The Ford Ranger is available exclusively with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine in the United States.
Since the company decided to eschew a V6, it’s less powerful than competitors such as the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma.
However, Ford Performance is fixing that as they’ve introduced a new performance calibration for the pickup. Created after “countless hours of dyno testing and real time ‘seat-of-the-pants’ drive-ability evaluation,” the package includes a high-flow K&N air filter as well as a Pro Cal 4 tool which is used to install the calibration via the OBD 2 port.
Also Read: 2019 Ford Ranger Wants To Become America’s Default Midsize Truck
Once installed, the calibration enables the engine to produce an additional 45 hp (34 kW / 46 PS) and 60 lb-ft (81 Nm) of torque. This means the truck could theoretically have 315 hp (235 kW / 319 PS) and 370 lb-ft (501 Nm) of torque, however the gains come at lower revs.
Regardless, the upgrade also includes an optimized shift schedule for the ten-speed automatic transmission. Ford says it will deliver crisper and more precise shifts.
The upgrade costs $825 which isn’t bad considering it includes the Pro Cal 4 tool which normally sells for $450 by itself. The upgrade also comes with a 3 year / 36,000 mile warranty as long as it’s installed by a Ford dealer or an ASE/Red Seal certified technician.
Speaking of performance calibrations, Ford Performance also launched one for the 2018-2020 Mustang GT. It delivers an extra 19 hp (14 kW / 19 PS) at 6,500 rpm and 42 lb-ft (57 Nm) at 2,000 rpm.
It’s similar to the Ranger upgrade, but it costs $1,275 and includes a performance throttle body as well as an adapter.
