BY BEN SELBY
Go anywhere in Canterbury and you will see a Ford Ranger within the first five minutes. No one can deny the popularity of Ford’s big selling ute, and things are looking very much the same for the latest Ranger to hit our roads.
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he 2022 Ranger does have a more American stance, with its new LED C-clamp headlights and its 50mm larger wheelbase and width. The wider track also allows tradies to store a standard wooden pallet in the rear. Buyers can option a 2.0L single turbo or bi-turbo four cylinder but my test car, the range topping Wildtrak, supplied by Avon City Ford, gets the eagerly awaited 3.0L V6 turbo diesel. Mated to a 10-speed automatic box, it is essentially the same unit Ford US put in the iconic F-150 pickup. It is also a very refined unit at that. When hoofing it along, it gives a seamless delivery of power and torque from low in the rev range. It doesn’t come in one big lump, but is evenly spread throughout.
The Wildtrak gets multiple 4WD drive modes such as 2H, 4H, and 4L. The newest is 4A or automatic which evenly distributes power between the front and rear axles to get the best performance possible in all road conditions. It’s a clever system and allows the new Ranger to munch up the rough stuff quite well. Inside, the Ranger has been given an overhaul, with a new and very intuitive 12-inch LED touchscreen infotainment system taking centre stage, literally. This screen displays all your usual tech, but also sports a dedicated off-road screen which displays the pitch, steering and roll angle and a 360-camera giving the driver a panoramic view of the rough terrain. My time with the Ranger was brief but one can safely say there is much to like here.
metropol drive
WILD FOR THE 2022 RANGER FACT FILE 2022 FORD RANGER WILDTRAK V6
PRICE: $80,490 plus ORC plus C02 Emission Fee ENGINE: 3.0L V6 Turbo-Diesel TRANSMISSION: 10-speed automatic POWER: 184kW TORQUE: 600Nm DRIVETRAIN: Full-time 4WD TOWING CAPACITY: 3500kg WHEELS: 18-inch alloy
Metropol July 21, 2022 73
