The Ford Ranger has returned to North America dealerships, but it’s definitely not the smaller- sized pickup truck of bygone years. As an all-new model, the 2019 Ranger midsize pickup truck’s altered visuals showcase a more muscular look with frame-mounted front and rear steel bumpers. The standard safety list is highlighted by Ford CoPilot 360 (lane-keeping assist, blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert/trailer coverage, and other technologies). Deleted from the all-new Ranger: powertrain options. That means a V6 engine or a manual transmission are no longer available. A week-long test drive of the reincarnated Ranger underscored that the former low-cost performer has evolved to a costlier, technology-laden performer with a beefy payload capacity ranging from 1,560 pounds to 1,860 pounds.

The Ranger is powered by a 2.3-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder producing 270 horsepower at 5500 rpm/310 pounds-feet of torque at 3000 rpm. Engine is paired with automatic start-stop technology and a 10-speed automatic transmission. Available in XL, XLT and Lariat trims, the fully boxed high strength steel framed Ranger is offered in SuperCab with a 6-foot bed, or in SuperCrew with a 5-foot bed. The truck is available in 4x2 or 4x4 configurations. Ranger has a maximum towing capacity of 7,500 pounds. The tested 126.8-inch wheelbase Ranger XLT SuperCrew 4x4 collects estimated mpg of 20 city/24 highway and carries a base MSRP of $34,115.