Spied: Is this the Ford Ranger Tremor?
Spy photographers in Dearborn, Michigan, recently spotted a trio of partially camouflaged Ford Rangers near Ford’s HQ, wearing some meaty tires and what appears to be a mild suspension lift. Could these be early sightings of a Tremor off-road package for the Ranger?
The mules appear to be wearing the wheels from the global-spec Ranger Raptor that is sold in markets such as Australia. Tires with ample sidewall and some chunkier tread wrap those wheels and look ready to claw through the mud and rocks with ease. There are also some rugged metal running boards with angled steps in them, which appear permanently fixed to the trucks. It’s tough to tell, but these prototypes appear to be wearing a slight suspension lift, as well.
You currently know the Tremor as an off-road package for the Ford Super Duty. Tick that box and you’ll get an upgraded suspension, special running boards, heavier-duty tires, and Ford’s Trail Control software, which is like ultra-slow cruise control for two-tracks. Although the package is currently limited to the F-250 and F-350 mega-trucks, we see no reason why the spirit behind the package wouldn’t be a natural fit for the Ranger as well.
It’s worth noting that you can already have a Ranger with the Trail Control software—all you need to do opt for the $1295 Fx4 Off-Road Package (or FX2 of you chose a two-wheel-drive variant) in the configurator. Still, since the Ranger returned to on U.S. soil early last year, we couldn’t help but feel that it wasn’t quite as ready for the dirt. Yes, Ford trots out a few incredible custom Rangers at SEMA each year, but a full-fledged, factory-built Ranger with an off-roading bent is still missing from the Blue Oval’s midsize truck lineup.
Chevrolet has the Colorado ZR2 and Toyota has the Tacoma TRD, so it seems only logical that Ford would ready an off-road-focused version of the Ranger to join the fray. It’s no Ranger Raptor, but we’d happily welcome another competitor in the wonderful world of off-road midsize trucks.
