Motoring Launches

Proudly South African Ranger ready for the World

April 23, 2019

April 23, 2019

The saying that goes don’t fix it if it ain’t broken, this seems to be what Ford is doing when it comes to the Ranger. Since the unveiling of the modern day Ranger back in 2010, Ford has been playing it safe trying not to make any radical changes to the design that has obviously worked to date.

Before the big transition of 2010, the Ranger was just another boring workhorse, no frills, just four wheels and a steering wheel. No fashionista, the slayers and It girls would have given it a thought.

Like fashion designers, car manufacturers also go through epic design fails and successes but what separates winners from losers is often perseverance that one day they’d get it right.

Just a week ago Ford South Africa launched to the new Ford Ranger. Was it really new, an acquaintance asked. Well, it is new in that a few design elements have been added to the car but the structure/shape remains the same. The Ranger is probably one of the most incredible car stories around. Before 2010, most of you wouldn’t even look twice at the Ford Ranger, it was not fashionable to do so. Back to the launch in George just a week ago, it is clear that not only has the Ranger matured with time but it has also rewritten its history within the South African and global bakkie segment. This is a segment where the Toyota Hilux rules but it must be said that the Japanese have taken notice and pulled up their socks as it became clear about three years ago(before the new Hilux was launched) that the blue oval was posing a serious threat to the king of the bakkies.

Ford has added to the Ranger engine line-up, the new 2.0 Bi-Turbo to support the 3.2 TDCi and 2.2 TDCi engines that have already been tried and tested. On launch was the XLT and Wildtrak specs. The Wildtrak is a favourite amongst Ranger buyers. It is worth noting that at least eighteen percent of Ranger buyers are women, something its competitors have not achieved.

Driving both on and off-road, the Ranger has proven why it was some sort of a darling. On road, the Ranger, has showcased absolute car like manners, tackling corners without much body roll.

Driving the trail through Outeniqua mountain range, it is clear that so much has gone into improving the Ranger’s off-road capabilities. Through the rough mountainous terrain the Ranger did not blink as it went through every obstacle like a crocodile swimming through the Zambezi river.

There are also some new innovative features added to the new car such as Progress Range Select(PRS) and Select Shift Transmission (SST). For those who like towing, this function can be especially to them, as it is able to lock out selected gears from automatic shifting range. That is not all, it also helps when driving in slippery conditions and climbing steeps.

Here’s to the son of the soil born in Silverton into the world. Ford SA exports the Ranger to 149 countries around the world.