Ford Ranger raises the stakes

The new range boasts the most comprehensive model line-up on the market and it is aimed at specific targets with a Base and XL level for business and fleet operators, an XL Plus for heavy duty work and a luxurious and feature-rich flagship Wildtrak for the leisure and pleasure segment.

The seriously upgraded Blue Oval fleet is much to extensive to discuss in detail here so my focus is on the range-topping Wildtrak in which I spent most of my time during the local media launch. Our drive included whizzing along motorways and along country roads, some town and city driving as well as an exciting rock-rabbit clamber and crawl in drizzling rain up and down a steep, rocky, narrow and badly-eroded mountain trail somewhere between Ceres and the N1.

Motor manufacturers and their advertising-, marketing- and image-building armies are masters of flowery praise-singing when it comes to glorifying their vehicles but for once I am in full agreement with the Ford badge-wearers when they say the Ranger sets "entirely new benchmarks for luxury, comfort, safety and convenience". To that I would also add the outstanding ride quality and striking looks of its top dog Wildtrak, in particular.

Although never having been a dedicated member of the Bakkie Brotherhood, I quickly took to the Wildtrak's bold stanch and stand out features such as unique (and, perhaps to some, rather loud) colour options, 18-inch alloy wheels, titanium grille and black door- and tailgate handles.

The smart and sophisticated look carries through to the interior too, which features an eight-way power adjustable driver's seat, eye-catching partial leather seat trim and ambient lighting with seven colour options.

Advanced driver aids include front and rear Park Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Alert and heads-up display, Lane Keeping Aid with Lane Departure Warning, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and 230v power inverter.

But to me the best parts of the Wildtrak are the out of sight bits - in particular the willing and muscular 3.2 TDCi engine, linked to a well-matched 6-speed automatic transmission in the 4x4 model.

This versatile combination works as smoothly as Irish coffee, whether cruising on the highway, crawling along in heavy, slow-moving traffic or being shown the whip on snaking, traffic-less country roads.

This big Ford certainly produces a ride that is better than a great many passenger cars, with no hint of a bakkie-typical bouncy rear end, body lean, loose tail-end (when unloaded) and vague steering. Even at fair lick the Wildtrack feels confident around corners and its stopping power is outstanding (as it is on the newly-launched Ford Everest I piloted on the recent media launch).

The creamy quality of the Wildtrak's ride is enriched by the excellent cabin insulation which spares the occupants of the living quarters from intrusive engine-, traffic-, wind and exhaust- noises. Its large, fully-adjustable seats stir memories of comfortable, well-worn Gentleman's Club chairs, and the high-riding driving position makes for excellent all round views.

But comfort aside, the Wildtrak's muscular character really bulges when tasked to convert into a sure-footed mountaineer, whether you point its large bonnet up towards the mountain peaks or down to the valleys far below. For this wagon's mountaineering skills to be at their best all the driver has to do is to press the four-wheel Low drive button and to click on the diff-lock setting.

Ford Ranger Rover sales have been impressive in recent times and the injection of the latest fleet of 33 is going to add considerably more lift-off to the brand's escalating sales graph.

The prices of the Ford Ranger varies from R168 333 for the base model Chassis Cab to R523 598 6 for the 3.2 TDCI Wildtrak Auto.