First All-New 2019 Ford Rangers Roll Off The Line - Worker Nearby Has Lunch

Ford's new 2019 Ranger began production today. What we liked most about Ford's press release was its image of a worker nearby.

Ford began building the all-new 2019 Ford Ranger today at its Michigan Assembly plant. The Ranger has been out of production for a number of years as the midsize truck market exploded in America. The plant in which the Ranger is being built received nearly a billion U.S. dollars in upgrades and rework to prepare for the new truck's launch. What we like most about the press release that Ford sent out is the image of the worker to the right of the truck in the image. He's checking out what's for lunch as the "first new Ranger" rolls past.

The new Ranger will add hundreds of thousands of profitable vehicle sales per year to Ford's balance sheet starting in the coming months. Trucks are one of the most profitable types of vehicles for North American manufacturers to produce.

Ford is making sure that everyone knows that it opted to build the Ranger inside the United States. As opposed to in Mexico or Canada. The Ranger must be built someplace in North America because trucks like the Ranger are protected by a 25% import tariff. Not one signed by President Trump, but rather the 55-year old tariff instituted by President Lyndon Johnson and kept in place by every president, from both parties since 1963.

“Ford truck fans demanded a midsize pickup that’s ‘Built Ford Tough,’ and we’re delivering with our all-new Ranger that’s specially designed and engineered for American truck customers,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of global operations. “At the same time, we’re revitalizing our Michigan Assembly Plant and securing good-paying jobs for our hourly employees here in the U.S.”

Ford Ranger Quick Facts:
The new 2019 Ranger will start at about $26K and will be built in multiple trims and body styles. Every new Ranger will have a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. Towing will be rated as high as 7,500 pounds. That is enough capacity to handle a small-three-horse trailer. The new Ranger will have many modern systems the older Ranger never had such as stop-start, Android Auto, and advanced safety features.