Ford’s new Ranger is a beast that drives like a pussycat
Ford Ranger Double Cab Limited 4x4 2.2 diesel with 6 speed auto transmission 160PS 12.8 seconds 35.3mpg 209g/km Braked - 3500kg. Unbraked - 750 kg 3 yrs/60,000 miles rugged pick-up – of which there are more and more on the market.
Maybe we will finally end our love affair with the SUV and opt for its all-American cousin.
It is high but then that is something that has always been attractive in an SUV and it seems to me that models like the Ranger are simply taking this attraction to an all-new level.
I gulped as I climbed up on to the running board to get in – but once up there, you’re king of the castle.
This model had leather seats with a touchscreen and sat nav, and the radio and infotainment system was familiar and easy since it was the same one I had used before on the Ford Focus RS.
But of course, what makes a car like the Ranger unique is what it can do off road – which is quite impressive.
It is naturally in two-wheel drive but can be switched to four-wheel drive high for tough challenges – or low if they get even rougher.
That comes with a very high road clearance which gives the Ranger plenty of ability and capability off road as well as on.
My version was the 2.2 diesel which motored along real ly strongly, particularly at cruising levels.
For someone looking for a real workhorse and who has to travel, this is definitely a car to consider. The noise level is not bad, either, and you can get options like Trailer Sway.
The CO2 and mpg figures are not brilliant but then that is not what you are buying this car for.
My first thoughts were that it would be ideal for anyone living in the country – until I went into Glasgow to pick up my daughter after night out.
She is a fast hatchback kind of gal but she was totally entranced by the Ranger. So I guess if you’re big and tough and have the looks to match then there may be other markets out there that Ford have not considered.
Do they do the Ranger in pink? I wonder.