Video: Ford Ranger can go deeper in water than any other pickup in its segment

FoMoCo likes to be the best-in-class in a lot of categories – but this is one “best-in-class” achievement that really impresses us. The new Ford Ranger can go deeper than any other pickup in its segment with best-in-class water-wading capability of up to 800 mm (31.4 inches). Ford says that the 4×4 and the 4×2 Hi-Ridge Ford Ranger models can wade through deep water even while carrying a full load of cargo.

“During the extensive water testing, Ford’s latest global compact pickup was loaded to gross vehicle mass –as heavy as it possibly could be – so that Ranger was riding at the lowest possible height,” Ford said. “Most customers would not be carrying so much weight when fording rivers or floods but Ranger’s ability to do so provides additional peace of mind.”

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Ford engineers tested the ranger over a variety of water depths and speeds and found strategic locations for key electrical components and air inlets to deliver the class-leading attribute.

“When we go through the water bath, we’re looking out for every possible functional failure in the vehicle. The most critical one would be if water was sucked through the air intake into the engine, resulting in hydro-lock, which can bend the piston’s connecting rods and potentially destroy the entire engine,” said Tom Dohrmann, the development engineer in charge of Ranger’s water management.

Want to see how it all looks? Check out a video after the jump.