Boosted Bakkie

[ VEHICLE LAUNCH ] FORD RANGER XLT & WILDTRAK 2019

- Francois Huysamen

South Africans love bakkies. Caravanners love bakkies. And you can bet your trousers that Ford fans are going to love the latest Ranger.

I’ve had the pleasure of attending the launch of the new Ranger, as well as the Ranger Raptor, and if the experience on these trips is anything to go by, caravanners are in for a treat.

Ford made a specific point to inform us in no uncertain terms that new Ranger has improved towing capabilities.

As a start, all derivatives on the new Ranger have a towing capacity of 3 500 kg – a massive ton more than previous models.

Add to that Dynamic Stability Control that adapts to changing load for more control, this is about as good as it gets in South Africa.

Admittedly, we did not get to tow during the launch, but watch this space… we’ll do a tow test soon. That said, there’s still plenty of evidence that the new Raptor will find fancy with Ford fans, and even convert some others.

UNDER THE HOOD

One of the biggest changes Ford made in the new Ranger is the all-new drivetrain which combines a 10-speed auto gearbox with a 2.0-liter diesel engine (single- or bi-turbo).

At the launch, we got to experience four versions of the new models: the top-spec 4x2 and 4x4 XLT (single-turbo), and 4x2 and 4x4 Wildtrak (bi-turbo).

The XLT variants deliver 132 kW and 420 Nm, with maximum torque around 1 750 rpm. The bi-turbo Wildrak boost the outputs to 157 kW and 500 Nm.

The single-turbo engine has been specifically designed to deliver more at lower engine speed compared with the current 2.2-litre TDCi engine.