The Ford Ranger Wildtrak X is intended to give most of the advantages of the Raptor without losing the 3.5-tonne towing or the range with the 2-litre turbo-diesel engine. Photo: Supplied.
Australians love the Ford Ranger best of all.
The proof is in the 2023 sales total, where the Ranger topped the Toyota HiLux to become Ford’s first No. 1 since the EL Falcon.
What makes the Ranger so popular is all the Australian ingredients. It might be built in Thailand, where labour is cheap, but the Ranger was designed, engineered, developed and tested in Australia.
It is, without exaggeration, the successor to the Ford Falcon. It will stay that way, too, as more and more people choose a dual-cab pick-up for their family motoring and as Ford Australia continues to develop the next-generation Ranger at the same Broadmeadows base that was once the home of the Falcon.
Development of the Ranger is not remotely finished, with a plug-in hybrid set for sale in 2024, but it’s the Ranger Wildtrak X that now occupies the sweet spot in the line-up.
It’s not as overtly off-road as the Ranger Raptor, but has all the good stuff for real-world use and the price is reasonably affordable from $75,990. To give some perspective, it can cost more than $100,000 to park a Raptor in your driveway.
The Wildtrak X is intended to give most of the advantages of the Raptor without losing the 3.5-tonne towing or the range with the 2-litre turbo-diesel engine. It picks up a wider track and more suspension, excellent Bilstein dampers and General tyres on 17-inch alloys, and some visual and practical upgrades.
The most obvious is the new grille with ”matrix” LED headlamps, but there is also B & O sound and a flexible rack system – including a moveable rear support bar – with an electric luggage cover.
The Wildtrak X takes a similar approach to models from Toyota and Nissan – with the PRO 4X – by combining the basics of the Ranger with the sort of extra equipment being added by owners.
So it’s a comprehensive package that can potentially save money and make buying easier. It definitely makes a family Christmas holiday easier, with everything from the flexible carrying systems – especially the big, adjustable roof rack – to the upgraded cabin. The change in the tail makes it harder to load bicycles without a special carrier, but the security of the electric alloy cover makes up for it.
The Wildtrak X is a great drive for a pick-up. It’s not as overtly off-road as the Raptor, but has a plush feel in all conditions and good grip on both bitumen and gravel roads. Off-roading will be a breeze. The diesel engine also makes sense for tow people, and for long drives, a strong offset against the petrol-powered punch of the Raptor.
All in all, it’s a great package that makes a lot of sense in the crowded – no, overcrowded – pick-up space, where Chinese contenders are overwhelming the bottom end and full-sized American trucks including the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra will scale the heights.
The Wildtrak X is right in the sweet spot and a sweet drive, too.
Ford Ranger Wildtrak X
- Position: Family-focused pick-up
- Price: From $75,990
- Engine: 2-litre turbo diesel
- Power: 150kW/500Nm
- Transmission: 10-speed auto, four-wheel drive
- Plus: Practical, well equipped, good drive
- Minus: Still not cheap
- THE TICK: No need now for a Raptor
- Score: 9/10.
