When Ford brought the Ranger mid-size truck back to the U.S. a few years ago, we were all hoping it’d receive the Raptor treatment, as the venerable mid-size truck has across many global markets.
It’s been several years and we’re still waiting.
The Blue Oval is inching ever closer to a bad-ass off-road Ranger, though, with increasingly capable trim levels. The latest is the Tremor — a moniker first used for the new Ford SuperDuty off-road capable rigs.
The Tremor is more than a sticker package for the Ranger, though it has those, too. Ford claims the Tremor is the “most off-road-ready factory-built Ranger ever offered in the U.S.”
Photo: Ford Motor Company
In Tremor-izing the Ranger, the track of the truck was widened by an inch. Engineers bolted up FOX 2.0 monotube shocks up front inside the coilovers and piggyback reservoirs in the rear next to the leaf springs.
Thanks to the suspension component upgrade, front suspension travel increases to 6.5 inches with the Tremor package and rear suspension travel increases to 8.1 inches.
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32-inch General Grabber AT/X tires were then wrapped around 17-inch magnetic painted wheels further increasing the truck’s ground clearance. Then steel frame-mounted skid plates were bolted up, as was a locking rear differential.
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Ranger Tremor boasts a 30.9-degree approach angle, up 2.2 degrees from the base SuperCrew 4×4, a 25.5-degree departure angle, which is up 0.1 degrees and a 24.2-degree break-over angle — up 2.7 degrees over non-Tremor Ranger trims.
Designers finished the exterior look off with side steps, rear recovery hooks, painted grille, and optional graphics. Inside, six auxiliary switches were installed. And suede inserts were stitched into the seat covers.
Photo: Ford Motor Company
If you’ve been holding out for a Ranger Raptor, my intuition tells me that it’s not coming — at least in this generation of truck. I don’t believe Ford would have created a Tremor if a Raptor were on the horizon. So, perhaps this is the off-road Ranger of your dreams … for now, that is.
The Tremor off-road trim is available on mid XLT and high Lariat series 2021 Ranger trucks with SuperCrew 4×4 configuration. Package pricing is $4,290 MSRP. Production begins early in 2021 with vehicles hitting dealers not long after.
Header image credit: Ford Motor Company
Written by Nick Jaynes. You can follow Nick @nickjaynes
