THE POPULAR CHOICE
A NEW HIGH-TECH POWERTRAIN INTRODUCED TWO YEARS BACK HAS HELPED KEEP THE RANGER AT OR NEAR THE TOP OF THE 4X4 SALES CHARTS.
THE Ford Ranger you see here is a mixture of new and not so new. The powertrain, a sophisticated but relatively small 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel backed by a 10-speed automatic, only appeared in late 2018, but the basic platform dates back to late 2011. Significantly for Ford, this Ranger was a Ford design from the ground up and not just a rebadged Mazda as was the previous Ranger and all the Ford Courier utes before that. The design and development of this Ranger was also headquartered here in Australia.
When the new powertrain was released in late 2018 for the 2019 model year, Ford took an each-way bet and retained the 3.2-litre five-cylinder diesel that dates back to the debut of this model; although significantly revised for the 2016 model year. Of the two, the ‘little’ engine wins on refinement and economy, and is punchier in general driving.
This generation Ranger has proven so popular that it’s done the unthinkable and challenged and even bettered Toyota’s Hilux for sales supremacy in the 4x4 class.
POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE
A Two-litre four-cylinder diesel may sound like a small engine for a big ute, but thanks largely to its bi-turbo arrangement it claims an impressive 157kw and 500Nm, thus putting it ahead of the new D-max by 17kw and 50Nm; despite the D-max having a 50 per cent capacity advantage. The Ranger’s 2.0litre engine even claims 10kw and 30Nm more than the 3.2-litre five-cylinder Ranger engine.
The bi-turbo arrangement is sequential and uses a small turbo to improve the low-rpm response, before a bigger turbo gradually takes over at higher engine speeds and higher engine loads. The transition from small turbo working alone to both turbos working together and then the bigger turbo working alone is totally seamless.
On the road the Ranger is quicker than the D-max, but not by much, and that’s probably more to do with having more closely spaced gearbox ratios which helps extract the best from the engine.
The Ranger’s diesel is also smoother, quieter and more refined than the D-max’s much-improved engine, but the Ranger’s 2.0-litre also wins on refinement across the wider ute class; so the win here against the D-max engine is not surprising.
On full noise the Ranger’s little engine actually sounds like a big engine in the way it hammers along, and it’s more characterful and engaging than the blander and more workmanlike D-max engine.
For its part the Ranger’s 10-speed automatic offers slick and quick changes, which are often hard to pick especially on a light throttle. It can occasionally be indecisive with gear selection, especially when going from light-throttle cruising to full-throttle acceleration. With all those gears to chose from, the Ranger swaps gears far more often than the D-max, which makes it feel more frenetic at times even with the excellent shift quality.
ON-ROAD RIDE AND HANDLING
FORD managed to achieve a high standard of ride and handling with the Ranger when first released and this is still evident today, helped by a few changes along the way. In 2016 the Ranger gained electric power steering and then for 2019, alongside the introduction of the new 2.0-litre powertrain, the suspension was tweaked primarily for a better unladen ride, although at the time Ford also claimed better towing performance.
We are convinced of the former, less
so of the latter.
On the road the Ranger is still hard to go past for its steering feel and its general handing and ride quality, but the new D-max gets close, which is impressive given the previous D-max wasn’t even in the same ball park.
Like all D-max models, the Ranger Wildtrak gets lane-keeping assistance, and while it can also be distracting on some roads by tugging the steering if you drive too close to the lane markings – as does the D-max – you can easily turn it if off via a switch on the end of the right-hand steering column stalk.
OFF ROAD
ALONG with Toyota Hilux and Volkswagen Amarok, the Ranger has always been a top-tier performer offroad and, among the popular utes, there has been none better. This is largely thanks to its generous wheel travel and the fact that when the rear diff lock is engaged the traction control remains active across the front axle. With most other utes fitted with a rear locker – the new D-max included – engaging the rear locker cancels the traction control on both axles.
The 2.0-litre Ranger also has a low crawl ratio thanks largely to its very low first gear, one of the advantages of having ten gearbox ratios. On the negative side, the Ranger’s departure angle could be better and it’s also a long ute.
While our time off-road in this test was limited, the Ranger still proved
more capable than the new D-max, even if the new D-max gets much closer than the previous model.
CABIN AND ACCOMMODATION
THE Wildtrak’s leather-clad cabin is big and comfortable, and no other mainstream popular ute, this new D-max included, can match it for combined front and rear legroom and rear headroom.
However, the Ranger still lacks steering wheel reach adjustment (tilt only) and the HVAC controls are also small and difficult to use. For those living in colder climates, the Wildtrak’s heated front seats are however a welcome bonus but, unlike the D-max, the Wildtrak doesn’t get rear-seat air vents.
Being a Wildtrak model, this Ranger comes with plenty of safety kit (See ‘What You Get’) including autonomous emergency braking, lane-departure prevention and adaptive cruise control, but misses out some of the D-max’s safety features; although it does get tyre-pressure monitoring, which the D-max doesn’t.
PRACTICALITIES
THE 2.0-litre Ranger is rated to tow 3500kg, the same as the 3.2-litre Ranger and the D-max. Our previous comparative tow testing has demonstrated, however, that the powertrain of the bigger-engined Ranger is far better suited to heavy duty towing than the 2.0-litre Ranger. And not that we have had the chance to towtest the new D-max as yet, we suspect it would also be a better tow vehicle than the 2.0-litre Ranger, at least in terms of powertrain performance.
Like the D-max X-terrain, the Wildtrak also gets a lockable roller tonneau and it picks up a couple of handy standard items that the X-terrain doesn’t have in the form of a towbar and 12-volt outlet in the tub.