The new Ford Ranger has finally launched in South Africa. We headed on a two-day drive, taking the latest iteration on and off the beaten track.
Following an extensive teaser campaign, the new Ford Ranger — issue 04’s cover car — finally made its international debut at the end of 2021. However, South Africans had to wait another year for the locally-built Blue Oval bakkie to launch on our shores. Well, it’s finally here. Recently, we headed to the Karoo 1 Hotel Village in De Doorns, Touwsriver, from Cape Town to sample the latest variant, first on the beaten track before venturing on to some of the most picturesque and testing 4×4 routes. First up was the 2.0 BiT 4×4 in XLT guise (be sure to keep an eye on APEX for our launch review of the V6 variant).
Travelling from Cape Town International Airport to our De-Doorns-based destination takes about one hour and 51 minutes (according to Google Maps). It would be 160 km if you were to take the N1. However, completing the first day’s launch route took significantly longer. And appropriately so. Although the new Ford Ranger was a commendable road-trip companion on the tarmac, as a 4×4 with a low-range transfer case, it should be allowed to strut its stuff on the roads less travelled. And we do mean “roads less travelled”. The 4×4 route we ventured onto isn’t one most people would access … or may access without the necessary permission.
But first, how did the new 2.0-litre Ranger fare on the highway? In short (and as mentioned), commendably. The 154 kW/500 Nm (torque available from 1 750 to 2 000 r/min) four-cylinder diesel engine provided sufficient punch on the long road. Like its forebear, the ride quality and handling were tops, but even more so in the box-fresh variant. Are these characteristics the best in the segment? Arguably so. Look beyond the load bed; the new Ford Ranger is very SUV-like in the way it drives. Long gone are the days of a bakkie being only a workhorse (the first Amarok arguably ushered in this; watch our launch review on the new Amarok here). The Ford ferries its passengers in comfort on the long road and, when venturing off-road, proved commendably capable.
Engage low range and the rear diff lock (via a knob and button on the centre console in this variant, respectively), and, to quote Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s song, “Ain’t no mountain high enough”. But before these functions were required, we travelled along in 4H, traversing the gravel road before it was. Only two things can stop the new Ford Ranger in its stride: the driver’s capability and, arguably, the width of the bodywork (2 015 mm without and 2 208 mm including the side mirrors). The ground clearance is 236 mm. The approach, break-over and departure angles are 30, 22 and 25.6 degrees, respectively. The local launch was before the Western Cape was hit with the recent rain and floods, so we didn’t travel through water. However, owners can rest assured when they’ll have to. The new Ford Ranger has a wading depth of 800 mm. Arriving at the top of the mountain, we stopped for snacks and to enjoy the views. Getting down is a cinch, thanks to the hill descent control.
Turning our heads to the new Ford Ranger, we appreciated the design language. The exterior styling is imposing. En route, in convoy, a look in the rear-view mirror; the C-shaped daytime-running lights look great.
A look downwards to the dashboard, and you feel like you’re in a premium SUV. The cabin is solidly constructed, with several soft-touch materials and hard-wearing hard plastics present. The XLT’s fascia is dominated by a 10.1-inch portrait-orientated touchscreen infotainment system incorporating (wireless) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, relaying tunes over six speakers.
The dual-zone climate control is operated via the screen (or analogue switchgear and buttons). On the move, navigating the software was sometimes tricky (some buttons are fairly small), but fortunately, there are (as mentioned) some analogue controls. An 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster is also present.
At a glance
Ford Ranger 2.0 BiT 4×4 XLT 10AT
The previous-generation Ford Ranger was on the market for more than a decade. And, over that time, it has proved capable on any terrain. The latest model takes this to new heights, raising the bar in the bakkie segment. It’s a bakkie, yes, but considerably more of an SUV with a load bed.
- Price: R782 100
- Engine: 2.0 L, 4-cyl, turbodiesel
- Transmission: 10-spd AT
- Driven wheels: 2H, 4H, 4L
- Power: 154 kW @ 3 750 r/min
- Torque: 500 Nm @ 1 750-2 000 r/min
- 0-100 km/h: n/a
- Top speed: n/a
- Fuel consumption: 7.5 L/100 km
- CO2: 195 g/km
