It has taken a while but Ford's Ranger is starting to have an impact in the dual cab 4x4 ute segment, one of the most hotly contested groups in the commercial automotive world. Ford's Wildtrak - a sports take on the tradies' workhorse - is designed to capitalise on the growing popularity of these light trucks as recreational vehicles, a segment pioneered some years back by Nissan Navara ST-R.

What the Ranger brings to the segment is one of the most driver and passenger-friendly vehicles in the sales contest.

A couple of years back Ford gave away the established name of its workhorse ute, Courier, and replaced it with Ranger. These practical vehicles also have dual roles. Weekday workhorse, weekend warrior.

Wildtrak, the latest incarnation of the 2009 PK Ranger range, not really aimed at the tradie market, although in certain trades we have no doubt it could do the job. It's really targetting the sports recreational segment. All that's missing from Wildtrak 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. These are really fad cars with extra bling as opposed to genuine recreational vehicles.

Ford has done a good job of taking the working ute and sexing it up: 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. Now, after just a few minutes at the wheel, we felt completely at home, as if we had driven this vehicle for six months.

Ranger 4x4 comes only with an oil-burner under the bonnet, but there is a transmission option: five-speed manual or automatic. 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. Like all light trucks it's a bit long in shopping centre car parks, but with light steering and a good turning circle, it's not mission impossible. Highway driving is surprisingly good, with little pitching or hard suspension to complain of. And that's despite the fact that it has leaf springs at the rear.

Ranger oozes comfort and even the rear pew is suitable for long-distance travelling, with the seat not so upright that it's uncomfortable. Three burly blokes will fit in a squeeze. It's a smart interior, with good use of plastics and its dark colours broken up by the dash console. The manual Ranger uses a lever for switching from 2WD to 4WD and then 4 Low, while the automatic 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 `sports 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 per 100 kilometres, 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 L/100 km.

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

 

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

The 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
(Note: These prices do not include government or dealer charges).