Ford Ranger Wildtrak X strikes the perfect balance between refinement and ruggedness

Mail & Guardian

4 days ago

Rugged and stylish: The Ford Wildtrak X
Ford continues to have massive success in South Africa in terms of car sales. In June, it sold over 3 000 vehicles and the Ranger made up 2 318 of those sales.
Whether it is the 4×2 or 4×4 Ranger, South Africans love these bakkies. In fact, I'm sure we've all been in a position where a Ford Ranger has tailed our backside and forced us to move into a slower lane on the highway.
I had the privilege of being one of those guys for a week. The Ford Ranger Wildtrak X arrived in my driveway with its striking looks, capable roof rails and subtle, but essential, cyber-orange accent under the grille.
It is by far the most stylish Ranger of all. There's just something about a Wildtrak that gives it a distinctive identity. It could be the black lettering across the front and back or the black oval Ford badges — or even the aluminium side steps.
It gives off a very stylish, but rugged, look that makes it feel like more than a bakkie or a workhorse.
That's just the exterior.
The interior adds to it. There are elements, like the suede material that adorns the glovebox, instrument cluster hood and door trim, that emphasises that the car is not afraid to get dirty and reiterates the ruggedness of the vehicle.
You even have a built-in 400W/240v inverter which can be accessed from the rear of the centre console, as well as from the auxiliary power points in the load compartment. You could essentially connect your toaster if you were ever out camping.
But, on the other hand, the very attractive portrait-oriented 12-inch touchscreen, the comfortable leather seats that embrace the cyber-orange stitching and features such as wireless charging bring a sense of refinement into the cabin.
You don't need to drive the vehicle to actually know what it's about. But when you do drive it, it just confirms that feeling.
The Ranger Wildtrak X is powered by a 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine that produces 154kW of power and 500Nm of torque, which is paired to a surprisingly smooth 10-speed automatic gearbox.
It is the first Ranger 2.0L Bi-Turbo model to be available with Ford's on-demand four-wheel drive system that offers four modes. It can be driven in 4A (automatic) on high-traction surfaces, with the system continuously distributing power between the front and rear axles for optimum performance in all on-road conditions. The driver can also select 2H for on-road driving, as well as four-wheel drive high-range (4H) and low-range (4L) for more challenging off-road terrain.
I love being behind the wheel of the big, rugged bakkies but sometimes that means sacrificing a refined driving experience.
Nobody doubts the off-road capabilities of the vehicle but the Ranger Wildtrak X surprised me when it came to riding on the tarmac.
The gearshifts were as smooth as butter when picking up speed, the turbolag was not as bad as it usually is on a bakkie and the roads didn't feel bumpy at all.
In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were driving a Ford Everest when you are in the Wildtrak X. It brings that sort of refinement to the driving experience but can still tackle off-road conditions with ease.
It was a pleasure to drive a total of 200km in it on a trip from Springs to Pretoria and back.
The car handled the bendy highways with ease. No bumps, no bruises and certainly no perception of bulkiness for a car that weighs over 2.3 tonnes.
Even the backseat passengers were comfortable with the amount of headroom and legroom that they were offered.
Safety
The Wildtrak X raises the bar in terms of safety compared to the normal Wildtrak.
It has a 30mm wider stance to provide an even more stable footprint off-road, while ground clearance has risen by 26mm, helping owners to negotiate more challenging terrain with confidence.
The Wildtrak X features seven driving modes that cover everyday and off-road driving (Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, Sand and Rock Crawl), and comes equipped with a comprehensive suite of driver assistance and safety systems. These include active park assist; blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert and braking; adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centring; lane departure warning and a 360-degree camera as standard.
It also comes with trail assist and trail control.
Trail assist negotiates tight bends on narrow tracks by applying the brake on the inside rear wheel which reduces the turning radius by up to 25%, while Trail Control helps drivers maintain constant low speed while driving off-road. The driver simply selects a set speed below 32km/h and the vehicle will manage its acceleration and braking while the driver concentrates on steering through difficult terrain.
Verdict and pricing
Overall, the Wildtrak X strikes that balance between ruggedness and refinement perfectly.
It also is positioned perfectly as the highest-spec model before the two V6 variants, the Platinum and the Raptor.
But, it does come in at over R1 million. If it's the style that you are after, then R1 070 500 will get you the Wildtrak X, but if you are a power hunter, then add the R80 000 and go for the V6 Platinum variant.