The guys at Ford Australia call their all-new Ranger a truck, not an SUV, not a 4WD, but a truck. Leaving no doubt as to the serious nature of this important new vehicle. Important not only to Ford Australia, but to Ford globally.
New Ford Ranger is not only to be sold in Australia, but in over other 180 countries worldwide. Yet it’s an Australian design, using Aussie engineering expertise that can trace its way back to 1925 when Fords were first made in this country. Since then Ford Australia has earned an impressive reputation with the company’s head office.
These days vehicle manufacturing in Australia has become financially difficult, so has declined as a result. However, Aussie engineering and design brains are still viable financially and projects like Ford Ranger show Australians can make important contributions to the automotive global scene.
Australian engineers have travelled to six continents to check driving conditions and buyer needs in the various markets. We have just spent two solid days with Ford Australia at the press launch of the all-new Ranger, talking to senior engineers in many disciplines. As well as many kilometres of test driving both on road around Adelaide and in the Flinders Ranges. The latter included serious off-road driving. Though the Ranger is being promoted as a small truck, Ford is well aware of the number of owners who will use them in family cars. This applies particularly to Australia where sports utes are all the rage at the moment.
We were most impressed by the interior space in the Ranger dual-cab variant, with the back seat having the sort of legroom you get in a Falcon, as well as a backrest set at the correct angle. Spending hours on a long trip in the back seats won’t be a problem even for large adults. Up front, the seats are well shaped and provide good support. The dash design is truck like and the materials have a quality look and feel.
Ride comfort is good and the refinement of noise and vibration reduction in the Ranger is almost as good as that in many mid-sized passenger sedans. Ford guys tell us that occupants relate quietness to quality and put a lot of effort into this important aspect.
We were very impressed by the large number of in-cab stowage areas. These include a big centre console, a glovebox that can hold a decent sized laptop computer and an extra, smaller, glovebox beside the driver’s right knee. There are also handy storage areas beneath the back seat.
The first Ford Rangers to go on sale are dual-cab models, the Ranger range will later be expanded to single and extended cabs (Super Cab in Ford lingo) and come as a cab-chassis or pickup.
Prices begin at a very reasonable $19,740 for a Ranger XL 2WD single-cab cab-chassis with the petrol engine, and rise all the way to $59,390 for the sporty Ranger Wildtrak dual-cab diesel automatic.
At this stage the only engine we have driven is a five-cylinder 3.2-litre turbo-diesel. Given that big capacity it’s no surprise it produces up to 470 Nm of torque. Power is equally impressive at 147 kilowatts (that’s 200 horsepower in truck terms). On the road and off the road we loved the way the diesel was able to work happily from 1200 rpm upwards - very truck like.
The diesel is smooth and could be mistaken for a petrol unit from inside the cab when cruising. When you’re standing outside there’s little doubt it’s a diesel, but we have heard much worse. A big 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine is also in the lineup, as is a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel. Transmission is by a five-speed manual with the petrol engine and six-speed manual or automatic in the diesel.
Ford Ranger comes as a 2WD or 4WD, the latter with a high/low range transfer case. The 2WD can either be bought with standard height suspension or with the 4WD look as a Ranger Hi-Rider. Ranger won’t be manufactured in Australia, but in factories in Thailand, Argentina and South Africa, that will produces hundreds of thousands every year. Aussie Rangers will come from Thailand, a country well versed in the light-trucks. Indeed, virtually every pickup you see on the Australian roads these days was built in that country.
The complete Ford Ranger range, with prices (excluding government and dealer charges) is:
XL Single Cab 2.5-litre petrol 4x2 cab chassis: $19,740 (manual)
XL Single Cab 2.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x2 cab chassis: $23,740 (manual)
XL Single Cab Hi-Rider 2.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x2 cab chassis: $28,740 (manual), $30,740 (automatic)
XL Single Cab 2.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x2 pickup: $24,740 (manual)
XL Super Cab Hi-Rider 2.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x2 cab chassis: $33,240 (automatic)
XLT Super Cab Hi-Rider 3.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x2 pickup: $43,240 (automatic)
XL Double Cab 2.5-litre petrol 4x2 cab chassis: $30,240 (manual)
XL Double Cab Hi-Rider 2.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x2 cab chassis: $35,990 (automatic)
XL Double Cab Hi-Rider 2.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x2 pickup: $34,990 (manual), $36,990 (automatic)
XLT Double Cab Hi-Rider 3.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x2 pickup: $44,490 (manual), $46,490 (automatic)
XL Single Cab 2.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 cab chassis: $38,390 (manual)
XL Single Cab 3.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 cab chassis: $40,890 (manual), $42,890 (automatic)
XL Super Cab 3.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 cab chassis: $43,390 (manual)
XL Super Cab 3.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 pickup: $44,390 (manual)
XLT Super Cab 3.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 pickup: $50,890 (manual), $52,890 (automatic)
XL Double Cab 2.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 cab chassis: $42,890 (manual), $44,890 (automatic)
XL Double Cab 2.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 pickup: $43,890 (manual), $45,890 (automatic)
XL Double Cab 3.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 pickup: $46,390 (manual), $48,390 (automatic)
XLT Double Cab 3.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 pickup: $53,390 (manual), $55,390 (automatic)
Wildtrak Double Cab 3.2-litre turbo-diesel 4x4 pickup: $57,390 (manual), $59,390 (automatic) |
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
