For R1.1m, will you go Ford or VW?

Bakkie partnerships gone wrong: there are a few case studies.

One party always seems to get the shorter end of the stick. Like when Fiat rebadged the Mitsubishi Triton as the Fullback, failing to capture a worthwhile share of the market despite its ambitions.

Or when Mercedes-Benz used Nissan's Navara as the basis for its X-Class, the so-called premium pickup, which nobody really thought of as such. The German carmaker pulled the plug on the X-Class after a short while.

Now we're in the era of the Ford and Volkswagen mash-up, with the latest Ranger lending its core makeup to the second iteration of the Amarok. 

The blue oval product was first to market, while pricing for the latter was announced recently. But, on this occasion, we want to weigh in on the flagships of either line-up; both costing in the region of R1.1m. Which offers a more compelling prospect for the money, on paper?

The previous generation of the Ford Ranger Raptor offered South African buyers an extrovert, terrain-mashing double-cab in the vein of American market trucks such as the Ford F-150 Raptor. Its trump card was a suspension using Fox shock absorbers and alloys shod with chunky BF Goodrich rubber; a combination that turned cobbled surfaces to marshmallow and made high-speed, air-grabbing pursuits easier. It looked the part but lacked in the engine department, using the same 2.0l twin turbocharged diesel motor that featured in the lesser Ranger Wildtrak.

The new Raptor remedies that with a throaty petrol V6 motor displacing 3.0l armed with two turbochargers. It produces 292kW and 583Nm, making it a veritable monster. This Raptor packs almost twice the power output of its predecessor's 157kW. As before, it uses a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Also carried over is the Fox suspension componentry. The latest generation of shocks in the new Raptor are filled with Teflon-infused oil, reducing friction by as much as 50% vs the outgoing model, according to the carmaker. In addition, it is endowed with additional body reinforcements over the regular Ranger, while aluminium control arms are fitted front and rear. There are eight driving modes, from Normal to no-holds-barred Baja. Drive is to all four wheels, with a two-speed transfer case and locking rear differential as standard.

Being the flagship; it is replete with just about every convenience expected from a modern vehicle. That includes a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, 360° cameras and adaptive cruise control with semi-autonomous steering assistance. It comes in at R1,094,900; which excludes a service or maintenance plan. The warranty is four-year/120,000km.

The Amarok is built in the same Silverton, Tshwane, plant as the Ranger. At the top of the range is the Aventura 3.0 TDI V6 for R1,105,000. That includes a five-year/100,000km maintenance plan. The warranty is the same as the Ford's. Volkswagen's outgoing Amarok in 3.0 TDI V6 trim had the reputation for pulling like a steam locomotive.

This new flagship uses a Ford-sourced motor producing 184kW and 600Nm, also equipped with a 10-speed automatic and four-wheel drive. It does not benefit from the sorcery of Fox shocks, however. Still, it is not scant on features. Standard kit includes an electric roller cover for the load bed, full LED lighting front and rear, adaptive cruise control, 360° camera, navigation, Harman Kardon audio, leather upholstery and semi-autonomous parking assistance.

Visually, it is set apart from its stablemates by 21-inch wheels, chrome finishes and a rear sports bar in body colour. Of course, we would need to get them side-by-side, in the ring, for a conclusive verdict. On paper though, the superior suspension hardware and petrol-powered V6 of the Ranger appear to give it the upper-hand in this battle of flagships.

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