2022 Ford Ranger Sport

This is a story about the Australian-delivered MY22 RA Ford Ranger Sport released in 2022.

The Ford Ranger Sport is the fourth model in the 2022 Ranger line-up, featuring two variants in a single body style, the dual-cab pick-up. Sport pricing started at $63,690 through to $66,690.

The Sport offers just one body style, dropping the Super Cab and Cab Chassis versions found in the XLT and leaving just the dual-cab pick-up. Engine choices were limited to the 2.0-litre bi-turbo and the 3.0-litre V6, with only 4×4 drivetrains.

Sport buyers would find a Rotary Select Drive Mode feature for the first time in the range, as well as offering two more drive modes over the XLT’s four. Along with these modes also came the off-road screen.

Interior additions included a wireless charging mat, fake leather seats with Sport embossing. The front driver’s seat gained power assistance as did the passenger seat.

• Carpet flooring
• Leather steering wheel
• Leather gear shifter
• Dual-zone climate control
• Power front windows
• Power rear windows (dual cab only)
• Keyless entry and start
• Six-speaker stereo
• Electrochromatic rear vision mirror
• 10.1-inch LCD central touchscreen
  • Sync 4A software
  • Satellite navigation
  • DAB+ digital radio
  • Voice assistant
  • Remote start with FordPass app
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay
  • Wireless Android Auto
• 8.0-inch digital dashboard
• Leather-accented seats with Sport embossing
• 8 way power adjusted driver’s seat
• 6 way power adjusted passenger seat
• Front mats

• 18-inch alloy wheels with all season tyres
• 18-inch spare wheel
• Dark accent grille
• Skid plate
• Two front-mounted tow hooks
• Black Side steps
• LED headlights
• C-clamp daytime running lights
• LED taillights
• LED fog lamps
• Steel underbody protection including transfer case
• Tow bar
• 4×4 locking rear axle
• Cargo
  • black sports bar
  • rear box lighting
  • drop-in bedliner with 12-volt socket
  • additional securing points at front of load box
  • box capping to protect metal on the box with integrated fixing points
  • integrated rear load box access step behind rear wheel
  • tailgate with lift assist
  • power tailgate lock

The 2022 Ford Ranger scored five ANCAP stars in 2022. This rating will expire in 2028 unless Ford re-tests the vehicle beforehand. The rating remains in place for the MY2023.5 update.

Ranger’s high score is due in part to the front centre airbag that helps prevent head clashes in a side impact for front passengers, which also explains the absence of a front bench-seat option.

A 360-degree camera is available in the Touring Pack, as is an integrated brake controller.

• 9 airbags, including
  • front centre airbag to prevent head clashes in a side impact
  • knee bags for driver and passenger
• Collision mitigation
  • forward autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • lane keep assist
  • lane departure warning
  • road edge detection
• Blind spot warning
• Reverse cross-traffic alert
• Reversing camera
• Front parking sensors
• Rear parking sensors
• Rain-sensing wipers

As you get higher in the range, the number of factory options tails away. The Touring Pack is of particular interest for many buyers looking to tow as it adds an integrated brake controller to go with the tow bar. Also extremely useful in a car this big is the 360-degree camera., which also integrates with the Offroad Screen (ORS).

• Prestige Paint – $675
• Sport 18 All Terrain tyre – $500
  • replacement of all season tyres with all terrain tyres
• Sport Touring Pack – $900
  • integrated brake controller
  • 360-degree camera
  • steel underbody protection replacing plastic
  • 17-inch all-terrain tyre

• Arctic white – solid – $0
• Absolute black – $675
• Meteor Grey – $675
• Aluminium – $675
• Blue Lightning – $675
• Sedona Orange – $675

The Sport range features the 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo (bi-turbo) and the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel. V6 models feature full-time four-wheel drive as opposed to the part-time system on the four-cylinder Rangers.

Across the board, the Ranger is capable of towing up to 3500kg of braked mass. Ford specifies a maximum towball download of 350kg.

Keep in mind that whatever you load on the towball comes off your payload. Subtract the load on the towball from each model’s payload to ensure you stay within the legal gross vehicle mass.

Taking the heaviest Sport variant, the 2353kg Dual cab pick-up 4×4 V6, the payload is reduced to 577kg from its 977kg starting weight.

This means you will have to be careful loading the tray with cargo if you’re running a full cabin of people.

Also bear in mind that over 6350kg of gross combination mass is a of a lot of weight, so the integrated brake controller of the Touring Pack may be worth looking at in all variants.

Trailer coverage is a part of the Ranger Sport’s blind spot monitoring system . This detects you have a trailer and adjust its detection to include the extra length. This means an object travelling both beside the Ranger and the trailer will trigger an alert.

It works by punching in the dimensions of your trailer in a profile in the SYNC system. It will accept trailers up to 2.4 metres wide and 10 metres long to ensure safe operation when changing lanes.

You can also consult the checklist in the SYNC system and the trailer light check function can ensure all your trailer lights are working.

The T6 platform grew for the RA, starting with a wheelbase stretch of 50mm, from 3220mm to 3270mm. Similarly, the track has increased by 50mm, now spreading out across 1620mm up from 1570mm.

The RA Ford Ranger Sport is fitted with a locking rear diff as standard on the. Steel underbody protection is in place and an integrated braking controller is standard.

The Sport features six driving modes as standard, with Normal, Eco, Slippery and Tow/Haul joined by Sand and Mud/Ruts. The four-cylinder has 4×4 on demand and the V6 is futll-time. You can select 4A, 4H and 4L for the V6 with the addition of 2H for the turbo four.

Ford says the drive modes adjust gearshift, throttle response, traction and stability controls, ABS “and more.”

The Tow/Haul mode made its debut on the RA Ranger, intended to optimise gear shift timing to maintain power while climbing and to provide engine braking on descent.

In addition to the new modes, the Sport picks up the Off Road screen. If you don’t have the Touring Pack, the off-road screen shows two diagrams, one for vehicle pitch and roll and the other for the driveline and electronic diff indication. Steering angle is also available.

With the Touring Pack’s 360-degree camera, the off-road screen offers the view from the front-mounted camera. This view offers extra visibility, particularly directly in front of the car as well as overlaid guidelines to assist with navigating around obstacles.

The RA Ford Ranger’s tub is larger, now accommodating a Euro-sized pallete, which is a result of Ford’s collaboration with VW for the Amarok.

Access to the tub is via drop-down tailgate, which is undamped. On the way up, however, is a lift assist system.

Additionally, Ford has added a step or footplate to the lower side of the tub to allow step-up access to the load area. You can also check the depth of your load with a ruler imprinted on the side of the tub (as long as you don’t have a drop-in or spray-in bedliner).

The tub also features various lights, a 12-volt power outlet and partition slots.