The new Ford Ranger Wildtrak X has finally arrived in South Africa, boasting several enhancements over its standard counterpart.
Promising to be the best of both worlds between the range-topping Wildtrak and the halo-model Raptor, the new X has its ambitions set high.
I spent two days behind the wheel of the Blue Oval’s latest creation to see exactly what this bakkie has to offer, and why you should consider it over one of the many other Rangers on the market.
It’s all about the lifestyle
While the standard Wildtrak is available with two diesel engines – a 2.0-litre bi-turbo and a 3.0-litre V6 turbo – the X is only sold with the former.
A representative from Ford explained that they had done extensive market research and had determined that the 2.0-litre unit was the most sensible candidate.
The reason for this is simple: the X is meant to be the ultimate lifestyle vehicle, offering an improved driving experience over the standard Wildtrak while simultaneously being far more practical than the Raptor.
In this regard, the 3.0-litre powertrain was deemed overkill, as the bi-turbo already allows for a towing capacity of 3,500kg and a carrying capacity of 946kg in the back.
As a reminder, the Raptor’s special rally enhancements came at the cost of its utilitarian functions, as it can only tow 2,500kg and carry 667kg.
Fuel consumption was another big consideration, as the 2.0-litre does 7.5l/100km, while the V6 diesel does 8.4l/100km, and the twin-turbo V6 petrol Raptor consumes 11.5l/100km.
Having spent a fair amount of time behind the wheel of Ford’s next-gen vehicles since their launch at the end of last year, I can attest that the bi-turbo feels fantastic to drive, and I’ve never felt that they were lacking in power.
The same is true of the X, which makes good use of the 154kW and 500Nm at its disposal. However, the highlight may be Ford’s 10-speed automatic gearbox, which never fails to deliver prompt and seamless transitions when the situation calls for it.
Our journey with the bakkie took us to the Northern Cape, where we had a fairly even split driving on tarmac and over sand and rutty terrain.
On the roads, you’ll have more than enough power to keep pace with whoever’s in front, and you have access to all the assistance items you could want, like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist, though as is the case with most vehicles, the latter can prove to be somewhat annoying with a blend of overcorrections or a lack of response.
It’s off-road where the high-rider really shines, and this is where all of the X’s enhancements come into play.
Kicking things off is a set of 17-inch alloy wheels treated to General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres, which among other things, assist in making the wheel track 30mm wider.
The real star of the show, though, is the new Bilstein-developed suspension which does an incredible job of mitigating every bump in the road and helps to raise the ride height by 24mm to 261mm.
Enthusiasts will know that the Raptor has its own exclusive suspension kit developed by Fox, which creates an interesting contrast between the two vehicles.
While the Raptor’s dampers are geared for performance, the Wildtrak’s Bilstein shocks are all about comfort, in keeping with the theme of a more practical vehicle to be used for long trips into the unknown.
As someone with vivid childhood memories of bouncing around inside a bakkie on family trips into the bush, the X’s ride quality feels simply unreal, and our desert convoy turned into an impromptu rally stage as the dirt track could do little to slow our progress.
Making the trip easier
The trip also gave us a chance to see all of the X’s new features in action, starting with its all-new Trail Turn Assist.
This system is able to shorten the bakkie’s turning radius by 25% by applying the brake to the inner rear wheel at low speeds, but watching it in practice makes it look like a lot more than 25%.
The rear wheel effectively locks up, and the 4×4 is seemingly able to turn on a dime, making it possible to navigate hairpin turns around something like a rock or tree while climbing a mountain pass.
The other big new addition was the optional Flexible Rack system, which lives up to its name rather well.
It consists of a special set of roof rails, which combine with a rack mounted on a sliding bracket over the rear bed. The roof rails have an additional part that swings out at a 45% degree angle to connect with the opposing side, effectively making a square on top of the bakkie.
The rear rack can then be moved along five different lockable positions to suit the length of whatever you want to carry, like a surfboard or, in our case, a two-man boat for a river excursion.
Final thoughts
The rest of the X experience is identical to what you’d find in the standard Wildtrak, which is to say fantastic, with comfortable seats and a modern interior decked out with the new portrait Ford Sync infotainment screen.
The real question is where the Wildtrak X stands in relation to its siblings. At R1,013,000, it is the third most expensive Ranger, falling just R13,400 short of the V6 Wildtrak, meaning you will actually be paying more for the X if you pick up an extra like the Flexible Rack.
The Raptor is still R171,100 more, but given the sums we are already talking about, it’s worth considering in this debate as well.
The Raptor is certainly the most exciting option, but it is the least practical with its lower utility and Mustang-level consumption, while the X is the opposite – being the most practical and frugal – with the Wildtrak V6 splitting things down the middle.
It ultimately depends on what you plan to do with your bakkie, but there’s an argument to be made that the Wildtrak X is actually the best Ranger on the market, having all the utility of the Wildtrak while boasting at least some of what makes the Raptor great with its excellent suspension.
Ford Ranger Wildtrak X
Keyword: First drive in the new Ford Ranger Wildtrak X in South Africa