It's never easy launching a new model name in the automotive industry particularly when the previous name was well known and loved. Nissan found out the hard way when it replaced Pulsar with Tiida.

There are exceptions though. Holden's Colorado seems to have taken on where Rodeo left off.

A couple of years back Ford gave away the established name of its workhorse ute, Courier, and replaced it with Ranger. But in this segment it's the established names that are getting the biggest cuts of the pie: Toyota's HiLux and Mitsubishi's Triton. Workhorse dual cab utes are no longer just that. More often they also have dual roles. Weekday workhorse, weekend warrior.

Ford recognised this and brought us Wildtrak, the latest incarnation of the 2009 PK Ranger, a sports variant of the dual cab tradies machine. All that's missing are the fat chrome 18 inch wheels and low profile rubber. Unfortunately this type of kit is not user-friendly on worksites or off-road, but there's plenty of dual cabs around sporting wheels fit for a Ferrari.

Ford has done a good job of taking the working ute and sexing it up: in addition Wildtrak gets extra safety gear including standard side airbags. Our road test vehicle was finished in silver with orange trim, which gives some idea that it will more likely carry surfboards or dirt bikes than plumbing gear.

Of course with the 18 inch alloys and standard 4X4 tyres it can do both. The 4x4 dual cab has come a long way in a short time. It was not long ago you still had to get out and lock in the front hubs if you needed four wheel drive. And of all the new dual cabs, Ranger, along with close relative, Mazda BT 50, are the pick for driveability.

Ranger 4x4 comes only with an oil-burner under the bonnet, but there is a transmission option: five speed manual or auto. Our road test car was the manual which was fine by us as it's slick and well-mated to the 3.0 litre TDCi Duratorq engine that produces 380 Nm of torque. At first sight the Ranger resembles a small F-Series truck. Unlike the F-Series, the Ranger actually handles well and is the best crossover in this segment between car-like handling and a basic, agricultural small truck.

Ranger oozes comfort and even the rear pew is suitable for long-distance traveling, with the seat not that upright that it's uncomfortable. Three burly blokes will fit in a squeeze. It's a smart interior, with good use of plastics with the dark colours broken up by the dash console. The manual Ranger uses a manual lever for going from 2WD to 4WD and then 4 Low, while the auto variants use a simple dash-mounted switch system.

Wildtrak has quite a bit of gear over and above the XLT model --- gear that in some cases is simply not suitable for tradies needing a working ute. A lockable roller-shutter covers the tray and there's an integrated heavy-duty plastic bed liner plus a 12-volt power socket. A body-coloured sports bar adds to the appearance, although I prefer the more traditional `bars', as found on the XLT, than the filled in Ford variant.

Other exterior changes include not-so-subtle `Wildtrak' decals, a box rail, roof rails, side mirrors with integrated indicators and front guard grille with Ranger nomenclature. The interior is also user-unfriendly if your usual passengers are workmen after a hard day on the job.

There's an Alcantara leather interior package, leather steering wheel, stainless steel door scuff plates with Ford logo, carpet mats, with Ranger logo and leather gearshift boot with silver finish gear shift surround. It's pretty flash. Ford claim an economy of 10.4 litres/100 kms, but we found with a lot of open highway running the return was quite a bit better than this... in the range of 9.5 litres/100 kms.

Dual cab utes are all about the tray and what it will fit. The box in the Ranger comes with cargo tie down hooks and the inner fenders are slotted to allow for insertion of shelving systems for cargo management and easy loading. The super cab's tray is 1753mm x 1456mm while the crew or dual cab is shorter at 1530mm x 1456mm.

Ranger 4x4 3.0 litre TDCi models have a towing capacity of 3000 kg – ideal for work or for caravan or boat.

Ford Ranger 4x4 Pick Up Model Range

XL Super Cab 3.0 litre T/D $36,990

XL Crew Cab 3.0 litre T/D $38,990

XLT Super Cab 3.0 litre T/D $43,990

XLT Crew Cab 3.0 litre T/D $45,990

Wildtrak Crew Cab 3.0 litre T/D $48,990