THE BULLY BOY
THE FORD RANGER SAYS A LOT FOR AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE
THE current generation Ranger dates back to 2011 and was a ‘genuine’ ground-up Ford design, ending a long run of Ford relying on Mazda product in this sector of the international ute market. It was a global Ford effort, with the development centred right here in Australia. Its keynote design was a 3.2-litre in-line five-cylinder diesel first seen four years earlier as the top-specification engine in Ford’s third-generation Transit commercial van range. It’s still the biggest engine in this ute class, and offered with both six-speed manual and six-speed automatic gearboxes. A surprisingly good 2.2-litre diesel four (also used in the last of the ‘classic’ Land Rover Defenders) was offered in lower-spec models.
A significantly upgraded Ranger was announced in 2015 (arriving in September), while 2018 saw an all-new 2.0-litre fourcylinder bi-turbo diesel (complete with a 10-speed automatic
– no manual) offered as a slightly more powerful (on paper at least) – alternative to the 3.2 five-cylinder and as the stand-alone powertrain in the bold and brilliant Raptor model.
Putting aside the Raptor for a minute, what hasn’t changed with all this is the basics of the chassis which offers wheel travel not too far short of the Hilux and as good as or better than anything else in the class, which places the Ranger (any Ranger) in good stead. Decent effective ground clearance too, despite the longest-in-class (3200mm) wheelbase, also helps.
Starting from its initial sound base, things got better with the late 2015 upgrade with a number of detailed but significant changes. The Ranger had always had a driver-switched rear locker (on most 4x4 models), but in 2015, the way the locker integrated in to the chassis electronics was changed. Engaging the rear locker no longer killed the ETC on both axles as it had done previously, but left the ETC active up front, so a win-win situation. Off-road, the difference was notable.
The 2015 update also brought a much more positive shift for the previously vague and sometimes awkward manual box as mated to the 3.2, while a revised turbo and fuel injection brought a fatter mid-range to the 3.2, even if the maximum torque and power numbers didn’t change. The revised 3.2 was notably quieter too.
At the same time, the Ranger also gained electric power steering (EPS), which is more than useful in tight off-road situations given the Ranger’s long wheelbase. The counter argument against EPS is that it isn’t as robust as conventional hydraulically-assisted power steering, which is why Toyota didn’t introduce EPS on the Hilux.
Non-raptor Rangers with the new 2.0-litre bi-turbo are a match for late-model 3.2s for off-road capability, but the hightech powertrain isn’t as relaxed off-road, the low-range shifting of the 10-speed not being as seamless as it could be. That issue is, however, swept aside by the Raptor, whose bespoke suspension, including coil springs at the rear, elevate the Raptor to the pinnacle of showroom stock off-road performance in this class. No mods needed … except, perhaps, a petrol V8. Pity also that Ford didn’t see fit to ‘Raptorise’ the 3.2.