Ford has revealed yet another special-edition version of the bestselling Ranger ute, and this one shares its name with a retired member of its archrival’s model line-up.
Indeed, this Ranger is called Thunder, a badge that used to be found on limited-run variants of the homegrown Holden Commodore ute.
The bad news? The Ranger Thunder is exclusively available from launch in Europe, where it is restricted to just 4500 units, including 1400 in the UK.
That said, the Ranger Thunder or something similar – likely with a different name – could make its way Down Under at a later stage, with a Ford Australia spokesperson declining to comment on its chances.
Either way, the Ranger Thunder slides in between the Wildtrak and Raptor, and brings with it an aggressive take on the dual-cab ute.
Finished in Sea Grey paintwork, the Ranger Thunder is fitted with a unique set of 18-inch alloy wheels, which are Ebony Black in colour alongside the mesh grille, foglight surrounds, skid plates, side-mirror caps, doorhandles, sports bar and rear bumper.
Red accents adorn the mesh grille and sports bar alongside the three-dimensional ‘Thunder’ badges, which are found on the front doors and tailgate. The latter also has matte-black ‘Ranger’ lettering.
Darkened LED headlight and tail-light bezels are also fitted alongside a bedliner, a tub divider and a black powder-coated Mountain Top retractable tonneau cover.
Inside, the Ranger Thunder has full Ebony leather upholstery on its seats, which also feature red stitching and embroidered ‘Thunder’ logos. The former is also used on the steering wheel and dashboard, among other touchpoints.
Red illuminated scuff plates and black floor mats round out the interior upgrades.
The Ranger Thunder is powered by a 157kW/500Nm 2.0-litre EcoBlue twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine, which is exclusive to the Raptor in Europe. As such, it’s mated to a 10-speed torque-converter automatic transmission.
For reference, Ford has used the Thunder nameplate twice before in Europe, and the Ranger was the subject of both of those applications.
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