FORD RANGER FX4
FX special does its own stunts
THAT the Ford Ranger is a better ute than the Toyota Hilux takes some time to get used to. How do you go about beating the unbreakable legend? It turns out that getting the basics right, like offering decent ride quality, a gutsy engine, strong value, and keen utility are enough. It’s like Buster Douglas beating Mike Tyson by the simple expedient of stepping to the side. The most obvious solutions are often hidden in plain sight.
Ford shifted almost 31,000 4x4 Rangers last year, and almost two-thirds of them were up-spec XLT and Wildtrak versions. The success of similarly high-end versions of the Holden Colorado and Volkswagen Amarok coupled with Mercedes-benz’s intention to join the fray with its Navara-based X-class clearly has Ford convinced that the target market has a lot of disposable income looking for a new home. The FX4 special edition builds on the XLT with a black optics pack, 18-inch ‘Stark Grey’ alloys, black roof rails, and leather accented seats monogrammed with the FX4 badge.
It’s hard to argue with the aesthetic. The FX4 looks squat and purposeful, the Magnetic Grey paint of our test vehicle (a $ 550 option) even delivers a degree of subtlety for something that has had most of Ford’s options list plastered to it. Given that the smallest price difference between mechanically identical trims of the Ford Everest is $ 6000, is the FX4’S $ 3420 impost over the XLT really that insurmountable an ask? It would appear not, given the rate that the 2200-vehicle allocation is disappearing.
Like all premium PXXII Rangers, the FX4 is powered by a Euro5 compliant 3.2-litre turbo-diesel lump good for 147kw and 470Nm. It’s a pretty vocal thing with a weird sound when you roll off the throttle, like Darth Vader with catarrh. While the five-pot doesn’t have the muscularity of some of its rivals, the Ranger can maintain a decent cross country pace, helped by a ride quality which vies with the Amarok for the current best-in-class. The leaf-suspended Ranger even manages to ride better than a coil-sprung Navara. Other attractions? The SYNC3 infotainment system is a good deal cleverer than anything else in the class, and the Ranger’s safety gear and towing capacity betters even the big-hitting Amarok V6.
And there’s the nub of the Ranger FX4’S appeal. The dressing drags punters in off the street.treet. What keeps them coming g back is that under the glitz it still l feels an authentic working vehicle;hicle; all hard plastics, gruff engine, ne, and no-nonsense practicality. . The moment premium utes loseose that authenticity, manufacturersrers will discover the price ceiling g to this market extremely quickly. y.
Ford Ranger FX4 3198cc 5cyl, dohc, 20v, TD 147kw @ 3000rpm 470Nm @ 1750-2500rpm 6- speed automatic 2250kg 10.7sec ( claimed) 8.7L/ 100km $ 61,115 Now