Limited-edition ute heading our way

Ford New Zealand has revealed the limited-edition Ranger Platinum will hit the New Zealand market from May 2023.

The model offers a number of special styling and premium features above other Ranger units, including being powered by the marque’s three-litre V6 turbo diesel engine.

On the exterior there are extra touches such as 20-inch alloys, Matrix LED headlamps and a bespoke grille, while on the inside motorists will find heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel and a 12.4-inch instrument cluster.

Simon Rutherford, managing director of Ford NZ, says: “Ford listened hard to our customers throughout the design and development of the next-generation Ranger and in doing so we’ve set a new bar for the segment.

“We’ve seen growth in high-end variants in this segment over recent years, so we challenged ourselves to create a vehicle that provides all of our customers’ wants and needs.”

The engine in the Ranger Platinum produces 184kW and 600Nm of torque, with power delivered through an electronically controlled full-time four-wheel drive system that combines with Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission.

It boasts a maximum braked towing weight of 3,500kg, the same as the whole Ranger line-up.

Another key feature is the addition of Ford’s flexible rack system, which consists of folding roof racks and a first-to-market patent-pending sliding load rack.

The roof racks feature crossbars that can go across the roof when needed, can be adjusted to two different lengths and stored away in the roof rails when not being used. 

Meanwhile, the sliding load rack can be operated by one person and locks into five different positions along the length of the load box.

The Ranger Platinum has a recommended retail price of $84,490.