FORD has announced the first details of its new Ranger pick-up truck which is due for release early in 2023.

With the current model already Europe's most popular pick-up, the newcomer has been designed to offer users more practicality.

A V6 turbodiesel is being added to the range and the new Ranger has upgraded chassis and suspension systems to bolster its ride and handling.

Its wheelbase has been increased by some two inches with a similar amount added to the track which creates more space in the loadbed.

Performance information and prices are to be revealed later and Ford says the new model will also be available with 2.0-litre single and bi-turbo diesel engines with a choice of two and four-wheel-drive set ups.

The new Ranger has a fresh face with a redesigned grille, matrix headlights and a bold look to the wheel arches while the cabin has been made more car-like with soft-touch materials in the trim and a portrait-style central touchscreen with Ford's latest connectivity and entertainment systems.

In the cargo area a tougher plastic-moulded bedliner is fitted for protection with extra tie down points to secure loads.

Ford says the new Ranger will offer a new cargo management system designed with dividers to hold various sized items - like timber or toolboxes - while smaller compartments to store objects, which would otherwise have to go in the cab, have been fitted to the side of the cargo box.

The tailgate can also double as a mobile work bench with an integrated ruler and clamp pockets to measure, grip and cut building materials.

The vehicle has been developed by Ford's engineers in Australia and will be built at its factories in South Africa and Thailand.