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• The new Ford Ranger launches in South Africa from 5 December. We drove the new vehicle, in Wildtrak 4x4 guise, earlier this year in Thailand at its international debut.
• The new Ranger will go on sale in South Africa next week, but pricing and specification will be confirmed at the local event.
• The new Ranger is kitted with an switch-on-the-fly 4x4 system and several driving modes.
• For more motoring stories, visit Wheels24
UPDATE: The all-new Ford Ranger launches locally this coming week from Monday 5 December to 8 December - just a couple of days away. We revisit our trip to Thailand when News24 Motoring drove the bakkie at its international debut. We've republished this article ahead of its launch as a reminder what to expect from the next-generation Ranger.
Before the end of 2022, Ford South Africa will launch its all-new Ranger in the country. Dubbed as one of the most advanced bakkies to have debuted in sunny SA, the bakkie is a massive improvement over the model it will replace and boasts some of the most innovative technologies fitted to one yet.
In the early stages of May 2022, we had the opportunity of driving a full production version of Ford's new Ranger in Thailand, experiencing the bakkie first-hand during the Asia Pacific regional drive. Going into the event, it was clear that Ford had gone to great lengths to improve the vehicle over the current model, and it would always prove to be a challenge as to which direction to take.
But under the direction of Ian Foston, Chief Platform Engineer to the Ranger and Everest, the team managed to produce a bakkie that builds on the lauded credentials of the current one while ringing in a more technological flair. And after getting to grips with the new bakkie in Thailand's most treacherous conditions, we surmise that potential buyers would not regret the new Ranger as a future acquisition.
In short, the next-generation Ranger does have an improved ride quality over the existing model. The current bakkie is endowed with one of the most refined driving traits of all bakkies in South Africa - even besting that of the all-new D-Max - proving that Ford has got the recipe right on how they want to position the Ranger in the market.
Ford updated the suspension and architecture with the new model and enhanced the ladder frame chassis to make the bakkie more engaging to drive. Driving long distances on Thailand's flowing tar roads, one is quickly aware of the bakkie's more direct steering. Small tugs on the steering wheel will see the bakkie change direction according to the amount of steering input, and steering weight has also been improved.
Foston and his team looked at the current Ranger with a very critical eye, ultimately opting to bring the new model's front wheels forward by 50mm. According to Ford, this has improved road holding and enhanced off-road capabilities. The rear suspension dampers have also been shifted outward for increased rear-occupant comfort.
READ: They're here - Pre-production models of Ford's new Ranger, Everest touch down in SA
But it is not just on the road where the bakkie shows improvement. The new Ranger showed a skillset that could vie for segment honours on gravel and more challenging off-road conditions. Mitsubishi's Super Select II 4x4 system on the Triton is widely regarded as one of the finest in the business, but the Ranger may have just surpassed its Japanese counterpart.
Ford's 4x4 system, albeit with a more technological touch, is easy to operate, and confirmed selections are shown clearly on the information display in front of the driver.
In addition to the switch-on-the-fly 4x4 system, drivers will now be able to select different driving modes for different driving (off-road) conditions. Ranging from Normal to Sand and Mud modes, each alters how the bakkie's powertrain reacts to driver inputs. The course set out by the Thailand team showcased the bakkie's many skills. And even with pouring rain and mounting mud, the bakkie continued to perform at an optimal level.
Has the SA model line-up been confirmed?
As it stands, Ford South Africa cannot comment on the local Ranger line-up's specification and pricing as yet, but said that the Wildtrak 4x4, available at the Thailand event, would form part of it. Only surpassed by the Raptor, the Wildtrak is the top model in the Ranger line-up, and several engines could power it.
The familiar bi-turbo 2.0-litre diesel engine, now tuned to deliver 154kW (-3kW) and 500Nm, will power the Wildtrak in 4x4 guise again. Another engine available is the new 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6. This unit offers 184kW and 600Nm. Both models are paired to Ford's familiar 10-speed automatic transmission.
Ford Thailand also offers the Wildtrak in 4x2 guise, but this model is powered by the single-turbo 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine (125kW/405Nm) and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. It is unclear if this model will form part of Ford SA's offering.
In summary
Initial impressions are positive: Ford has improved its Ranger in a big way, and it shows. From the exterior design to the internals working under the metal, the all-new Ranger is the next new flavour, and it's difficult imagining South Africans not gravitating toward it.
Though the Thailand Rangers may have a different specification list than the bakkies that will go on sale here, the driving experience could be as close as it gets to the bakkies destined for our market.
Ford South Africa confirmed that the new Ranger would go on sale in this year's fourth quarter.
