2019 Ford Ranger production starts in Michigan
The midsize pickup truck starts at $25,395.
Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant on Monday began production of the long-awaited 2019 Ranger. Ford said in a press release that it spent $850 million retooling the Wayne, Michigan factory to build the Ranger. The plant has about 3,000 employees.
The 2019 Ford Ranger was officially revealed to the public at this year's Detroit Auto Show. It will come with a 2.3-liter turbocharged engine rated for 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, backed up by a 10-speed automatic transmission. That'll allow the Ranger to have a best-in-class payload rating of 1,860 pounds and a best-in-class gasoline tow rating of 7,500 pounds (diesel-powered Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon models out-tow the Ranger).
The new Ranger is priced from $25,395, including destination. Available options include Sync 3 infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; safety tech like precollision braking, lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring; and a cruise control-like feature called Trail Control for the FX4 Off-Road package.
The 369-acre Michigan Assembly Plant first opened in 1957 and built station wagons, before building the Bronco from 1966 through 1996. Then from 1996 through 2008 it built the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs . Most recently, Michigan Assembly built the Ford Focus and C-Max. From 2020, it's slated to build the as-yet-unrevealed Bronco.
