Ford Ranger Thunder Debuts In Europe With A Raptor Heart, Exclusive Appearance

Ford has released a new special edition of the Ranger pickup truck in Europe called the Thunder.

Offering an exclusive color-contrast exterior and interior specifications, the Ranger Thunder is limited to 4,500 units for Europe, of which 1,400 will reach the UK and 30 will go to Ireland. It’s not the first time Ford launches a Ranger Thunder, as the first one debuted in 2003 and the second in 2009.

For the third-generation Ranger Thunder, Ford has chosen to build on the Ranger Wildtrak trim level and add exclusive interior and exterior design while offering many popular practical options as standard.

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You’ll recognize the Ford Ranger Thunder thanks to the unique livery combining a Sea Grey body color with red highlights on the grille and sports hoop. The model also features Ebony Black executions for the front grille, rear bumper, skid plates, fog light surrounds, load bay sports hoop and door handles.

LED headlights with darkened bezels are also standard, as are the darkened taillight bezels at the rear, 3D-effect ‘Thunder’ badges for the front doors and tailgate, as well as matte black ‘Ranger’ logo. The Ranger Thunder rides on exclusive 18-inch black alloys and offers a black Mountain Top powder-coated roller shutter with bedliner divider as an optional extra.

For the interior, Ford has equipped the Ranger Thunder with full Ebony leather seats with distinctive ‘Thunder’ red embroidery and matching stitching on the steering wheel, seats, instrument panel and key touch points throughout the cabin. The list of standard features also includes black floor mats and bespoke red-illuminated sill plates.

In the powertrain department, the Ranger Thunder features the mighty bi-turbo 2.0-liter EcoBlue diesel engine shared with the Ranger Raptor. Rated at 213 PS (210 HP) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, it’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive. According to Ford, it deliver up to 31 mpg UK (9.1 l/100 km or 25.8 mpg US) on the combined cycle and 239 g/km CO2, according to the WLTP test.

Prices for the new Ford Ranger Thunder start from £32,965 (€36,920 / $39,900) in the UK (excluding VAT), with deliveries set to begin in late summer. The new special-edition model comes hot on the heels of the Ranger’s best-ever year in 2019, with 52,500 unit sold across Europe – more than 16,000 of which in the UK.