Manoli Katakis 
Back in the era of slapped-together appearance packages often held together by glue, known as the early 2000’s, there was a rare package for the Ford Ranger. Consisting of a 485-Watt Pioneer audio system, 10-inch subwoofer behind the front bench seat, a high output alternator, and a fancy head unit that had an AM/FM radio, cassette player and a CD player, it was known as the Tremor package. What else could you expect from a time period when the original Fast & The Furious movie broke out? This is about as period-correct as it got. Now, rumor has it that the Ford Ranger Tremor will make a comeback, but as you’d imagine, it would bare little resemblance to this jorts-wearing audiophile-centric package.
According to a new report by TFL, a new Ford Ranger Tremor would likely take shape as a miniature version of the massive Super Duty Tremor, which was built from the ground up as a capable platform for rock crawling and overlanding – not unlike the Ram Power Wagon.
TFL thinks that the Ford Ranger Tremor will slot above the FX4 package, but below an expected Ford Ranger Raptor. It’s thought that Fox shocks and a Ford Performance leveling kit would highlight the package, along with some unique visual cues.
There’s a fair bit of speculation out there, so we’ll throw in some of our own. Based on our conversations with various industry insiders, market data does seem to point strongly towards the characteristics that justify a Tremor nameplate over a Raptor nameplate for the Ranger. Demands from low speed trails, rock crawling and overlanding make midsize trucks the more desirable vehicles for these applications.
Meanwhile, the widened footprint, power capacity and cargo capacity make full-size half-ton trucks more suited for pre-runner, Baja-style off-roading – such as the F-150 Raptor and Ram TRX. At the top you have the massive payload ratings and big diesel power that make 3/4 and full-one trucks most adept for the wide open expanses that overlanders tend to find themselves in. Between these two truck segments, there’s little overlap. Oppositely, there are more common denominators between the midsize truck off-road enthusiasts, and heavyweight HD/Super Duty off-road enthusiasts than one might think.
In our opinion, Ford may have even goofed up by throwing the Raptor name on the international Ranger, as its sluggishness isn’t very characteristic of the pre-runner personality that F-150 Raptor carries. At a second glance, it actually appears act more like a scaled-down Super Duty Tremor. Slow and sturdy.
Considering the truck’s close relation to the 2021 Ford Bronco (they’re even going to be built in the same plant) the Ford Ranger Tremor could be something like a Sasquatch Package for the truck. As far as tires go, the Bronco currently offers three different sizes across multiple brands, but the ones to look for are the BF Goodrich K02 all-terrain tire – which will come in 32 or 33 inches depending on the trim. The 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler is the tire of choice for the Sasquatch package.
It’s likely that Ford would opt for the BFG tires, to keep some distance between the Ranger Tremor and the Bronco Sasquatch. Underbody plating would also be a must, and Ford Performance has created a unique lower fascia assembly to improve the truck’s approach angles. As the Ranger will soon transition to the next-generation, don’t expect any major modifications under the hood. A 2.3L EcoBoost will have to do.
This all sounds like the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison is being put on notice, if you ask us.
