Most people believe the most expensive model in the range is the best one. The most expensive one is usually the most luxurious one with the most tijerlantins – but often not the best one in the range.
This is exactly the case with Ford’s new Ranger range. While the Wildtrak and Raptor are both fantastic, both are priced above most people’s hearth. At the opposite end of the range, one usually sits with a workhorse – steel wheels and vinyl seats – also not suitable as a family car.
Fortunately, in the Ford Ranger series there is a model that I think is the perfect pick-up truck. It’s their XLT double cab. The specification is not merely adequate, it’s actually luxurious. There is leather upholstery, cruise control, climate control, electric windows, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with a nice touch screen and Ford’s full safety suite. There is certainly nothing you could possibly need that isn’t there.
Under the hood sits another gem. In the previous series the XLT‑single turbo was my favourite, but in this refurbishment the new programming on the gearbox and torque converter feels like a brand new gearbox. The gear ratios are better and the gear changes are smooth. This, together with a 2.0‑single turbo four‑cylinder diesel engine that offers 125 kW and 405 Nm, is nice. This engine offers more than enough power for what most people will ever need, but it’s the great fuel consumption that the single turbo offers that makes it the choice in the range for me.
On the road, the XLT tours better than most others in the range thanks to its 16” wheels that run with a nice big tire profile. It makes the ride lovely smooth. Road holding capacity is impressive for a pick-up truck – and Ford’s Ranger has an impressive towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes.
So summing up the XLT is extremely easy. It’s a less complicated bakkie because of one turbo and four less gears. Some of the unnecessary gimmicks have been removed and you are left with a great vehicle that costs almost R280 000 less than the series leader.
The double-cab Ranger range now looks like this:
| Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT double cab | 125 kW/405 Nm | 6.9ℓ/100km | R486 000 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT Double Cab 4×4 | 125 kW/405 Nm | 6.9ℓ/100km | R528 600 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT double cab XL manual | 125 kW/405 Nm | 6.9ℓ/100km | R529 900 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT double cab XL auto | 125 kW/405 Nm | 7.5ℓ/100km | R544 400 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT Double Cab XLT | 125 kW/405 Nm | 7.5ℓ/100km | R592 700 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT double cab XL 4×4 manual | 125 kW/405 Nm | 7.1ℓ/100km | R607 300 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT double cab XL 4×4 auto | 125 kW/405 Nm | 7.7ℓ/100km | R621 900 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT double cab XLT 4×4 auto | 125 kW/405 Nm | 7.7ℓ/100km | R669 800 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 BiTurbo Double Cab XLT | 154 kW/500 Nm | 7.2ℓ/100km | R702 300 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 BiTurbo double cab Wildtrak | 154 kW/500 Nm | 7.2ℓ/100km | R778 300 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 BiTurbo Double Cab XLT 4×4 | 154 kW/500 Nm | 7.5ℓ/100km | R782 100 |
| Ford Ranger 2.0 BiTurbo double cab Wildtrak 4×4 | 154 kW/500 Nm | 7.5ℓ/100km | R867 700 |
| Ford Ranger 3.0 V6 double cabin Wildtrak 4WD | 184 kW/600 Nm | 8.4ℓ/100km | R953 500 |
| Ford Ranger Raptor 3.0 V6 EcoBoost Double Cabin 4WD | 292 kW/583 Nm | 11.5ℓ/100km | R1 094 900 |
The range is covered by a 4 year/120,000 km warranty. Service plans are optionally available.
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