Bye bye to manual transmission option
Ford has made its Ranger ute more city friendly and ditched manual transmissions altogether.
The company has pumped a load of new technology into the top Ranger Wildtrak model for the 2019 model year, designed to appeal to those buyers who drive them in cities.
In the most significant touch, the entire range has bid farewell to the manual transmission option.
In a ute-first for New Zealand, the Wildtrak gets Ford’s Active Park Assist (APA) semi-automatic parallel parking system, which controls the steering into a parking space while the driver only controls the throttle and brakes.
There’s other new safety tech, including traffic sign recognition, lane keeping assist and alert, adaptive cruise control with forward alert and Ford’s Pre-Collision Assist system that includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection and vehicle detection at any speed.
It’s all stuff that should make Ranger Wildtrak more manageable in what is becoming its natural habitat: the inner city.
Keyless entry and start is now standard on XLT and Wildtrak models, as well as Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.0-inch full colour touchscreen and reversing camera.
The Ranger has been New Zealand’s top selling ute for four years running.
It’s also the top-selling vehicle of any kind for the past three years, easily outselling traditional passenger vehicles like the Toyota Corolla and Suzuki Swift.
The Ranger will now come with three engine options, with the 157kW/500Nm
2.0-litre biturbo four-cylinder diesel engine from the forthcoming Ranger Raptor being made available as an option in the top-spec Wildtrak model.
It will complement the existing 147kW/470Nm
3.2-litre diesel engine that is available across the range and the 118kW/385Nm
2.2-litre diesel available in the entry-level XT model.
The two existing engines will only be available with a six-speed automatic transmission, while the
2.0-litre biturbo will only be available with an all-new
10-speed automatic transmission.
The Ranger’s 3500kg towing capacity remains across all engines and transmissions.
Externally the 2019 Ranger is mildly refreshed, with a new grille and lower bumper across the range, while the XLT and Wildtrak get LED daytime running lights and HID headlights.
Suspension has been upgraded across the range with the aim of reducing and better controlling roll, with an emphasis on improving the driving experience when fully laden and towing.
Ford says that packaging also enables geometry changes that bring improved ride, a reduction in body roll and improved steering precision without having a negative impact on towing and payload capabilities.
The Ranger also gets a new ‘‘easy-lift’’ tailgate across the range with a new internal mechanism that Ford says makes it lighter to lift, with a
70-per cent reduction in initial force required to raise it for closing.
The new mechanism also prevents the tailgate from dropping suddenly when lowered or, if accidentally dropped, it will lower itself under its own weight.
Expect to see the new Ranger on sale in October.