In the U.S., the Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma rule the roost, with the the aging Nissan Frontier playing a much smaller role. Globally, the situation looks a little different. The Ranger nameplate not only survived but thrived, comparing favorably to stalwarts like the Toyota Hilux. The current T6 generation Ranger has been on sale since 2011 in 180 markets around the globe. It's a completely separate and far more modern truck than the one previously sold in the U.S.

That original Ranger soldiered along for nearly three decades with just a few sporadic updates, but by the time production ended in 2012, sales of the compact truck market had been steadily declining for years. The full-size F-150 offered far more space and utility for not much more money — as well as more profit for the automakers and dealers. But after seeing the sales of the new Chevy Colorado, the folks in Dearborn have taken the hint. Since the Colorado was reintroduced in 2014, the midsize truck market has grown by a whopping 83 percent.

The global Ranger is indeed what you see here, but there are a number of changes to tailor it for an American audience. Rather than a four- or five-cylinder diesel, under the hood you'll find a 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged inline-four. This is a variant of the same engine that's in the Ford Focus RS and the Ford Mustang EcoBoost, though Ford didn't go into details on what separates the engines. It features direct-injection, 16 valves, a twin-scroll turbocharger, forged-steel crank and connecting rods, and chain-driven cams.

Power hasn't been announced, but Ford is targeting class-leading torque for gasoline engines. For reference, the Colorado has 308 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque while the Tacoma makes 278 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. The Ranger beats both of those in gear count, too, as the 2.3-liter engine is mated solely to a 10-speed automatic. This transmission was co-developed with GM and is found in everything from the Chevy Camaro ZL1 to the Ford F-150 Raptor to the refreshed 2018 Mustang. Don't rule out a five-cylinder diesel sometime down the line.