The Star: May 31, 2018

motoring
7
Price – Ford Ranger Wildtrak, $69,640
Dimensions – Length, 5351mm; width, 1860mm; height, 1848mm
Configuration – Five-cylinder, four-wheel-drive, 3198cc, 147kW, 470Nm, six-speed automatic.
Performance – 0-100km/h, 10sec
Fuel usage – 8.9l/100km
By RoSS KIddIE
I’m still amazed that a light commercial
utility is the top selling vehicle in New
Zealand.
I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised,
it is the same scenario in many overseas
countries, however, for many years
mainstream cars were the dominant sellers
here.
That has all changed recently, Ford’s
Ranger has stolen the top spot and it
dominates new vehicle sales. However,
Ford can’t be complacent with Ranger,
Toyota’s Hilux and Holden’s Colorado are
lurking in its shadows and if you add in
Mitsubishi’s Triton, Nissan’s Navara and
a host of others from lower in the price
range, the choice of ute in New Zealand
is overwhelming. Add in, too, the new
prestige X-Class ute from Mercedes-Benz
and Ford will have to work hard to keep
Ranger in a dominant position.
It’s fair to say that Ranger hasn’t changed
a lot mechanically since it became popular
four years ago, but it has been refreshed
considerably all along its journey.
This evaluation focuses on the Wildtrak
version. It’s an upmarket model with all
the bells and whistles you are ever likely
to find in a ute. Actually, it’s almost unfair
to call the Ranger a ute, other than its
length of over 5.3m, it is almost car-like to
drive. I say that taking into consideration
it is engineered for load carrying, but
the Ranger is very sophisticated for what
could be loosely termed a truck.
The Ranger is also a lot
more comfortable than
ever before, thanks to
the continual process
of refinement that
has gone into its
manufacturing
process, it is quieter
as a vehicle and
there’s been a
greater emphasis on
eliminating road and
wind noise.
The Ranger also has
a controlled ride, I had to
keep reminding myself that
there was a deck area behind the rear
seats; it is smooth in its delivery, yet it is
the quintessential model for work and
recreational use.
Up front sits a five-cylinder
turbocharged diesel engine which harks
back to Ford’s Transit programme. I’m a
bit of a five-potter fan, and the 3.2-litre
unit lives up to all expectation. It is strong
toP SELLINg
utility vehicle
and smooth and, other than a gruff growl
under load, it is quiet and efficient.
Ford rates it at 147kW with 470Nm of
torque, which are strong outputs capable
of claiming an under 10sec time to make
100m/h from a standstill.
On the subject of figures, Ford also
claims an 8.9-litre per 100km (32mpg)
combined cycle fuel usage average. The
trip computer was constantly listing
around 10.3l/100km (27mpg)
during my time with the
evaluation car.
These figures are for
an unladen vehicle, it
must be taken into
account the Ranger is
classed with a 3500kg
tow figure along with
a payload weight of
835kg.
The Ranger comes
with a six-speed
automatic gearbox, it is
characterised by smooth shifts
and ratios which don’t load the
engine, it is happy to work tirelessly low
down and responds quickly to throttle
request with strong turbo boost.
Underneath, the Ranger’s suspension is
strictly working class. It’s a front-wishbone
system with a live rear axle located by leaf
springs. That’s the traditional load bearing
design, yet it works well, the suspension
isn’t firmed dramatically, instead the ride
is comfortable and controlled with just
a small jiggle or two transmitted incabin
over the worst of our uneven road
surfaces.
The Ranger gets an electronically
controlled transfer system. In typical fourwheel-drive
fashion there’s a high and low
ratio drive system easily manipulated by a
control console dial.
According to the terms of Ford’s loan
agreement, I wasn’t able to take the test
vehicle off-road, but I did descend a
short incline into a into a new housing
development to take photos. Between
the hill descent control system and the
seriously low ratio mechanism, serious
off-road travel is a given. Consider as well,
Ford claims a 237mm ground clearance
figure.
In terms of on-road handling, the
Ranger steers with well-weighted steering
and directional accuracy not always found
in the traditional double-cab ute.
A work colleague purchased a new
Ranger a year or two back, and while it
is his quintessential family vehicle, it is
frequently put through its paces off-road.
He, like many other buyers, has discovered
that the double cab format can used in
many roles.
It’s that versatility that has made Ranger
and most other utes in today’s market the
vehicle of choice. I can’t see that scenario
changing any time soon.