We drove a 2.0 litre diesel Ranger Wildtrak earlier this year & concluded that it was the best Ranger yet. Ford also lent us a 3.0 V6 version & we got our hands on it in August. Here’s how we got on.
Model range
Ford are covering all bases with the latest Ranger. Entry level XL is available as a single or double cab, then comes XLT a double cab, with both aimed predominantly at the agricultural, utility & building construction sectors.
Next up is Tremor, followed by the perennial favourite & the model we drove the Wildtrak, which has been joined by some new premium models, the Platinum & Wildtrak X. The Raptor tops the range off.
Exterior
C-shaped daytime running lights are the Ranger’s new signature at the front. At the sides, you get wheel arch cladding & an all-new step built into the bodywork behind the rear wheel. At the rear there’s a new tailgate with RANGER stamped on it & a choice of halogen or LED taillights. The tailgate edge features measurements along it & holes for clamps have been added to make it into a work bench. You also get a built in mobile device holder, cupholder & a pencil holder. The load space is larger & the truck is also wider than before, so you can easily fit in a loaded pallet.
Interior
We were testing the Wildtrak which is now a mid-range model. The highlight inside is the 12″ portrait touchscreen display. Centrally located it runs Ford’s latest SYNC 4 connected infotainment & dominates the dashboard. In front of the driver sits a configurable 8″ digital instrument cluster. Underneath the touchscreen you get stand alone climate controls, with steering wheel controls for the media & cruise control.
Between the front seats you’ll find the gear lever, electric handbrake, off-road settings & twin cup holders. And a wireless phone charger large enough for a large smartphone. The leather upholstery is very nice as are the finishes to the dash front & top, door panels, centre binnacle & switchgear. The quality shines through.
Drivetrain
We were testing the 237bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel. The Wildtrak features a 4WD transmission that can automatically shift from 2WD to 4WD on the fly. You also get a rotary controller on the centre console that allows you to select 4WD & low-range gears.
Equipment & technology
Wildtrak includes leather upholstery, an electrically adjustable drivers seat, dual zone climate control, keyless entry & start, heated front seats & steering wheel, LED lights, privacy glass & you can even add zone lighting that allows you to control the vehicles exterior lights through Sync 4 or via the FordPass app on your smartphone. Over-the-air updates will help ensure your truck stays at the forefront of technology, get preventative maintenance, or improve performance.
Safety
It’s a case of what’s not included with the latest Wildtrak. ABS with Stability Control, ABS, ETC, ESC, Electronic Brake Booster, Integrated Electric Trailer Brake Controller, Roll Stability Control (RSC) & Traction Control System (TCS) are all included. Plus you get front driver & passenger air bags, seat mounted air bags & one interaction airbag between the front passengers. Then there’s a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Selectable Drive Modes 2 that includes Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts & Sand options.
Dimensions & payload
At 5,370mm long by 2,208mm wide & 1,884mm high, the Ranger is hard to miss. And with a tow bar also included the Wildtrkak we tested was even longer. Fear not, the Wildtrak includes a clear reversing camera & is a total cinch to park, even on our own tight drive.
For practical purposes, the Wildtrak Double Cab offers a 1,575mm load length, a load width of 1,560mm & a 541mm load depth. Payload is 1,041kg & you can tow a braked trailer of up to 3,500kg. If you do venture off road. Ground clearance is 219mm & if required, you can wade at 800mm moving at 5mph. With an approach angle of 30 degrees & departure of 21, the Wildtrak will also get you pretty much anywhere you want to go.
Fuel economy & performance
We were testing the 3.0 litre diesel. This offers emits 178g/CO2 with economy of 27.2mpg. Top speed is 111 mph with a 0-62mph time of 7.9 seconds. You also get a massive 600Nm’s of torque.
Driving
A chance to spend a week in the Ranger gave us a better idea about the truck, especially how it works day to day & also what it’s like on longer journeys.
In town
The first few days were spent driving the Ranger locally & the 3.0 V6 engine is impressively quiet at speeds of up to 30mph & certainly quieter than the less refined 2.0 litre Wildtrak we drove earlier in the year. The large tyres & wheelbase give you plenty of road traction & it handles like a large SUV when you’re in town. The impressive equipment levels & soft leather upholstery with plenty of front seat adjustment, make it very comfortable as well. You’re miles away from pick-up’s of old.
Head out of town onto some fast roads & the Wildtrak’s V6 engine doesn’t let you down. There’s plenty of grunt when required & via the 10-speed auto gear box the engine revs smoothly as you increase your speed. It’s more enjoyable than the 2.0 litre Ford engine, which thrashes a bit as the revs rise. Overall, it’s surprisingly light to steer with excellent road manners.
Motorway
A 350 mile mostly motorway trip to Newcastle & back beckoned over the Bank Holiday weekend & to say the 3.0 litre Wildtrak impressed would be an understatement. At motorway speeds it’s very very quiet with little or no wind noise entering the cab & yet again we’d describe it as a large SUV experience when you’re driving on perfect road surfaces. The large tyres do account for a bit of vibration through the pick-up floor & some road noise does enter the cab when it’s raining, but I’m being fussy.
As my iPhone was smoothly connected to Ford’s Sync 4 both for Apple Maps & podcasts I was good to go for each 3 hour journey. Talking of which, in a 1 hour test drive in April, we weren’t convinced about the Ford tablet touchscreen. However after a full week on board we got that wrong & it’s really excellent, with impressive graphics & fast responses to your inputs. We also encountered zero problems connecting to hands-free Apple CarPlay.
For our return journey we had a light load of garden equipment which fitted nicely under the sliding tonneau cover. Simply press the buttons in the load area to open or close this. I also used the clever bumper side steps to gain access to the load bay, a great idea from Ford.
Even a week though, didn’t change our view on the auto gear leaver. It features some ergonomic buttons which have to be pressed by your left hand fingers in order to engage the vehicle & change gear. We found it a bit fiddly to use, especially when selecting reverse. This though was our only criticism as after a 400 mile week we returned a decent fuel economy of 31.2mpg.
Pros
Great to drive on-road & massively capable off. The level of quality inside the cab is highly impressive. And the thinking outside the box, for example the inclusion of a rear wheel side step, shows how thorough Ford have been with the design. More comfortable than many cars & better equipped than some too.
Cons
The gear lever takes a bit of getting used to. Wildtrak is not the cheapest way into a Ranger.
Verdict
The simple fact of the matter is that the the Ranger Wildtrak is a triumph, with the 3.0 litre engine a definite step-up from the less refined 2.0 litre version. With monthly BIK from £66 – £132, you’ll lease one & get a remarkably capable vehicle for your money. Furthermore, factor in the massive amount of active safety & spec you get on your Wildtrak & it’s very hard to fault.
3.0 litres are better than 2.0 4.5/5
