LONG-TERM UPDATE 3 | How our Ford Ranger Wildtrak handles the open road

As all regular readers will know, towards the end of last year Ford swapped our long-term Everest XLT for a Ranger Wildtrak.

The Blue Oval had planned to give us a new generation Ranger model, but due to delays and Covid-19 and all the other logistical nightmares that plagued 2022, there was no way it was going to happen. We weren't complaining though: the outgoing Ranger Wildtrak remains a relevant (and desirable) hunk of metal that at the time of writing continues to be listed for sale on Ford’s website. 

After Sowetan Motoring editor Brenwin Naidu enjoyed it for a few weeks he handed it over to me.  I was at the time sniffing around for a suitable whip to drive to the Cape for my December/January break. As I had already smashed this trip numerous times in the Everest, I knew the Wildtrak would be more than up for the trek, thanks to its similarly comfortable cabin festooned with all the amenities somebody born in the 1980s could hope for in a modern vehicle (in my case that’s climate control and Apple CarPlay).

In fact, being higher up the Ford hierarchy, this particular Ranger sports additional features such as adaptive cruise control and heated seats – not that I’d be needing those where I was going.

I also knew there would be plenty of space for my scrambler-sized mountain bike (it sucks being tall, people), numerous bags, a large battery inverter and stack of Persian carpets recently purchased at auction. Well, as it turned out, maybe not as much as I thought. In the Everest I could fold down the rear seats to create a huge cargo compartment safe from prying eyes and itchy fingers while in the Wildtrak I had to stow everything in the plastic-lined, 1.18 cubic metre load box. Surely not an issue, right?

Wrong. To keep my stuff safe from weather and thieves I was forced to have the tonneau cover in place at all times, which made things unexpectedly tight. Anyway, after Tetris manoeuvring I was able to get everything packed and hit the long and hot road to the small Karoo. 

As the driving experience goes there is – unsurprisingly – nothing between the Ranger and Everest: they ride, handle and steer in a pretty much identical fashion. However, there is one key differentiator e and that is the all-wheel drive system. In the Everest it is a permanent affair but in the Ranger Wildtrak you are able to send drive exclusively to the rear wheels by twisting a little toggle switch near the gear lever.

This is a useful feature and one I thought would help the 2.0l four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel engine quaff a little less fuel. Unfortunately it didn’t and at the end of my 1,300km jaunt to Montagu the fuel economy gauge read 7.3l/100km – exactly the same figure I achieved in the heavier (by nearly 200kg) Everest. I thought the Wildtrak would be able to do better in the overall economy stakes but maybe it has something to do with those bakkie aerodynamics.

Apart from that slight disappointment, my month with the Ranger Wildtrak was a joy. Save for one or two trips to Worcester and back I didn’t drive it much – you don’t need to in a small town – until I returned to Johannesburg last week. It’s now back in the hands of Mr Naidu, who will hold onto it until it’s replaced by a new generation model. Watch this space.

FORD RANGER WILDTRAK 2.0l BiT 10AT 4WD: UPDATE 3 

PRICE: R832,100 

ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 2,000km

CURRENT ODOMETER: 8,500km

AVERAGE CONSUMPTION: 7.9l/100km 

PRAISES: An attractive, comfortable and extremely capable offering in 2023

GRIPES: No more frugal than the heavier, permanent all-wheel drive Everest

Our Ford Ranger Wildtrak was photographed on the grounds of Doringlaagte, a self-catering resort 3km outside Montagu. Apart from accommodation it offers outdoor activities including fishing, canoeing, hiking, 4x4ing and mountain biking.