Red alert!
The Ford Ranger Thunder is based on the Ranger Wildtrak, but with red detailing and other gadgets to put a smile on your face.
The Ranger Thunder is Ford’s temporary flagship model. We say “temporary” because Ford calls the Thunder a “limited edition”, but they don’t elaborate on the nature of this limitation – will only a certain number be built? Will they stop manufacturing it after a certain time? What we do know is that the Thunder is a tier above the Wildtrak.
The Ranger Thunder has the same 2 ℓ biturbo diesel engine and 10-speed automatic transmission that the Wildtrak and the Raptor use. Unlike those models, the Thunder is also available with Ford’s 3,2 ℓ engine – for those who prefer engine capacity over extra turbocharging. The 3.2, however, is only available in rear-wheel drive, but with the 2.0 models, you’re able to choose between rearwheel or four-wheel drive.
Here’s the pecking order of Ford’s doublecab Ranger bakkies: the Ranger 2.2 TDCi base model, followed by the XL, XLS, XLT, FX4,
Wildtrak and then the Thunder. The Ranger Raptor is certainly next level. It is, after all, the most expensive of the bunch, but because it fills its own niche, we won’t place it in the same category as “regular” Rangers.
So, what’s different?
The Ford Ranger Thunder sports some unique design elements. There’s the grille with its hexagonal honeycomb pattern and red “nostrils” on either side of the grille; the wing