Kumbi-M on Cars

Quick Facts:

• Price: From R618 900
  
• Engine: 2.0 Single Turbo diesel engine
• Transmission: 10-speed Auto
• Power/Torque: 132kW / 420Nm

The Ford Ranger is a nameplate that has cemented itself in our hearts and garages for a very long time now. Through its tenure, the current generation has now given us multiple variants which have been loved and well received by customers.

December 2020 saw the launch of the XL Sport, a variant that was well put together and performed even better, now in February 2021, Ford South Africa has decided to bring the Ranger FX4 to our shores, while the Ranger FX4 had been offered in other markets it has now officially been brought to us. 

What does it look like? 

As with any Ford Ranger, the FX4 has kept most of its DNA as the rest of the range and shares most of its characteristics with the XLT. Upfront, a black mesh grille which looks like the grille on the Ranger Thunder, LED daytime running lights, along with the LED headlamps, 18-inch multi-spoke black alloy wheels, a black extended sports bar, FX4 decals on the side of the doors as well as a 3D printed badge at the rear.

Inside has been well put together too, soft-touch materials throughout, red stitching on the dashboard, FX4 logos on the headrest which gives the seats a beautiful pattern. SYNC®3 with an eight-inch touch-screen colour display takes care of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay while there are two USB ports as well as Bluetooth.

Drive? Well, any Ford Ranger is well and truly capable, I was not expecting the Ranger FX4 to not perform, I was truly impressed with the XL Sport when we tackled Limpopo and Mpumalanga on the road less travelled last year and this Ranger FX4 has come and impressed me even further. Tackling the eastern cape wild coast with a breeze, offered in 4x2 or 4x4 modes, everything comes to play without slacking. The tar? It eats that up, bumpy roads? It eats that as a snack, sloppy and muddy terrains? Even better. I think Ford has engineered a perfect bakkie that can be taken anywhere and anyone can live with it comfortably on a day to day basis. The 10-speed automatic gearbox works wonders too, I have advocated for this gearbox since the day it was introduced while I might have gotten some slack for it, it’s incredibly efficient, I saw myself averaging 8.0l/100km after the different driving’s we did.

So what do I think?

Ford is on top of their game and always trying to give customers products that make sense, products that will be loved by consumers and the Ranger FX4 is just that. I see this Bakkie doing incredibly well, it looks good and performs even greater.

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