The Ford Range Tremor brings serious off-road capability to the popular midsize pickup — here's a closer look

It isn’t a Raptor, but Ford has added a $4,290 Tremor off-roading package to its midsize pickup truck, the Ranger.
The Tremor brings serious capability to a vehicle that already had an excellent 4×4 offering.
The off-road features don’t compromise the Ranger’s hauling ability or its towing capacity.
The Ranger Tremor is powered by a 270-horsepower, turbocharged V6 that makes 310 pound-feet of torque.
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To give you an idea of just how popular high-performance, off-road-optimized pickup trucks have become, witness the unmitigated desire Ford fans have expressed for a Raptor version of the Ford Ranger, which returned to the US market in late 2018.

The Raptor designation, for now, remains with the full-size F-150 alone. And it’s not as if the Ranger is weak in the backwoods; the available FX4 off-road package is more than adequate for most weekend warriors.

Of course, the competition is selling the exceptionally capable Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison, and don’t forget about the Jeep Gladiator, which was reverse-engineered from the demands of transiting territory where there are no roads and never will be.

So to keep pace, this week Ford announced the Ranger Tremor, which the Blue Oval is calling the most capable off-roading midsize it’s ever built for US customers.

The Ranger pleased me greatly when I reviewed it, so I’m looking forward to crack at the Tremor. Until then, here’s a look at Ford’s mighty midsize off-roader:

Ford sold 89,571 Rangers last year and clearly intends to add to that total with the new Ranger Tremor, a pickup that has no interest in asphalt.

“Tremor gives Ranger customers a new level of off-road confidence and fun,” Chad Callander, the Ranger’s marketing manager, said in a statement.

“With increased ground clearance, off-road tuned suspension and aggressive Continental General Grabber tires, Tremor elevates Ranger’s off- roading capability even further while keeping the unique advantages that come with a cargo box for hauling gear anywhere.”

The Tremor package is a $4,290 extra for 2021 Rangers at the “mid-XLT and high Lariat” trim levels, Ford said.

We’ve seen the Ranger Tremor with two exterior treatments, but Ford didn’t specify whether the “optional hood and body graphics,” shown above, would tack a bit of additional cost to the package.

The Tremor name dates to 2014, when an off-roading package was added for the F-150. More recently, it’s been an option for the F-250 and F-350 heavy-duty pickups.

The Tremor package features plenty of features and modifications, but Ford stressed that the Ranger’s ability to haul 1,430 pounds and tow 7,500 pounds hadn’t been compromised.

The Ranger Tremor’s capabilities start with ground clearance, which is nearly an inch better than the SuperCrew design the new pickup takes as its starting point.

In a statement, Ford said that “32-inch Continental General GrabberTM A/TX all-terrain tires on new 17-inch Magnetic-painted wheels … combine to deliver 9.7 inches of ground clearance.”

With the Tremor package, Ranger owners can “can punch it in a washout with gusto,” Ford said.

Ford said that the Ranger Tremor includes a “frame-mounted steel front bash plate and underbody skid plates, rear locking differential” and four drive modes to handle any type of terrain.

Propelling the Ranger Tremor is a 2.3-liter, turbocharged V6, making 270 horsepower with 310 pound-feet of torque. The power is sent to the four-wheel-drive system through a 10-speed automatic transmission.

FOX monotube dampers deliver the best of both worlds, Ford said. The Ranger Tremor can handle everyday pavement as well as rock-strewn landscapes.

“The shocks are specially tuned with progressive rebound end zone damping to support vehicle control where the pavement ends,” Ford said.

“Front and rear springs are tuned for greater off-road composure. A multi-leaf rear spring setup enables increased wheel travel. Anti-roll bar stiffness has been reduced to minimize disruption over rough terrain and improve comfort off-road.”

The interior is moderately premium, thanks to the Tremor package’s availability on the Ranger’s upper trim levels. There are Miko inserts — a type of synthetic suede — along with Tremor branding on the seats.

The Tremor package also brings a cool feature to the interior. Ford said that “customers can control accessories like winches, lights and air compressors thanks to Tremor’s six-switch auxiliary power bank mounted to the dash.”

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