Let me start by saying that I’ve not been a fan of 4×4. Sure, I appreciate the height and the go-anywhere-anytime attitude of a it but coming from a guy who’s accustomed to sitting closer to the center of gravity and making use of it at corners, the pick up truck doesn’t hold as much appeal to me as, say an SUV.
That said, there’s no denying that there is an increasing number of 4×4 buyers due to its excellent value proposition and perceived durability. Ford Malaysia sold a total of 9,231 units sold in 2015 and that places it as one of, if not the market leader in the 4×4 truck segment.
So the question this article seeks to answer is this:-
Can a sedan-inclined person live with a 4×4 as a daily, family-use vehicle?
Let’s find out:-
Design
Ford calls it a facelift but compared to it’s predecessor, the new Ranger front fascia looks absolutely nothing like it. The headlamps is thinner and slanted, not too dissimilar to the Ford Mondeo and the front grille is now hexagon in shape and the bonnet is new. It has a more aggressive and muscular appearance and arguably one of the better looking up-to-date trucks sold today.
There are 6 variants to choose from; the baseline 2.2L XL, 2.2l XLT Manual, 2.2l XLT Auto, 3.2l XLT Manual, 3.2l XLT Auto and the range topping 3.2l Wildtrak. Tested here is the 2.2litre XLT Auto (Blue unit) and the 3.2litre Wildtrak (white).
To tell a Wildtrak from the rest, just look at the matte dark grey grille and wing mirrors. Everyone else has chrome.
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From the side, the Wildtrak distinguishes itself with the 3.2litre badge below the A pillars, Wildtrak decals on the lower part of the front door, roof rails and a unique 18″ rim design. Also different is the sports bar design.
Not much to tell them apart from the back aside from the chrome rear bumper in the 2.2l XLT is now black in the 3.2litre and the rear lamp cluster is a little different.
Also not seen in the previous model are twin cargo lights that illuminates the cargo bed.
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Performance
The engines offered with the facelift remains the same with two commonrail direct injection turbocharged VGT diesel engine choices; the 2.2litre that’s good for 160PS @ 3,200rpm and max torque of 385Nm @ 1,600 – 2,600rpm and the 3.2litre that kicks out 200PS @ 3,000rpm and max torque 470Nm from 1,750 to 2,500rpm.
For a sedan guy, the power delivery with the 6-speed automatic is easy to modulate and I find the 2.2litre’s output to be sufficient for most daily use. But it wasn’t until I took it up to Genting with my colleague who drove his 2.2litre pre-facelift Ranger that I was … enlightened by how powerful it really is.
And this is a point I’d like to highlight because when you go on a regular 5-10 minutes test drive around a showroom, you’d likely be testing it on a road with little gradient. So any acceleration tests that you do, if you do not drive a pick-up on a regular basis, you benchmark against whatever sedan you’ve driven. And depending where you’re coming from, level roads doesn’t display the full capabilities of the 2.2litre. Sure, it’s got pulling power but when you get up to speed, the 160PS output isn’t that great when you’re driving such a heavy vehicle. For comparison’s sake, a Suprima S 1.6litre turbocharged Campro does 140PS pulling its kerb weight of 1,365kg. The Ranger has a kerb weight topping 2 tonnes!
But …
… when you climb touge roads, your expectations of how your sedan performs change. You’d predict lower gears to be engaged more often, high revving the engine more and expect a slower pace. This is where the Ranger, even with just the 2.2l can make your speed looking like it’s been driven by a grandma with bad eye sight. And when you jump into the 3.2litre Wildtrak, the power is insane. I’ve never needed to go full throttle and quite frankly, I see no reason to. But then we’re talking about power and there’s never enough power, right?
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Ride and Handling
It helped quite a bit seeing how my colleague who’s been driving his Ranger for the past two years tackle corners and demonstrating how capable the Ranger is despite being so huge and heavy. Yes, all those Initial D cartoons about chasing the lead car and copying his moves is all applicable in real life. True to its nature being a continental make (and a Ford which makes excellent road cars to boot), steering feedback is excellent and I find myself easing off the pedal long before the tires start to squeal- even then I would be driving through the uphill chicane faster than everyone else (except my colleague). The way the Ranger keeps its composure at turns is bordering supernatural … for such a large vehicle.
