Ford has released a rather interesting Ranger-based concept at the Sao Paolo motorshow, that aims to explore what accessories the company might develop for their ever-popular ute. The Ranger Storm Concept is basically a Ford-parts wet dream, adding various aesthetic changes (both functional & non-functional) resulting in a rather tasty looking thing.
There are no changes under the bonnet, where the Ranger Storm continues to use the 3.2-litre 5-cylinder Duratorq TDCi engine that mot of us are quite familiar with, with 147kW and 470Nm, sent to all-four wheels via a six-speed auto. The Ranger Storm Concept treatment is predominantly visual, so let’s get right to it.
Up front, the Storm exercise begins with a unique grille, integrating the Ford logo rather awkwardly above prominent ‘Storm’ lettering. That lettering is almost ‘bracketed’ by a pair of C-shaped elements, which Ford says look like claws (OK). There are vinyl graphics on the roof, and twin foglights down below, which presumably increase fog-light performance.
The shade seen here is unique too, and it’s called Tuscany Red. Upon that red sits black highlights (like the grille, cladding, and so on). Black is also the hue employed to colour the 17-inch alloys, mirror caps, and snorkel. Oh, and the door-handles too. If you move round to the rear you’ll find the entire tailgate is black, with highlighted ‘STORM’ and ‘4x4 Off-Road’ lettering in silver, while the roof-rail & bed-bar setup gets a mix of black and silver.
Has to be said that the Ranger Storm Concept is a smart looking thing for sure, and if Ford ends up offering these accessories, we can bet that a great many people will happily hand over their hard-earned money to kit-out their utes accordingly. We don’t know why this is a concept really: Just turn this into the Wildtrak, please?
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