The Rancher is a Declasse two-door pickup truck, a light-truck nameplate returning from earlier eras including GTA IV, and it is due to appear in Grand Theft Auto VI. It featured in three clips from the September 2022 leaks, seen parked at Cipher Mall in Rockridge, in a Hamlet parking lot, and driving past the Starlet Motel.
Interstate 97 trailer appearance
The Rancher’s rear is shown at 0:35 in the second GTA VI trailer, travelling along Interstate 97 in Vice City. Two men are riding in the open bed at the time. This is an official appearance rather than footage from the 2022 material.
Rockstar’s promotional website also includes the Rancher in its Port Gellhorn postcard, where it is parked beside a Blista Compact. That places a confirmed example in the Port Gellhorn region.
GTA VI body revisions
The GTA VI model differs visibly from the GTA IV Rancher in several rear-end details. Its licence plate sits in the rear bumper instead of on the tailgate, while the bumper itself has been revised. The taillamps have also been reworked and resemble those used on the Rancher XL.
Other changes include wheel-arch trim painted to match the body and a revised version of the secondary-colour side stripe. These are appearance changes visible on the new rendition; no GTA VI mechanical specification or handling information has been shown.
Full-size truck inspirations
The Rancher chiefly draws on the 1973–1991 Chevrolet K5 Blazer, with the 1989–1991 Cheyenne trim providing the closest stated influence. Its cab’s slight rearward lean recalls the 1980–1996 Ford Bronco.
Its lamps appear to take cues from the 1981–1993 Dodge Ramcharger. The GTA VI taillight revision instead brings the vehicle visually closer to the Rancher XL’s rear lamps.
GTA IV configuration and extras
In GTA IV and Episodes from Liberty City, the Rancher normally appeared as a pickup rather than the two-door SUV form associated with its earlier 3D Universe counterpart. It had a raised stance, six-spoke alloy wheels, broad knobbly off-road tyres, and a two-colour paint treatment. The main body colour covered most panels, while the second colour formed a solid band along the sides and around the tailgate.
Five optional extras could be fitted in GTA IV: a bed cap; a rear roll bar carrying decorative spotlights and cardboard boxes; either of two front bull bars; or a rear bed box accompanied by more boxes. The roll-bar lights were non-functional.
Liberty City roles and handling
The GTA IV Rancher used a longitudinal, twin-cam inline-four engine with an all-wheel-drive arrangement, a large rear differential, and a quiet exhaust. Solid axles at both ends gave it considerable body movement and sliding on paved corners, especially compared with more refined pickups and SUVs using independent suspension. Its tall centre of gravity also made rollovers a concern.
That same layout, four-wheel drive, and high clearance made it capable away from roads, including over boulders. It was frequently encountered around Chinatown, Frankfort Avenue, Middle Park, Varsity Heights, and North Holland, and could appear near The Triangle Club in Bohan. It was also one of Stevie’s requested theft vehicles; after all 30 requests were completed, Stevie paid $2,500 for a Rancher. A green-and-blue example appeared after Babysitting with pipes, a bull bar, and a white metal box, while If the Price is Right supplied a black-and-silver Rancher without extras.
Vehicle data via GTA Wiki (Fandom), CC BY-SA 3.0.
