The next-generation Ford Ranger is finally here and set to go on sale in South Africa before the end of the year with units already rolling off the production line at the automaker’s Pretoria-based Silverton Plant.
There’s a lot to live up to with this new vehicle, as the Ranger has been one of the country’s best-selling cars and is consistently one of its top-three favourite bakkies.
TopAuto recently had the chance to hop behind the wheel of both the mid-range XLT and the top-of-the-range Wildtrak on a trip through the Karoo to see just how the highly-anticipated 4×4 handles itself both on and off the tarmac.
Extensive features
Starting with its looks, what’s immediately noticeable about the new Ranger is that it has a much more square profile, particularly at the front, which lends it a far more American appearance than the previous model.
Thankfully it’s nowhere near as blocky as other American pickups like the Dodge Ram or Chevrolet Silverado, and the new profile helps to give the Ranger an assertive look that fits its off-road stature quite nicely.
The visual package is complemented by a set of C-shaped LED headlamps and daytime running lights that are standard on select trims, which together with the sizeable wheel arches and alloy rims starting at 16 inches, come together for an all-round good-looking off-roader.
There’s also a built-in step on either side of the rear bed to make it easier to reach in, and a pair of side steps help with the task of entering the nearly two-metre-tall vehicle.
Inside, the first thing you notice is the new dashboard fitted with two fully-digital screens and a set of four large air conditioning vents.
The centrepiece of the arrangement is the vertical infotainment unit resembling a tablet, which clocks in at 10 inches on the XLT.
The screen itself, now running on the brand’s Sync 4 operating system (OS), is clean and simple and provides easy navigation of the double-cab’s functions – and it’s a major improvement over the previous Sync 3 OS.
The climate control, meanwhile, is still handled through a set of physical buttons and dials below the touchscreen, which allows for much easier corrections while on the move.
The chunky leather steering wheel offers pleasantly-light steering for such a large vehicle, both when cruising on the highway and when traversing a rugged dirt track, and the configurable digital instrument cluster is very helpful at providing information to suit the job at hand, especially on the fully-equipped Wildtrak, as it changes what info it provides based on the chosen drive settings.
Even with these additions, the interior is appreciably-clean and straightforward with soft-touch surfaces and is incredibly spacious to boot, providing a comfortable environment to be in for extended periods.
There are also a number of smaller details which add to the Ranger’s charm, such as the integrated interior door handles which have a trigger-like pull, or the dials on the climate control which have a textured grip that almost resembles mini off-road tyres upon closer inspection.
On the Wildtrak, the cabin experience gets even better with a larger 12-inch media screen, a 10-speaker Bang and Olufsen stereo, ambient lighting, and driver’s aids ranging from adaptive cruise control to blind-spot monitoring and lane-keep assist, all of which contributed towards an enjoyable time out on the open road.
Rugged performance
The first leg of the journey had us take the XLT, with its 2.0-litre bi-turbo powerplant, from Cape Town into the Karoo.
With traffic at a minimum late on a weekday morning, navigating town in the Ranger wasn’t difficult in the slightest, and the 154kW of power proved more than enough for anything we asked of it when taking it on the main road and up into the mountains.
Leaving the highway, we used a dial found near the gearstick to switch from 2H to a 4H setting, and raced down a long dusty track where the Ranger’s suspension did a good job of keeping discomfort to a minimum.
Switching to low range, on the other hand, is when the bakkie’s 500Nm of torque really gets to shine, pulling itself along with seemingly no regard for the obstacles put in front of it.
The trekking experience is helped out a great deal by the infotainment and driver display, which share information between each other and allowed us to keep track of multiple things at once, like the gradient angles, or the camera and parking sensors warning of impending obstacles.
The latter proved particularly useful, too, as the Ranger has a considerable dashboard and bonnet which can obstruct what’s directly in front.
Tackling the rough terrain also showcased how comfortable the bakkie is, relatively speaking, as the generous cabin space meant we weren’t constantly bashing ourselves against the sides of the high-rider while navigating a nasty bit of track, and even when we did the soft-touch surfaces meant no impact had a lasting impression.
On the second day with the Ranger, we took to an even more arduous journey through the mountains around the Karoo, this time behind the wheel of the Wildtrak, showcasing the key differences between it and the mid-range XLT.
The distinctions are apparent from the second you start the engine, as the turbocharged V6 comes to life with a palpable growl that hints at its higher 184kW and 600Nm capacity.
Out on the road, though, you don’t actually notice much of a power difference between the siblings, though the engine itself is much smoother, and in both cases, the bakkie is equipped with a 10-speed automatic that handles gear changes responsively.
It’s when you go off-road that you really start to understand the disparity in price between the Wildtrak and the XLT, as the former is equipped with an exhaustive list of features tailored for bundu-bashing.
A 360-degree camera system and extensive information on the tyres, gradient angles, axles, differential, and more are all shown through the two screens, which made navigating a rocky dried-up river bed a far more manageable endeavour.
Overall thoughts
Our time with the new Ford Ranger included several hours both on and off the beaten path, and it handled itself well in every situation.
Both engines had much smoother performance than what we had previously experienced from the blue oval’s line-up, and should deliver more than enough power to satisfy customers with a wide range of wants and needs.
The interior is comfortable to be in even after long stretches over rough terrain, and there’s a long list of high-tech amenities to go along with the enhanced driving experience.
While this new bakkie is not cheap, with the range-topping Wildtrak now costing more than the old halo model Raptor, there is very little that Ford’s latest creation leaves off the table, resulting in one of the most compelling choices in South Africa’s fiercely-popular 4×4 marketplace.
Ford Ranger XLT
Ford Ranger Wildtrak
Keyword: First drive in the new Ford Ranger in South Africa