The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 may have the backing of off-road-vehicle builder American Expedition Vehicles, but the Ford Ranger has support from Roush Performance. This week, the renowned tuning company introduced what it calls the "most capable midsized truck you can buy": the 2020 Roush Ranger.

Ford is still believed to be working on a version of its off-road-capable Ford Ranger Raptor suitable for sale in the US market, and recent evidence even points to a forthcoming Bronco Raptor, but it's not known when either might actually launch. The Roush Ranger, on the other hand, is the hardcore off-roader you can start tearing up the ORV park with today.

Well, not literally "today," but soon.

And whatever Ford's next couple of Raptor models end up looking like, the 2020 Roush Ranger is no slouch. Power and torque are unchanged from the original 270 horsepower/310 lb-ft, but the engine does get a nice cat-back exhaust system with dual Roush-etched tips and a burly, aggressive note. More importantly, it's got a supremely capable Roush/Fox 2.0 Performance Suspension system with a level ride, and it rolls on satin-black 18-inch Roush wheels wrapped in 32-inch General Grabber ATX tires.

Other modifications are more focused on aesthetics or comfort, like the distinctive Roush grille, Magnetic Gray fender flares with accent lighting and vent badging, red tow hooks, serialized interior badge, exterior graphics package, Roush WeatherTech floor liners, and leather interior trim. The truck also has some nifty Roush "R" puddle lamps.

The Roush Ranger upgrade package starts at $12,750, although if you're willing to spend a bit more, you can grab some additional kit like a $3,200 Roush chase rack with dual Rigid light bars, an $1,800 retractable aluminum bed cover, a bed cargo manager, $250 off-road utility kit, and storage vaults for the center console and rear seat at $400 each.

While it's perhaps not quite the Ford Ranger Raptor we've been waiting for, the 2020 Roush Ranger is all the off-road capability most buyers could ever need, wrapped up into one attainable upgrade package. And if you really need a bit of extra oomph, you can always rely on one of Roush's Ranger Performance Packs, which add as much as 47 wheel-horsepower and 65 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane using little beside a cold-air intake and some software.