Seven Ford Ranger Models We Can’t Buy In America

We often lament the fact that there are all sorts of cool Ford Ranger models on sale around the world that aren’t available here in the U.S. And we admit that part of this jealousy stems from the old “we want what we can’t have” phenomenon.

But most of the Ford Ranger models on sale globally are also rather awesome, with a host of unique exterior and interior treatments, performance upgrades, and other features that aren’t available Stateside. So we thought it would be prudent to round up all of these awesome Ford Ranger models in one place, just to remind of what we can’t have, at least not yet.

Ford Ranger Thunder (Europe)

The newest of the Ford Ranger models we can’t have is the Thunder, which just went on sale in Europe for 4,500 lucky customers. The Thunder is derived from the Ranger Wildtrak, but offers a host of unique touches that really set it apart.

Here’s a full list of the features included with the Ranger Thunder:

• Sea Grey paint
• Black 18-inch alloy wheels
• Ebony black front grille with red accents
• Ebony black rear bumper
• Ebony black skid plates
• Ebony black fog light surrounds
• Ebony black bed-mounted roll bar with red accents
• Ebony black door handles
• Three-dimensional “Thunder” badges on the driver and front passenger doors and tailgate
• Matte-black Ranger logo
• LED headlights and taillights with darkened bezels
• Bedliner
• Black Mountain Top powder-coated rolling tonneau cover
• Load bay divider
• Full Ebony leather seats with red Thunder embroidery
• Red stitching adorning the steering wheel, seats, instrument panel, and various other touch points throughout the cabin
• Black floor mats
• Red-illuminated sill plates
• Bi-Turbo 2.0L EcoBlue diesel engine
• 10-speed automatic transmission

Ford Ranger Tradesman (Australia)

The Tradesman is one of the many Ford Ranger models exclusive to Australia, as well as one of the newest. It’s also a pretty nice value, with a claimed $5,000 in extra equipment for just $1,000 more than the cost of the mid-range Ranger XL 4×4.

The Ford Ranger Tradesman comes standard with the following equipment:

• Black side assist steps
• Black front bumper bar with LED lighting
• Black bedliner
• Black hitch
• Black unique 16-inch alloy wheels
• Ford Sync 3 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 8.0-inch touchscreen
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Part-time four-wheel drive system
• Lockable rear differential
• Ford’s 3.2L Puma engine
• Six-speed automatic transmission

Ford Ranger Storm (Brazil)

The Ford Ranger Storm debuted as a concept back in March 2018, and is now headed for production in the Brazilian market. Geared toward the adventure and extreme sports segment, the Storm offers up quite a bit of desirable content at an attractive price point.

Here are all the special features that the Storm comes equipped with:

• Front grille “Storm” script
• Black stripes on the hood and doors
• Black fender flares
• Black running boards
• Unique 17-inch black wheels
• Tinted taillights
• Snorkel and rear canopy for the first 60 buyers
• Ford’s 3.2L turbo-diesel five-cylinder engine
• Six-speed automatic transmission
• Locking rear differential
• Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus all-terrain tires developed especially for the Storm

Ford Ranger FX4 (Australia)

Here in America, we can opt to add the FX4 package to the Ford Ranger. But in Australia, the Ford Ranger FX4 isn’t a package – it’s a standalone special edition with loads of unique touches.

Here’s all the cool stuff included with the Aussie-market Ranger FX4:

• Ebony black mirrors
• Ebony black door and tailgate handles
• Ebony black mesh front grille
• Unique black 18-inch alloy wheels
• Matte black extended bed rails and roll bar
• FX4 side decals and 3D tailgate badging
• FX4 embossed leather accented seats with contrasted red race stitching

Ford Ranger Wildtrak / Wildtrak X (Australia)

Next up are the Wildtrak and Wildtrak X. The Wildtrak is a regular trim level in the Ford’s Australian lineup. It starts off with the “high riding” stance thanks to a factory lift, and then adds some unique exterior features, such as a model-specific grille finished in dark gray, model-specific 18-inch wheels, and some other exterior and interior trim bits.

The Wildtrak X, meanwhile, takes the Wildtrak elements to another level, with rugged bits that trail runners might want. Plus, it looks pretty awesome, too. Here’s what sets the Wildtrak X apart from the rest regular Wildtrak.

• Black bumper bar with LED light bar
• Black snorkel
• Unique black 18-inch wheels with 35mm offset
• Bolder Grey fender flares

Ford Ranger Sport (Australia)

The Ford Ranger Sport looks a lot like the Ford F-150 Sport models we can buy here in the U.S., replacing chrome bits with body-color versions. But it also features a few additional options that set it apart from the pack, including:

• Drop-in bedliner
• Bed-mounted roll bar
• Black 17-inch alloy wheels
• Black front grille
• Sync 3 package comes standard
• Black rear bumper
• Black sport badging
• Black side steps

Ford Ranger Raptor

The final Ford Ranger model that’s is perhaps the most renowned worldwide, and the one we wish we could buy here in the U.S. more than any of the others – is the Ranger Raptor. It features a ton of useful content that makes it truly special:

• Ford 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel Engine
• 10-speed automatic transmission
• Fox shocks with with Position Sensitive Damping
• Aluminum control arms with protruding shock absorber towers
• Coilover rear suspension with integrated Watt’s linkage
• Specially developed all-terrain BF Goodrich 285/70 R17 tires
• 2.3 mm skid plate
• Engine and transfer case shields
• Unique, wider body panels
• Unique “Ford” script front grille
• Unique seats with technical suede
• Unique instrument cluster
• Special stitching throughout the interior
• Lightweight magnesium paddle shifters

Work is already underway on a new version of the Ranger Raptor for 2021, and that model will likely make its way to the U.S.

All together, these Ford Ranger models are sure to make any U.S. Blue Oval fan just a little bit jealous. But as always, we can only wait and hope that one day, Ford decides to bless us with some of them here in the states. At the very least, we finally have the ability to actually buy the Ford Ranger in the States, something that wasn’t possible before the current model was launched for the 2019 model year.

We’ll have the latest the Ford Ranger as they drop, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Ranger news and non-stop Ford news coverage.