You can’t cheat physics and sedans may have better agility but the amalgam of excellent road feedback, surefootedness and high speed stability makes it no slouch.
The Wildtrak has Locking Rear Differential (vs Limited Slip Differential in the other variants) and this makes it a far better off-roader than the other siblings. The Locking Rear Differential locks both rear wheels so that if one wheel slips due to loose sand or gravel, the other wheel can still push/pull the vehicle if it has sufficient traction. Now, if you’re a sedan guy keen to navigate your daily ride only through concrete jungles as opposed to the leafy kind, what does this mean to you?
Granted that foraging through shallow streams and rocky paths may not be your thing but if you ever have the chance driving it to the beach, do so. It’s as exhilarating as driving flat out in a sports car … except the sports car can’t follow you to the beach. There was also this one time where I was exiting a parking area where the turns were blocked by indiscriminate parkers. The solution? Just drive over the dividers!
Speaking of parking, this is a huge vehicle and can be quite intimidating to park. Measuring 5,362mm in length, rarely would you find parking lines meant for sedan able to accommodate its entire length without its front or end sticking out and driving it around tight mall parking areas is challenging. Fortunately, the Ranger has a width span of 1,860mm which is slightly more than a D segment sedan such as the Ford Mondeo so driving through tight backlanes isn’t much of an issue. It’s 1,815mm height on the other hand would make you cringe every time you enter basements but during both drives, it didn’t pose an issue aside from the radio antenna giving the ceiling an occasional high five.
What is not great for the sedan guy is that the suspension can come across as a tad stiff. Where most sedans balance comfort with performance, the Ranger emphasizes more on payload (up to 1,000kg) and towing capacity (up to 3,500kg) so it can get a little bumpy inside. Not as bad as how a Mercedes Benz CLA200 crashes through bumps but might be uncomfortable for passengers whose buttocks are used to family sedans.
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Cabin Convenience
The insides of the Ranger is as sedan-like as it can be, for a pickup. Angular lines adorn the dashboard and all functions are laid out in a neat and orderly fashion. The most obvious difference between the 2.2l and Wildtrak dashboard is the leather stitching and the huge 8″ color Touchscreen. The seat material, leather wrapped steering stitches and other minor differences will be discussed here.
Let’s begin with the meters; the regular variants makes do with the common rev/speed meter whereas the Wildtrak gets a futuristic console with the speedo in the center flanked by infotainment on the left and driving info (including a digital rev meter).
Among the few safety features found only in the Wildtrak is Adaptive Cruise Control (you can also select Normal Cruise Control) which changes your speed automatically depending on other vehicles ahead of you as well as Pre-collision warning which flashes a heads-up display, beeps loudly and pre-loads the brakes for enhanced stopping power.
The regular variants gets a 4.2″ Color Display which allows USB, iPod, Bluetooth, mp3 CD, radio and AUX playback.
The Wildtrak on the other hand has the same 8″ color touchscreen as the Mondeo that shows four windows (Phone, Information System, Climate and Entertainment) for easy access. Since the controls are so much larger with the 8″, control access is better even if touchscreens lack tactile feel like the buttons found on the 4.2″ display.
Both headunits sends audio to a 6 speaker system that as far as I can tell is identical in terms of sound reproduction.
To tackle our hot climate, the 2.2l offers manual single zone air conditioning whereas the exclusive to the Wildtrak is a fully automatic dual zone system. Both are adequate in terms of throughput.
Notice the Wildtrak has two additional buttons? Distance indicator and alert as well as the forementioned Locking Rear Differential.
You’d find two cup holders in the center plus a two-tiered center console
Below the air conditioning controls, the Wildtrak (lower picture above) has one additional USB and an SD card slot
Both models have the same glove compartment dimensions.
It may look upright but rear passengers would find it relatively comfortable here. The Wildtrak’s leather/fabric combo looks best here.
Unique to the Wildtrak is a 230V Invertor which makes it perfect for some modern amnesties such as water heaters to be brought along for camping trips. Those using laptops and other portable electronic devices would be happy with this feature too.
