Ford New Zealand spokesmanTom Clancy told Driven exclusively at the Bangkok event that "New Zealand's number one ute just got better, I think that it would make a big impression on Kiwis".
"The Ranger set the bench mark and our competitors are trying to catch up, and now we've reset the bench mark."
Last year 6330 Ranger utes were sold, and so far this year 797 have been registered, giving it the top spot in the pick-up/truck segment.
The new Ranger will be built in three international plants and sold in 180-plus countries.
"We won't have a full year of sales until next year but we still expect very strong performance," said Clancy.
The revamped Ranger will maintain its current engine line up, including the 3.2-litre diesel, two versions of the 2.2-litre diesel, and a 2.5-litre petrol.
Clancy told Driven that the engines will be 15-20 per cent more fuel efficient.
