few front-end dive below laborious braking, which makes the MS-RT the extra entertaining possibility when the highway will get twisty.
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On the subject of the powertrain, the Raptor clearly has the higher hand. Its 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 gasoline engine feels much more at dwelling in a efficiency truck, because of its further horsepower and a soundtrack that’s truly value listening to, not like the quieter, barely torquier diesel within the MS-RT.
That stated, that is the EU-spec Raptor we’re speaking about, so output is capped at 288 hp (215 kW / 292 PS), effectively under the total 405 hp (302 kW / 411 PS) obtainable within the North American model. Even so, it nonetheless outshines the MS-RT’s setup in each punch and persona.
Total, it wouldn’t damage if Ford gave the MS-RT a gasoline possibility, or on the very least, bumped up the output of the prevailing 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel to assist it stand other than the remainder of the V6-powered lineup. Because it stands, the efficiency simply doesn’t fairly match the truck’s aggressive seems to be.
It’s Costly
After which there’s the pricing, conserving in thoughts that is Greece, the place automobile taxes are among the many highest in Europe. For instance, the bottom Ranger Raptor begins at €54,350 (about US$61,000) earlier than taxes and charges, however that determine jumps to €71,742 (round US$80,600) as soon as every little thing is included. Within the States, the 405 hp Ranger Raptor begins from $56,070 (round €52,000) earlier than taxes (in Massachusetts, that’s 6.25%) and supply charges.
The supplier quoted us €77,352 ($87,000) for this particular Raptor and a reduced €73,612 ($82,800) for the MS-RT, taxes included. That’s a €3,740 ($4,200) hole between the 2, principally as a result of markdown on the MS-RT. Price noting: the Raptor we had been photographing was already spoken for, which says loads about the place the demand is. The MS-RT? Nonetheless ready for its second.
Verdict
The Ranger MS-RT is a uncommon breed, a correct avenue truck with actual presence, and we’re glad it’s a part of Ford’s lineup in Europe. With its 21-inch wheels, flared fenders, and reworked entrance finish, it’s arguably the best-looking Ranger trim you will get. Interval. On high of that, the lowered suspension and chassis tweaks give it the sharpest on-road dealing with of any midsize pickup in Ford’s catalog.
That stated, it’s not with out compromises. The V6 turbodiesel stays untouched below the hood, and the drop in journey top comes on the expense of consolation and off-road capacity. Then there’s the value, which edges it dangerously near the Raptor, a truck that gives extra energy, extra versatility, and a repute that’s laborious to beat.
Nonetheless, for patrons in Europe and the UK who desire a distinctive, low-slung midsize truck with road-focused dynamics and standout styling, the MS-RT delivers one thing genuinely totally different.
Particular because of Ford Hantzos in Kalamata, Greece, for giving us entry to the Ranger lineup.