What do truck buyers want? More off-road capability. So Ford is giving its truck buyers what they want: more off-road capability. The company announced on Wednesday that Ford Performance Parts will produce dealer-installed lift kits for both the full-size F-150 and the mid-size Ranger trucks.
The package will offer a two-inch front lift, leveling the trucks’ front and rear. The Ranger and F-150 will also get Ford-optimized Fox shocks, new front coilover springs and vehicle-specific upper front mounts to limit noise and vibration. Ford says the upgrade will improve the approach angles for both the F-150 and Ranger by more than 20 percent.
Ford will sell the lift kits as a $1,495 option on new vehicles. They will be available later this fall.
Off-roading is currently the biggest truck market trend. It’s fueling the booming mid-size truck segment, and becoming a major flashpoint for the full-size truck segment as well. Ford has been finding ways to bring the off-road appearance to buyers who can’t afford a kitted-out Raptor; now, it’s adding added capability to those rigs, as well.
Moves in the hard-fought truck market seldom happen in isolation. Adding the lift kits lets Ford match Chevy’s dealer-installed lift kits on the Silverado. It should also help the Ranger, which got off to a slow sales start, compete with rivals like the Tacoma and Gladiator.
