REVIEW | Ford Wildtrak mixes off-road grit with long distance cushiness

I didn’t think there was necessarily a gap in the already extensive Ranger double cab line-up, but the marketing boffins at Ford have proven me wrong.

The new Wildtrak X, which recently arrived at our offices for a long-term test, has quickly become one of my favourite double cabs for its styling, cushy ride and adventuring ability.

It is based on the popular Ranger Wildtrak 2.0 BiTurbo 4x4 but the “X” factor is provided by increased versatility, a more muscular character and a range of accessories. The vehicle flexes visual muscles with tracks widened by 30mm and an additional 26mm of ground clearance compared with the standard model, making it more suited to challenging trails.

Off-road enthusiasts will also appreciate the chunky 265/70 R17 General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres, and specially tuned Bilstein position-sensitive dampers to provide sure-footed performance across a variety of terrains. The Bilsteins allow for less damping control over small road inputs for floating over rough surfaces, and more damping control at the ends of travel for soaking up large bumps.

At R1,013,000 the new Wildtrak X is the latest offering in South Africa's growing R1m-plus bakkie market and the price comes with fully loaded luxury.

The Wildtrak X really pops with its extrovert styling. The cosmetic upgrades include an off-road grille and integrated auxiliary driving lights, bash plate, and asphalt-black and cyber-orange accents.

The special décor continues inside the cabin with accented leather/suede seats, “Wildtrak X” embroidery and cyber-orange contrast stitching. It’s a playful but smart look, without being garish.

The test vehicle has the optional Flexible Rack System, comprising a sliding load rack with five lockable positions that can be handy for lugging surfboards or bicycles. We didn’t have either of those toys on board when embarking on our first long-distance trip in the vehicle, from Jozi to the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast before the December rush started.

We did appreciate the optional electrically operated roller shutter, which kept our luggage secure and dry in the load bay, and conveniently glides open at the press of the key fob.

The Wildtrak X doesn’t have quite the sporty grunt of the 184kW/600Nm 3.0l V6 Ranger, but with outputs of 154kW and 500Nm the 2.0l four-cylinder turbo diesel engine — inherited from the last-generation Raptor — delivers all the performance you really need.

In Joburg’s high altitude the turbo lag is noticeable in stop-start urban driving, but it was an effortless cruiser along the N3 freeway which, despite being peppered with speed traps and expensive toll gates, had unusually light traffic and was a pleasure to drive.

In open-road driving the big Ford is a spirited and smooth performer, with easy overtaking prowess. The power is seamlessly processed by the 10-speed automatic gearbox and I never felt the need to manually shift gears. It’s an impressively refined bakkie with good sound-damping and the diesel engine doesn’t sound too agricultural.

On the 700km trip we divided our time between enjoying the driving silence and cranking up the high-end sound system with its 10 B&O speakers. Wirelessly pairing my phone’s Android Auto was uncomplicated, unlike the intermittent connection I experienced in a Ford Everest we recently tested. The giant infotainment screen has large, easy-to-select icons and there are charging ports in the front and rear seats.

The Ranger comfortably accommodates adults in the front and rear seats, with plenty of legroom and comfortably angled backrests.

Besides enhancing off-road ability, the benefit of those high-profile tyres and Bilstein dampers is apparent on the tar too. The ride quality is cushy for a bakkie and it wafts over bumps with impressive comfort.

Regular readers will be familiar with our disdain for adventure vehicles (both SUVs and bakkies) that wear impractical low-profile tyres, so this Ford’s thick takkies make us feel warm and fuzzy. With them on you can safely drive over many potholes instead of having to swerve around them, which takes a lot of stress out of driving.

With the Ranger’s yielding ride and comfortable seats, the 700km trip passed without any numb-bum syndrome or other body aches.

When we got to the coast, the turbo lag was less noticeable in the thick sea-level air and the Ford felt more peppy in the urban ramble. The Wildtrak X is economical for a heavy bakkie, averaging 10.1l/100km on the trip down to KwaZulu-Natal and 10.6l/100km on the uphill drive back.

Its high stance provides a commanding view but the big, widened Ranger requires care to squeeze into parking bays. The parking camera and proximity sensors come in handy. The suite of driver assistance systems includes adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning, but I found the lane-keeping assist oversensitive and usually switched it off.

The Wildtrak X’s on-demand four-wheel drive system offers four modes — 4A (automatic), 2H, 4H and 4L — which drivers can adapt to various road and off-road conditions.

The Wildtrak X also has Ford’s Trail Turn Assist system which reduces the turning radius in slow-speed, off-road driving. Putting those off-road abilities to the test will be the subject of a future adventure.