150928 Ford Ranger Wildtrak 03
150928 Ford Ranger Wildtrak 06
150928 Ford Ranger Wildtrak 07
150928 Ford Ranger Wildtrak 16
150928 Ford Ranger Wildtrak 02
Geoff Middleton13 Oct 2015
REVIEW

Ford Ranger Wildtrak 2015 Review

With new offerings from the Japanese manufacturers just launched, the Ranger got an update to keep up, but did it?
Review Type
Road Test

In the super-competitive utes-with-bling market, Ford’s Ranger Wildtrak offers a heap of kit and class-leading safety features. It also has a grunty 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel which is one pot and one litre above the lower-level Rangers, and this puts it at the pointy end of the market when it comes to load-hauling, cruising and towing ability.

We drove out to Ford’s head office to pick up the Wildtrak in a mid-spec Ranger XLS which isn’t a bad ute. A bit sparse inside perhaps and a bit harsh in the suspension department in its unladen state, but not bad in the current market.

Then we jumped into the Wildtrak and got an entirely different feeling . The Wildtrak has a far more modern and sophisticated feel to it – more bling – and a different ride.

We couldn’t figure out whether it was the weight of the accessories on the Wildtrak, the wheel/tyre combination, or whether it actually has a more refined suspension system. But either way it rides better than most other four-wheel drive utes we’ve been in.

The Wildtrak get upgraded seats which, although somewhat garish, are comfortable and supportive. The steering wheel is tilt adjustable so it’s easy to get comfortable.

The rear seats offer pretty good comfort as well. There’s plenty of legroom and the seat-back isn’t bolt upright which is an inherent problem in many a dual-cab ute.

Electronic wizardry abounds in the Wildtrak with the central 8.0-inch screen the focus. The screen is divided in to four modes: entertainment, navigation, telephony and climate control.

The screen also displays the reversing camera and the Wildtrak is equipped with adaptive cruise control with forward collision alert, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and a driver impairment monitor as well as Ford’s SYNC 2 system.

The SYNC 2 system offers a wide array of voice commands and in XLT and Wildtrak is paired with new TFT instrumentation. Lower grades get by with SYNC 1 and a smaller 4.2-inch display plus more basic instrumentation.

Even without any tuition, we found the whole system easy to use and quite intuitive. Pairing the telephone was a cinch and even though I couldn’t quite get it done in one phase of a red light (the system shuts down if the vehicle is moving) a couple of minutes at the side of the road had me paired up and rolling again without fuss.

The new Rangers are fitted with electric power steering which is light and easy at low speeds and gives a bit more feel as speed increases. It’s mated to the lane-keeping assist which will gently remind you if you’re wandering out of your lane. It’s not overly intrusive but you certainly know it’s there.

The Forward Collision Alert manifests itself through a set of red lights which light up on a heads-up display; and if you get too close the car in front the system activates the lights and pre-loads your brakes for more effective braking when do decide you’re too close.

You also get adaptive cruise control that slows down with the traffic and takes you back to cruise speed when it clears, or you can set the adjustable speed limiter so you don’t go over the speed limit.

As mentioned, the Wildtrak is powered by a 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that puts out a claimed 147kW at 3000rpm and 490Nm from 1750-2500rpm.

Our test vehicle was fitted with the six-speed automatic gearbox and traditional two-speed transfer case. High range is a direct 1:1 ratio and low is a very useful 2.717:1, but more on that later.

On the road, the Ranger Wildtrak is very comfortable for a ute. The ride is comparatively smooth and the power delivery more than ample for around-town driving and highway cruising. Handling is surprisingly good too. The electric steering has some built-in ‘feel’ and the ute grips the road well and doesn’t have that customary wallow into corners you generally get from 4WD utes.

Vision from the driver’s perch is great. Special mention must be made here for the rear-mirrors which are particularly good. Night vision is good too with the lights offering a good spread and reasonable range.

Ford quotes a fuel economy figure of 9.0L/100km for the Wildtrak and they’re not very shy of the mark. Our real-world figures of combined driving returned near-as-dammit to 10.0L/100km with the best, a mostly-freeway run of 50kms from my home to work of 7.7L/100km – not bad for a 2271kg 'truck'.

Off road, the Wildtrak is a good thing. Switching from 2WD to 4WD is via a knob on the console and you can shift from two-high to four-high on the move. Stop and engage low range and you can also engage a rear diff lock which is a great boost for climbing, rock hopping or sand driving.

Over dirt roads, the suspension soaks up the bumps as well as can be expected and in 4H, the ute handles well without any glaring vices that we could find.

Over the rough stuff, it showed real poise and with that afore-mentioned low range of over 2.7:1, it can just about climb a wall. We found good wheel articulation – especially at the rear with the old leaf springs and the approach and departure angles of 29 and 21 degrees respectively are good for a ute. The ramp-over however, was compromised by the side steps which come standard on this specification.

Wading depth is quoted at 800mm but with the intake system sucking air from high up between the inner and outer guards on the right-hand side, and the alternator mounted nice and high in the engine bay, I’d suggest that this is conservative. Yes folks, this is a real four-wheel drive!

While the Wildtrak is full of technology and bling, it still has its practical side. The truck comes standard with a towbar and it’s rated to tow up to 3500kg (whether owners would do that or not is a moot point but that’s what the manufacturer says). It also comes with a tray liner that features a handy 12V socket so you can plug you fridge straight in. The only drawback here is that the liner reduces the tie-down points.

Then there’s the lockable roller cover over the tray which, when combined with the lockable tailgate will keep all your camping gear or tools safe from the bad guys.

Some of the addenda is probably not as practical. The ‘roll bar’ is not much chop and not even much use as a tie-down point. We’ve already mentioned the side steps which are pretty but not much use except for kids and my mum who’s 82.

And If I had one of these trucks I’d probably have a spare set of wheels and tyres more suited to the bush so I could store the nice shiny ones when heading off road and then swap them back when I came home.

Overall I liked the Wildtrak. It is a comfortable car for urban use and is full of the latest in electronics and safety gear.

It’s good looking and you wouldn’t be too embarrassed rolling up to the valet at a posh hotel in one.

But more than that, it’s still built for off-road applications and still offers practical touches. You wouldn’t need to do too much to one of these vehicles before heading off on the Big

Trip, and in its standard form it’d be great for weekend excursions with the family camping or some mates fishing.

On-road it’s comfortable, off-road it’s a weapon, and it’ll happily tow the boat or caravan. Winner, Ford.

2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak pricing and specifications:
Price: $60,090 (test car with optional paint +$500)
Engines: 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel
Outputs: 147kW/490Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.0 litres/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2:  236g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five Star

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Written byGeoff Middleton
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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
83/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
17/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
16/20
Safety & Technology
18/20
Behind The Wheel
16/20
X-Factor
16/20
Pros
  • Car-like electronics and safety
  • Power and economy equation
  • Purpose-built four-wheel drive vehicle
Cons
  • Not enough tie-downs in the tray
  • Needs more under-body protection
  • It
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