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Safety
All Ranger variants except Wildtrak
- Dual front airbag
- ABS
- EBD
- ESC
- EBA
- Load Sensing Proportionate Valve (LSPV)
- High Mounted Stop Lamp
- Hill Descent Control
- Hill Launch Assist
- Roll Over Mitigation
- Trailer Sway Assist (towing kit not included)
- Load Adaptive Control
Ford Ranger 3.2L WildTrak Automatic 4×4 High Rider
(in addition to the above)
- Side airbags
- Curtain airbags (total 6 airbags)
- Lane Departure Warning and Assist
- Forward Alert & Collision Mitigation by Brakes
- Distance Indication and Alert
Specifications
Ford Ranger 2.2L XLT Manual/Automatic, 3.2L XLT Manual/Automatic 4×4 High Rider
Exterior
- Chrome front grille
- Automatic halogen headlamp
- Daytime Running Light
- Fog lamps
- Automatic rain sensing wiper system
- Chrome power adjust, fold with integrated turn indicator wing mirrors
- Side steps
- Bedliner
- Support bar
- Rear park assistInterior
- Cruise control
- Electrical Power Asissted Steering (EPAS)
- Audio system: 4.2″ Color Display AM/FM Radio/mp3 CD + AUX + BVC (USB+iPod+Bluetooth+Voice Recognition)
- 6 Speakers System
- SYNC
- Electrochromatic inner rear view mirror
- Manual climate control
- Leather steering wheel with control switches
- 2 x 12V front power plug
- Power windows with Driver 1-touch down
- Central locking with Drive Away Auto Locking
- Premium fabric driver seat 4-way manual adjust with lumbar and map pocket
- Remote keyless entry
Ford Ranger 3.2L WildTrak Automatic 4×4 High Rider
(same as above unless specified otherwise)
- WildTrak Front Grille Scheme instead of Chrome
- Chrome power adjust, fold with integrated turn indicator & puddle lamp wing mirrors
- Front park assist
- Roof rails
- 12V socket (cargo bed)
- Cargo light
- Adaptive Cruise Control instead of normal cruise control
- 8″ Color Touchscreen AM/FM Radio/mp3 CD+AUX+BVC (2xUSB+SD Card+iPod+Bluetooth+Voice Recognition) instead of 4.2″ Display
- Rear View Camera
- Automatic Dual Zone climate control instead of manual single zone
- 8-way Power adjust with lumbar and map pocket driver seat instead of manual 4-way
- Wildtrak Premium Fabric + Leather insert seat material instead of premium fabric
- Cooled Console
- 230V Invertor
- Additional 3rd powerpoint (rear seat)
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Maintenance and Ownership
The facelifted Ford Ranger retails for the following prices:-
2.2L XLT Manual – RM101,388
2.2L XLT Auto – RM108,788
3.2L XLT Manual – RM110,888
3.2L XLT Auto – RM118,388
3.2L Wildtrak Auto- RM132,188
The baseline 2.2L XL Manual asks for RM91,588 and for the RM10k difference, you get a black front grille, manual halogen headlamps, fabric seats, single CD player audio system, 4-speaker system and urethane steering wheel. The bedliner and side steps are also omitted. Personally, I won’t go for the XL variant unless I’m on a really tight budget.
All prices above are OTR excluding insurance.
As for maintenance, here is the breakdown.
So, in the end, is the sedan-inclined person able to accept the Ford Ranger as a daily ride?
For me, I am thoroughly impressed with its capabilities. Regardless if a person is a high income earner or a contract worker, the Ranger has won the hearts of many Malaysians and its tough, conquer all image suits almost everyone who values price for size. Compared to its predecessor, the Wildtrak is more popular as the spec sheet differs quite significantly compared to the other models. Before, people buy a Wildtrak simply because they wanted a more powerful vehicle.
There is only two things a sedan-inclined guy like me have to accept;-
- It suspension is harder than usual. If it’s just me, this isn’t an issue but if one ferries family members who’re more delicate on the move, this might be an issue.
- Sedan owners can make full use of the boot. Unless you install a turtle cover, the rear flatbed is an inappropriate place to store your laptop when going for lunch, no?
Still, whenever it rains, I am very thankful being in the Ranger since it has class leading 800mm water wading capabilities. To be able to shift between 2WD and 4WD allows you to be better prepared for any road condition and a 235mm ground clearance lets you park almost anywhere. With so many safety features packed and a frugal turbodiesel engine, the question I should really ask myself is this;-
Why not?
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