Ranger gains wild edge

Ford New Zealand’s Ranger line-up will soon be expanding with a new off-road-focused Wildtrak X due to arrive in showrooms in the second half of the year.

The limited-edition ute is pitched as bridging the gap between the Ranger Raptor and the Wildtrak, and comes with a recommended retail price of $80,990

Simon Rutherford, managing director of Ford NZ, says: “We know customers love the versatility their Ranger offers them. Wildtrak X really captures their desire for exploration, with new hardware and features so they can head across the country or go further off-road than ever before.”

Core wheel and suspension improvements have been made for the Wildtrak X and on-road cornering is enhanced with Bilstein position-sensitive dampers.

The model will be the first Ranger 2.0L bi-turbo diesel variant to feature the full-time four-wheel-drive system and it retains the same 3500kg towing capacity as the standard Ranger Wildtrak.

The engine is mated exclusively to a 10-speed automatic transmission and delivers outputs of 150kW/500Nm. 

General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres are fitted as standard on new 17-inch alloy wheels and the vehicle has a 30mm wider track width front and rear, and an additional 26mm of ground clearance when compared to the existing Wildtrak.

To assist drivers heading off-road, the Wildtrak X has a “trail turn assist” feature to make negotiating tight bends on narrow tracks easier and “trail control” to help maintain a constant low-speed. 

Other features of the model include Ford’s flexible rack system, a new off-road grille design with LED headlamps, a steel bash plate and cast aluminium side steps. 

Inside, it boasts new leather-accented seats with Miko suede, all-weather front and rear floor mats, a B&O Sound premium audio system, and a 12.4-inch digital cluster.

The Wildtrak X will also be the first Ranger variant to meet the Light Duty Truck EU Stage 6 emissions level and will require the use of AdBlue.