LONG-TERM UPDATE 2 | Ford Ranger Wildtrak X excels at the urban hustle

There are plenty of double-cab bakkie choices in this market. You could confuse yourself trying to find your perfect fit in the 24-model Ford Ranger — soon to be 26, with the addition of the new Ranger Tremor and Platinum derivatives.

This week Ford also announced a bulletproof option for its range of bakkies. 

The Wildtrak X doesn’t come with everything, yet it has a comprehensive enough list of amenities. The digital cockpit is packed with the latest in tech and luxury items, and comes with electric front seats covered in a mix of faux leather and Alcantara-like edging, Wildtrak X embroidery on the seat backs but minus seat warmers. It has rain-sensitive wipers and active headlights but lacks keyless entry and lock. 

Comparatively, the interior of the previous-generation Ranger is a basic place rather than the tech-lovers' paradise of the new car. There are minimal conventional buttons, including for climate and volume control, the former repeated inside the digital menu and the latter on the steering wheel alongside cruise control, lane keep and distance control buttons. Drivetrain modes are accessed through a mouse controller positioned between the front seats.

The rest of the buttons are swept away in favour of the large portrait touchscreen display. It’s a cabin that is intuitive to use, and fiddling with the menus has resulted in the discovery of even more nifty capabilities such as autonomous parking assistance. 

Having previously covered its long-distance travelling merits, it spent most of the previous month cooped up in suburbia, used almost exclusively for short errands. Is it just as useful as an urban warrior? Yes, because the sweet urban life isn’t limited to hatchbacks that go “vrrr-phaa!”.

It’s possible to enjoy a double-cab bakkie in urban areas if, like me, you have the right cast of friends at the right locations. During the December holidays I criss-crossed Gauteng’s empty freeways in eco mode cosseted by its comfort and visiting places such as Soweto, Thembisa, Pretoria and once to Deneysville for brunch.

Had I opted to indulge in the latter rustic town’s main attraction, which is the deep waters of the Vaal Dam, the optional Flexible Rack System (FRS) fitted to our Wildtrak X would have easily accommodated a kayak. At the moment it’s averaging 9.9l/100km as it inches closer to the first 15,000km service interval. This figure usually hovers around 9.1l/100km on open roads.

There’s enough of a styling panache to the Wildtrak X, thanks to yellow strips on the bumpers, 18-inch General Grabber wheels and a shiny black grille with a three-bulb set of LED lights. These are exclusive to the Wildtrak X and are part of a powerful, active lighting system that turns load-shed nights into day. 

Shortcomings picked up so far include a mysterious pilling up of dust inside the load bin after driving on gravel, this with the fitted electric roller shutter door firmly closed. Similarly it gathers dust on the door edges. But the rest of the car hums along nicely and nothing is broken, chafed or malfunctioning.