Employees Get #RANGERready at Ford Ranger School Prior to North America Reveal

(To celebrate the launch of the all-new 2024 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor in North America, @FordOnline sent 100 employees to Ford Ranger School, an in-person embargoed briefing also offered to automotive media, to learn more about the pickups. Below are the impressions shared by a select group of @Ford Insiders. Their submissions have been edited.)

Blaise Nugent, a mechanical development engineer, appreciated having the sneak peek prior to the trucks’ reveal.

“The all-new Ranger looks great, with a more athletic stance and familiar Ford truck design themes to bring the truck into the same era as F-Series and Maverick. The completely overhauled interior was comfortable and practical, with lots of new technology. The new engine offerings indicate that the Ford Blue product portfolio is still going strong and listening to customer demands were clearly a priority for the Ranger team. And, of course, seeing the Ranger Raptor and hearing about its development was the best part of the event.”

Austin Flint, a Ford College Graduate in Powertrain Planning, also noted that Ranger’s new styling was stronger-looking than that of its predecessor and more aligned with F-Series “but still unmistakably Ranger.” He called the Ranger Raptor the perfect balance of performance, durability and everyday use — equally comfortable off-roading and navigating city streets.

Flint also enjoyed getting to meet the Ranger team members who made the truck possible.

“I love events like this because I get to meet the leaders behind these projects and ask them questions about how they developed the vehicle. The accessibility of these leaders makes me feel valued as a Ford employee, as well as provides a breath of fresh air to the day-to-day tasks.”

The Ranger nameplate is special to Rob Voisin, who works in Global Competitive Analysis, because his first vehicle was a 2003 Ranger. He was impressed with how the all-new model turned out.

“The location for Ranger School out in the woods near a lake just felt right,” Voisin said, “given where a lot of customers are going to be spending time with this truck. I really like the more muscular exterior, especially with the wider stance, since I think those both contribute to really nice proportions. The interior also feels fresh, modern, comfortable and thoughtfully designed with features like the new rear under-seat storage and retaining a stalk shifter.”

Cortnie Squirewell, a people experience designer and design thinking catalyst, called the event “an immersive and exciting adventure,” adding Ranger’s towing features would make it much easier to pull her family’s boat while camping. But the added touches for recreation were not the only things that impressed her.

Michael Fluegemann, an antenna applications engineer, appreciated being able to meet some of the engineers who worked on Ranger and Ranger Raptor.

“There is a lot of tech that they put in this vehicle that other trucks in the segment don’t have yet. I also enjoyed seeing the styling choices they made and the effects of lengthening the wheelbase and widening the wheel track. The step built into the bed instead of the bumper was a nice touch, too. The Raptor variant was also incredible. I know many people are going to be happy owning it. I think it lives up to the Built Ford Tough brand, and I’m glad Ford gave us the opportunity to attend this event. I now feel #RangerReady!”

Seeing Ranger in the event’s backdrop was inspirational for Thomas Spillman, a Ford College Graduate in Product Development.  

“The scenery of Nordman Lake combined with the off-road ready stance of the Ranger to really inspire me to get out and explore Michigan this summer. The new squared-off front end really evokes a sense of trail-crawling capability similar to that of a Bronco. I was happy to inform my friend, who is considering a Ranger in anticipation of an upcoming basement renovation, that a four-foot sheet of drywall will fit between the wheel wells, thanks to the widened bed.”

Don Perlick, from Brake Controls Development, appreciated the staging of the event, which included an individual fishing from a secluded location with a Ranger.

“I thought some of the styling details were neat to learn about. What I liked was the bottle opener and trash bag holder on the tailgate. Also, the detail about the under-seat boot storage being designed to be easy to clean up was great to see. Adding the utility of a four-foot wide bed floor for home projects was a great move. Also, having 405 horsepower in a Ford Ranger Raptor is insane!”

The all-new 2024 Ford Ranger and Ranger Raptor were revealed earlier this week. Click here to read more about the pickups and share your excitement for them on social media and on the @BlueOvalNow app using #RANGERready and #WeAreFord!