A few days ago, Ford Philippines officially launched the new & upgraded Everest and Ranger lineup. Not only did the pickup and SUV receive plenty of upgrades, but both vehicles are now available with a new 3.0L Powerstroke turbo-diesel V6.

The new V6 succeeds the 2.0L bi-turbo inline-four and makes a generous 250 PS and a whopping 600 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to an improved 10-speed automatic gearbox and is paired exclusively with a 4WD system. Those who still prefer a 2.0L turbo-diesel can get the single-turbo version, which continues to make 170 PS with 405 Nm of torque and is only available on the new Everest lineup.

But what really caught our attention was the fact that the new Ranger is now only available for the Philippine market in Wildtrak trim and only gets the Powerstroke V6 engine paired with 4WD. Gone are the lower variants, such as the Wildtrak 4x2, FX4, XLT, XLS, and XS models. This comes as a surprise since the Ranger used to be offered in plenty of variants.

We asked a Ford executive why the new Ranger is now only available with just one engine option and only in Wildtrak 4x4 trim. According to them, the decision stems from customer market preference. Based on recent customer data and surveys, a large share of new pickup truck buyers choose the Wildtrak models. In addition, the automaker noticed that most Ranger customers prefer models with all the bells & whistles.

While lower variants of the Ranger like the XLT, XLS, and XS still had customers buying them before, the Wildtrak variants have the lion’s share of customer sales, according to the Ford executive. Our contact also mentioned that customers who get the top-of-the-line Ranger Wildtrak treat it as an aspirational vehicle, complete with all of the features they’re looking for.

For now, there are no plans yet to introduce non-Wildtrak versions of the new Ranger. With that, it looks like Ford Philippines is banking on the Wildtrak demand, as well as the expected uptick in buyers who want a more powerful turbo-diesel pickup with a V6 under the hood.