LONG-TERM UPDATE 1 | Ford Ranger Wildtrak joins our fleet

The new Ford Ranger is imminent. It will be launched in South Africa before the end of the year. New from the ground-up, the vehicle boasts enhanced road manners, a more modern appearance, vastly improved interior as well as the enticing prospect of V6 power.   

Earlier in 2022 we had a taste of the newcomer at an exclusive event where Ford selected a handful of media for a preview at Gerotek. Consumers are certainly not going to struggle to distinguish old from new.   

But we should not forget the outgoing Ranger set the bar quite high. Ford wanted to remind us of the achievements pioneered by its soon-to-be replaced contender so it proffered one for a three-month evaluation in the lead up to new Ranger's introduction. We are scheduled to take delivery of a new Ranger as our long-term tester early in 2023.

While the vehicle is old in life-cycle terms the unit we took delivery of is just about new, with little over 2,000km on the odometer. It is a 2.0 BiT 4x4 automatic (157kW/500Nm). The Wildtrak designation once occupied flagship status in the line-up before the Raptor was launched.  

Ford launched this Ranger in 2011, giving it a significant update in 2015. This was followed by minor enhancements, including a 2019 revision that saw subtle cosmetic tweaks, suspension changes, a 10-speed automatic option, plus the addition of a 2.0l -lite diesel engine with a bi- or single-turbocharging. 

According to the price list on the Ford website, the Wildtrak carries a sticker of R832,100. Not that most buyers are going to make a big effort to go to their local Ford and purchase an outgoing Ranger in the knowledge that the latest vehicle is near.   

On the second-hand front, we saw 2022 examples like ours with under 5,000km on the odometer from upwards of R669,900 at Ford franchise dealerships. Hard to argue that this is great value.   

Yes, it is always exciting to have the latest version, but the idea of a pre-owned, previous-generation Ranger is going to appeal to a great chunk of the market for a long time to come.   

The case might be different if you parked them side-by-side, but parked in isolation, you would hardly describe the outgoing Ranger Wildtrak as appearing overly dated. Some would argue it still looks more attractive and substantial than some double-cab offerings launched in the past two years.   

Collecting the Ranger Wildtrak, one was reminded by how well-equipped the vehicle is. And how, in its time, it truly elevated the stock of the breed from a refinement perspective. The Ranger earned due praise for ride quality, noise insulation and manoeuvrability, with a steering wheel that is light and precise.   

Where this Ranger might truly show its age, however, is inside. Compared to the daintier, more screen-intensive execution of the latest vehicle, the old SYNC 4 set-up and button-enriched dashboard is obviously not on the cutting edge of technology. Still, it is functional, familiar and the tactile pleasure derived from operating chunky, physical buttons is hard to beat.  

Performance around town is notably perkier than what we recall from our Everest long-termer, which offered the same engine and transmission. The reason for this is most likely because the Everest was a permanent four-wheel drive, whereas in the Ranger, you can switch into two-wheel drive by turning a rotary dial. That will bring benefits for fuel consumption too.   

As you can expect, we have plans for the Wildtrak. That will include a cross-country trek, as well as a side-by-side comparison with new Ranger, when it arrives, to properly illustrate differences.

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