With the new Ford Maverick hitting the market recently, it's easy to forget that the latest Ford Ranger is only about two years old. The mid-size pickup hit the US in 2019, returning to the segment after an eight-year hiatus. Some people, though, are already looking ahead to the next generation, which reports suggest will go on sale in the States sometime in 2023.

According to the Ranger6G.com forum, a Ford insider tells the website that the new Ranger will debut globally in 2023, launching first in markets like Australia and Thailand before making its way to the US in the same year. Internally, the company calls the new truck the P703, with the P703N designation being used specifically for the US.

Gallery: 2023 Ford Ranger New Spy Photos

The report goes on to say that Ford penned the final design for this next-gen Ranger in 2019, just as the current model debuted, and production will begin on May 1, 2023, at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant. From there, the pickup will head to dealerships as early as July 3, 2023, with a planned eight-year life span.

It's still too early to tell if these reports are completely true, but the timeline makes sense. Not to mention we've already seen the new Ranger testing in multiple locations around the world. A plug-in prototype was spotted in southern Europe – which we know could have as much as 362 horsepower (266 kilowatts) – and spy photographers captured a left-hand-drive Ranger Raptor testing near Ford headquarters in Dearborn.

Ford is investing more than $1 billion into the production of the new Ranger, which the company will export to over 100 global markets. The new truck is part of a partnership with Volkswagen, which will get its own new Amarok out of the deal. Both trucks should debut early in 2023.

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