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News24 Motoring reader Shafiek Mouton is a sports fanatic. His loves, besides his wife, are rugby and music. However, he has never had an inkling about cars and has only ever driven a couple of VWs and a Ford Figo... until now. His job as a rugby agent has recently exposed him to Ford's previous generation Ranger. Now, he can chat with fellow South Africans around the braai, not just about rugby but also bakkies.
I am no petrolhead, to put it mildly. My love and understanding of cars and how they work are limited to my love for Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car' and Aretha Franklin's 'Pink Cadillac'. Confused? I would be too. So, just to affirm, I would be the first to admit that I am a complete layman when it comes to automobiles. But, surely, I'm not the only one. Right?
So, this is how I am penning my thoughts, with a layman's opinion after having spent the last few weeks driving a 2022 model year Ford Ranger 2.0-litre Biturbo Wildtrak Hi-Rider. As a sports agent, I have been swamped over the last month or so. I love rugby especially, and my job requires watching many live games, networking, and concluding deals for players to get professional opportunities.
READ | This is the 2023 South African Car of the Year - and it's a bakkie!
While the recently-launched next-generation Ranger is hot on the lips of most South Africans when it comes to bakkies, especially since it has also been picked as the 2023 SA Car of the Year, the previous model is a popular choice in our local used car market.
I live in the heart of the Cape Winelands, and besides the plethora of live rugby we've had over the last few weeks, the weather gods have also provided us with cold, (very) wet and windy conditions.
At the Grant Khomo week for under-16 boys at Boland Landbou in Paarl, I saw some competitor vehicles struggling to get out of the mud after the ground had taken a battering after a few days. However, I had no such issues and found it reassuring that I didn't have to call on a few big boys to scrum the vehicle out of trouble - even as a rookie bakkie driver.
ALSO READ | Behind the line at Ford SA's Plant in Silverton - where dream bakkies are built
The Ranger is tough, big, and brawny, like a considerable ball-carrying number 7 flanker but also has the aesthetics and soft skills of an outside centre with flair. This came to the fore when I attended a function in Bishop's Court in a part of Cape Town I don't usually get to visit and because of its size and presence on the road, I felt comfortable driving wherever I needed to even in unfamiliar territory.
Earlier in July, I also attended the Craven Week for under-18 boys in George. I thoroughly enjoyed that I could travel in style and feel safe at the same time with 157kW of power and 500Nm. Although it was dark and foggy when I left Wellington at 06:00, the vehicle performed admirably in trying circumstances, and man did those heatable standard seats come in handy. Not to mention cruise control on the long open road and the fact that the vehicle also comes standard with a tyre monitoring system added peace of mind in case I had any incidents on the way.
The 80-litre tank was just about empty when I filled it up the previous evening with about R1 500's fuel. Surprisingly, when I returned to Wellington four days later, I could still take Whangie (a combined nickname I've given my wife Whitney and our young adult, Angie) for a leisurely ice-cream drive during load shedding.
Thanks to the full suite of great lighting, the trip was relatively comfortable, especially in very heavy fog, and it made me feel even safer. It has auto-on and off headlights with manual front levelling, which - in my humble opinion - is a very underrated feature for both the driver and oncoming traffic.
I had ample space for snacks and beverages, and the Ford Sync 4 infotainment system did just that – informed and entertained me. Thanks to Madams Chapman and Franklin, among others. The infotainment allowed my phone to be connected and synced very easily, which displayed text messages and allowed for phone calls without taking my eyes off the road or my hands off the steering wheel.
If I had one gripe, I would prefer a cup holder on the right side of the steering wheel which I have seen in other bakkies like the Toyota Hilux. But with that said, there are two cupholders in the middle of the two front seats, and it even allows for larger water bottles.
To say that the Wildtrak is an all-rounder in all conditions and for all occasions would be accurate. This was again proven to be the case when I played golf at the OG Molefe Foundation Invitational at De Zalze. My friends were delighted that we had enough space for our fourball to travel in, and the Wildtrak had ample room for our golf- and duffel bags.
The fact that I am now a six months sober designated driver came in handy and to my friends' delight when the "40-plusses" went on a night out after the 19th hole took a while to clear. The next day, I had fun when I had to take their bags to their homes since they became too heavy to carry when I dropped them off just after midnight (late for us these days).
From a lifestyle point of view, the bakkie took Whangie and me to church, the local grocery store, and regular trips to our parents during the last few weeks, and it was indeed a joy to drive and to be seen in.
I've been driving German cars (not those ones) over the last decade or so and must admit that when I enter the market again, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak double-cab and all it has to offer will be very high on my list of options. I've been looking around at online classifieds and a used 2022 model year can be picked up at over R600 000. Also, now that I'm in my forties, I can see the benefits of driving an automatic, as the older guys have told me for years!
Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24.
Shafiek Mouton is the founder of F7 Sports Management and has been driven courtesy of Lukas, Nodine and Lawrence at Novel Ford Paarl.
