Could the New Ranger Have a Manual Transmission?
With the talk of a new Ford Ranger coming in 2018, we start to wonder what options and technologies will be available on the new truck. In theory, the typical Ranger buyer isn’t the same type of person who would buy a F-150. Presumably, they have different tastes and want different things. Could one of those things be a manual transmission, and would Ford offer it?
The Toyota Tacoma is the best selling midsize truck on sale, and has dominated for years. It was recently refreshed, and Toyota still kept the manual transmission as an available option. As it turns out, the Tacoma buyer wants a manual transmission and actually purchases the truck with it.
The Colorado also has a manual transmission in the base truck. While you have to get a pretty stripped out version of the truck to get the row-your-own gearbox, it’s still something that General Motors thinks they’ll sell enough of to make money on.
But what about the Ranger? Ford claimed that buyers weren’t optioning the manual in the F-150, and that’s part of the reason why they killed it. Since it seems that midsize truck buyers are more willing to buy manual transmissions, do you think Ford will offer it on the new US version of the Ranger (assuming the rumors of production are true)?
Let us know your thoughts over in the forums!
