Confirmed: New 2020 Ford Ranger FX4 will enter the Philippines on January 23

Ford Philippines is launching a follow up to its wildly successful Ranger. A new Ford pickup is coming to the Philippines, with a launch date slated on January 23, 2020.

We don’t know much about the new variant, as the invitation was sent out with only moments before writing this article. But accompanying the invitation was an image of a Ford Ranger with a black mesh grille, updated fog light housings, and a slightly updated front bumper.

We ended up combing other Ford websites for any trail of the mesh grille that we have just seen. Historically, Australian Ford models and Philippine models were more or less the same because both markets get their stock from the same manufacturing plant in Thailand. 

No news yet about what’s under the hood or on the rest of the body, but taking a trip to the land down under, in Australia, reveals that Ford has a special edition Ranger FX4 for sale. The FX4 made a return to the Australian market recently and includes several additions to the Wildtrak variant, which include a black mesh grille, darkened Bi-LED lights, 18-inch mesh alloy wheels, and an FX4 specific sports bar. An FX4-specific bedliner is also added, while FX4 decals are stuck to complete the look. 

The interior of the FX4, like the Wildtrak, is also clad in leather. Red stitching in place rather than the orange that we’re used to, and the floor mats also have FX4 logos. The instrument panel also features a soft-touch top, while other accents on the door trim and instrument panel are in graphite.  Other features include automatic emergency braking as well as pedestrian detection over the rest of the safety systems in place. 

In Australia, the FX4 is available with two engine options: the 2.0L Biturbo from the Ranger Raptor and the 3.2 L turbodiesel offered in the previous Wildtrak. 

We’re anxious to see how the new grille will mesh with the rest of the lineup, and how it will play with the light in person. There’s no hiding our excitement, and January 23 can’t come sooner. 

EDITOR'S NOTE [January 17, 2020]: A previous version of this article reflected uncertainty about the upcoming new Ford Ranger. Today, we have confirmed that the new variant is indeed the Ranger FX4. This story, including the title, has been updated in order to reflect that information.