Ford points the way with the Wildtrak 4×4 pick-up.
There aren’t many pick-ups developed first and foremost to prioritise driving dynamics, but this is one of them. So what’s it like? Well, really, it depends upon your expectations. Does it ride and handle like a Discovery? Well of course it doesn’t. A Discovery isn’t built to take a 1.3-tonne payload. But does it set new standards here for the pick-up segment? Very definitely yes; more agile, stable, precise and comfortable than any vehicle of its kind we’ve seen to date.
Under the bonnet, the top of the range Ranger Wildtrak we’re looking at here is sold with the purpose-designed 3.2-litre five-cylinder TDCi diesel with 198bhp on tap. It’s a torquey unit with 3,500kg of pulling power on offer making towing effortless.
Taller, bigger, wider and able to carry more cargo, this Ranger pick-up really has gone large. The styling has been revamped to move it away from the old squared-off bluff look, not just to make the car look less imposing despite its increased dimensions, but also to give it a more aerodynamic profile. The rear cargo platform is all business of course, capable of carrying everything from bricks, sand and cement mixers for commercial users, to surfboards and off-road motorbikes for leisure-using thrill seekers.
Such lifestyle users will expect comfort as well as utility – and the improved cabin should deliver, with increased equipment and higher quality as well as extra passenger space. There’s clever suspension that automatically adjusts to ensure a decent ride, even when coping with an unevenly distributed load. Plus safety technology that prevents towed trailers from weaving. The result, Ford hopes, is a more interesting pick-up option for those who need passenger comfort, rugged off-road practicality and huge carrying capacity.
The Ranger Wildtrak model comes extremely well-equipped. A large style full-colour multi-function display and standard full-colour satellite navigation, rear-view mirror display reverse camera, “Ice Blue” ambient interior lighting with dimming control and 18-inch alloy wheels all come as part of the package. Then there is the painted steel step bumper, aluminium-effect roof rails, aerodynamic sports bar and leather wrapped steering wheel with Wildtrak stitching to take into consideration. Options include an integrated tow bar with the stepped steel bumper and an integrated lockable roll cover.
And running costs? Well Ford has tried hard to bring these down to manageable levels with liberal use of their ECOnetic technology. This includes smart regenerative charging for the battery, low rolling resistance tyres, the most aerodynamic shape in the class and, most significantly, an Auto-Start-Stop system that cuts the engine when you don’t need it, stuck in heavy traffic or waiting at the lights, reducing fuel usage by up to 10%. The result of all of this are combined cycle fuel figures that for manual models see the 3.2 TDCi featured in the Ranger Wildtrak manage 29.7mpg and 249g/km. A gearshift indicator on the dash will help owners get somewhere near those kinds of figures on a day-to-day basis.
Facts and figures
Model: Ford Ranger Wildtrak pick-up
Price: From £24,595
Engine: 3.2-litre diesel
Performance: 198bhp and 3,500kg of pulling power
Economy: 29.7mpg
CO2 rating: 249g/km