Ford has made it clear it wants to lead the way in performance trucks — not just off-road, but on-road too. First, we got the Maverick Lobo with its performance-inspired upgrades. Then came the styling-focused F-150 Lobo.
But there’s still a hole in the lineup.
The Ranger doesn’t have a street-oriented performance model. At least, not here in the U.S. Over in Europe, Ford just revealed the Ranger MS-RT PHEV, and I’ll admit — I’m jealous. It looks incredible, and Ford really should fast-track plans to bring it Stateside as the third Lobo.
A Design Package That Hits Hard
The Ranger MS-RT comes from Ford’s MS-RT division, which works closely with M-Sport — the same folks who prep Ford’s rally and GT3 race cars.
Like the F-150 Lobo, this package is mostly about looks, but what a package it is:
- Redesigned front and rear bumpers with matching side skirts
- Retuned suspension that lowers the truck by 1.6 inches
- Small spoilers on the cab and tailgate (MS-RT claims they add stability at high speeds)
- Wider stance with 21-inch wheels pushed out by flared fenders, increasing overall width by 3.2 inches
The stance alone makes it look like no other Ranger we’ve seen.
Inside, the MS-RT gets subtle but sporty upgrades: blue-stitched leatherette upholstery, a steering wheel with a 12 o’clock marker, and illuminated MS-RT logos on the seats and floor mats that glow when you open the doors.
The Powertrain: Hybrid Torque Monster
Here’s the kicker: MS-RT didn’t touch the engine — but they picked a good one.
The Ranger MS-RT uses the plug-in hybrid powertrain, combining the U.S.-spec 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder with an electric motor. The numbers are solid:
- 277 horsepower
- 514 lb-ft of torque (that’s more twist than the V8-powered F-150 Lobo!)
- 11.8-kWh battery with around 25 miles of EV range (probably less on U.S. testing cycles)
- Same towing and payload as the standard Ranger PHEV: 7,700 lbs towing and 2,200 lbs payload
For a lowered street truck, that’s a wild spec sheet.
Why the U.S. Needs This
Here’s the bad news: Ford doesn’t even sell the regular Ranger PHEV in the U.S., and they haven’t shown signs that they plan to. So, this exact version probably isn’t coming here.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t dream.
Imagine a U.S. Ranger Lobo that borrows the MS-RT kit but drops it on top of the existing 2.3L EcoBoost or — even better — the Raptor’s 2.7L twin-turbo V6 with 315 hp and 400 lb-ft. That would give Ford a true street performance truck to sit alongside the Maverick Lobo and F-150 Lobo.
Ford has the pieces. Now they just need to put them together.
Come on, Ford — make it happen.
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Jim Oaks is the founder of TheRangerStation.com, the longest-running Ford Ranger resource online since 1999. With over 25 years of hands-on experience building and modifying Ford Rangers — including magazine-featured builds like Project Transformer — Jim has become one of the most trusted authorities in the Ford Ranger off-road and enthusiast space. In 2019, he was loaned a Ranger FX4 by Ford Motor Company to test and document across the TransAmerica Trail. Jim continues to inspire and guide Ranger owners around the world.
