As product launches go, they don’t get much bigger than the new Ford Ranger.

Manufactured in five countries and sold in more than 180 markets globally, the ‘pickup’, or ute as we Aussie prefer to call them, is one of Ford’s most important products globally. And it has been designed and engineered right here in Australia.  

Among a host of styling, feature and technical upgrades, the new Ford Ranger features an upgraded chassis and suspension, including a 50mm wheelbase stretch and a 50mm wider track. The latter has enabled an increase in the width of the tray, which now accommodates a Euro pallet.

Design cues to differentiate the new model from its predecessor include new front and rear facias, a new ‘C-Clamp’ headlamp design, and a bluff front-end that gives the ute a more imposing appearance.

Other Wildtrak-specific design elements include a bespoke grille design, rear sports bar with tie-down rails, roof rails, 18-inch alloy wheels and a powered roller shutter for the tray.

For a workhorse, the new Ranger is very well-detailed and appointed, with features like ambient lighting, pop-out cup holders, a twin glovebox, dual-zone climate control, eight-way power-adjusted front seats with heating, leather accents and orange stitch-detailing.  

It’s also surprisingly sophisticated, with standard features like smart key entry and push-button start, electronic parking brake, an e-shifter gear-change and new-generation SYNC 4A communication and entertainment system.

The latter is accessed via a Wildtrak-specific 12-inch colour touchscreen with a dedicated off-road screen, embedded sat-nav and voice assistant, and wireless phone charging.

Elsewhere, there are loads of neat design features such as zone lighting for working around the vehicle at night, modular tray storage solutions, ample tie-down and rack mounting points, and a ruler and clamp pockets integrated into the tailgate for when using the tailgate as a workbench.

The new rear access step, built into either side of the load box, is a clever and useful addition.

The Wildtrak’s integrated trailer brake controller also negates the need for owners to fit aftermarket trailer brakes.

Safety upgrades include four-wheel disc brakes, nine airbags, AEB with cyclist detection and intersection assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, intelligent traffic sign recognition, and rear cross-traffic alert with reverse brake assist, evasive steer assist, road edge detection, post-impact braking and a split-screen 360-degree camera.

But what’s under the hood has ute buyers most excited.

Carryover engines include single and bi-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder options, with the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 available in XLT, Sport and Wildtrak dual cab 4x4 models.

The V6 is an existing Ford unit but heavily re-engineered for this application and boasts outputs of 184kW/600Nm.

Smooth, responsive and impressively refined, the bent six has plenty of power underfoot and combines sweetly with the standard 10-speed auto.

Nail the throttle and it really pins back its ears, but even when driven with a light touch, the V6 has ample power and should comfortably handle the 3500kg braked towing capacity. 

With three engines, two transmissions, three body styles and two and four-wheel drive models, Ford claims to have a Ranger for practically every use in its 21-strong model range.

Pricing starts with the two-wheel drive single-cab Ranger XL with 2.0-litre single turbo-diesel and six-speed auto, from $35,930 (MRLP) and tops out with the Wildtrak dual cab 4x4, with V6 turbo-diesel and 10-speed auto, at an eye-watering $70,190.

The Wildtrak can also be had with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo for a $3000 saving, but Ford initially expects most demand to be for the V6.

Key stats

• PRICE: $70,190 (MRLP)
• ENGINE: 3.0L V6 turbo-diesel engine (184 kW@3,250rpm/600Nm from 1,750-2,250rpm)
• ANCAP CRASH RATING: Not yet rated
• FUEL CONSUMPTION (combined cycle, litres/100km): 8.4L/100km (222g/km/km)
• FOR: Attractive design, smooth and strong V6 engine performance, many clever and practical utility features, connectivity, rear disc brakes.
• AGAINST: Price, vagueness of e-shifter transmission selector, tacho difficult to see in digital instrument cluster, firm unladen ride. 

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