The reveals are coming thick and fast at this year’s Paris Motor Show, and Ford has created quite a buzz with the unveiling of the Ranger MS-RT Champion Edition. A much racier edition of the standard Ranger, the MS-RT Champion Edition brings street truck style to the midsize pickup segment. Ram breathed new life into the street truck segment earlier this year with the Rumble Bee lineup, and the MS-RT Champion Edition—developed with tuning firm MS-RT—suggests that Ford may be interested in doing the same. We were in Paris to get a close-up look at the sporty Ranger.
Not Your Average Ranger
Ford Ranger MS-RT Champion Edition
Adam Lynton/Autoblog
The MS-RT Champion Edition builds on the standard Ranger MS-RT with its aggressive Agate Black paint, complemented by gold stripes across the body and gold 21-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. The front fascia has familiar Ranger headlights, but they flank a unique honeycomb grille. It also has a front bumper splitter, a tailgate spoiler, and a rear faux diffuser.
The regular Ranger MS-RT rides on a retuned suspension and sits around 1.6 inches lower than the standard pickup, so we can expect the same for the Champion Edition. Firmer dampers are among the many changes implemented to give the truck more responsive handling.
The MS-RT Champion Edition comes with a 3.0-liter EcoBlue V6 turbodiesel engine, which produces 237 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque; by comparison, the Ranger sold in the U.S. is available with a gas V6 producing 315 hp and 400 lb-ft. Even our Ranger Raptor doesn’t have as much torque (430 lb-ft).
With the diesel, the MS-RT can tow up to 7,716 lbs, which is slightly better than U.S.-spec Rangers (up to 7,500 lbs). The standard MS-RT is also offered with a plug-in hybrid 2.0L four-cylinder, which is expected to be available for the Champion Edition, too.
Interior Hasn’t Been Neglected, Either
Ford Ranger MS-RT Champion Edition
Adam Lynton/Autoblog
The cabin of the Ford Ranger MS-RT Champion Edition has the same basic layout as the standard Ranger, including the large vertical touchscreen interface. The gold theme is mirrored here, with stitching in that color appearing on the seats, which have a mix of leather and suede. The MS-RT logo has been integrated into the seatbacks. Gold stitching on the steering wheel and a unique center console plaque round out the cabin changes.
“Just when you thought the Ford Ranger MS-RT couldn’t get any more iconic, we’ve combined the striking motorsport design with enhancements to deliver the imposing characteristics that our customers love,” said Dr James Kerr, Design and Engineering Director, MS-RT.
Related: Ford Ranger Crosspower Name Could Signal a New Powertrain
Availability and Pricing
Adam Lynton/Autoblog
The original Ford Ranger MS-RT was unveiled for the European market, and there’s no indication that the Champion Edition will ever make it stateside. According to Auto Express, the standard MS-RT costs around $68,000 excluding tax, so the Champion Edition will likely cost over $70K; in the U.S., that’s well into full-size territory.
The Ranger MS-RT Champion Edition shows that there’s room to grow the Ranger lineup in the U.S. with a motorsport-inspired version, should the automaker ever decide to do so. However, a sporty, street-oriented version of the current pickup is unlikely to be launched here, as the next-generation Ranger is already in development.
Ford Ranger MS-RT Champion Edition
Adam Lynton/Autoblog
