Best Motorbuys: June 22, 2018

Ford Ranger
Wildtrak
Price: Ford Ranger Wildtrak, $69,640
Dimensions: Length, 5351mm; width,
1860mm; height, 1848mm
Configuration: Five-cylinder, fourwheel-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 fivepotter
fan, and the 3.2-litre unit lives up
to all expectation. It is strong 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
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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. Take into
account 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.