Review: Ford Ranger Wildtrak – All The Truck You Want And Need!

Want a truck that seemingly has it all? Look no further past the Ford Ranger Wildtrak!

All The Truck I Want And Need? Really?

Yes, certainly. Those seeking for a pick-up truck that can easily blend in the urban setting as it does in the rough will find little else comes close to eclipsing this range-topping iteration of the latest-generation Ford Ranger, and there are several very good reasons why.

If we were to pick one though, then it’ll be how Ford perfectly packaged this pick-up truck with just the right amount of style and equal substance to match. Evidently, it’s the latter that really makes this Ranger truly unmatched by any of its Japanese-made rivals.

The only catch? Price, but perhaps this is justified to a degree. We’ll have more on this in a bit, but first, here are our reasons why this iteration of the latest-generation Ranger is worth a serious look…

LED taillights design are specific to the Wildtrak, as are the 'boulder grey'-finished bumper and
18-inch alloy wheels.

It Does Look Very Good…

Agreed, more so when compared with the slightly lesser XLT Plus variant we sampled prior. One key change is the switch from chrome to a darker ‘boulder grey’ hue finish for the grille, bumper, fender garnish, badges, and the 18-inch alloy wheels. Altogether, it all offsets well over our tester’s Sedona Orange hue.

'Boulder Grey' is also used to finish off other accents like the grille insert, badges, bumper, and
side-mirror caps.

C-shaped LED DRL is a signature of the Next Generation Ranger, but the Wildtrak packs first-in-segment matrix LED lighting to boot.

Present too are much of the current-gen Ranger’s signature design touches, namely its overtly muscular and squared design, and the distinct C-shaped LED DRLs that’s matched with Wildtrak-specific LED taillights, the former masking the class-leading matrix LED lighting suite primed too.

L-R: Cleverly integrated side-step boxes in the rear bumper and 'sportier' low-profile sportbar are just a few touches avid truck fans can appreciate.

Surely, the relatively low-profile and somewhat sportier sportbar primed in the flatbed is another touch avid lifestyle truckers can appreciate, as are the cleverly integrated rear bumper side-step boxes. Overall, it’s plain to see that this Ranger won’t look out place in either the concrete jungle or an actual one.

On board, the Ranger Wildtrak packs plenty of luxuries and tech that's more akin to any premium crossover SUV on sale today.

And Inside?

The news is equally good once we climbed aboard into the Ranger Wildtrak’s cabin. Like its exterior, is equally well-styled, much of this driven by the higher luxuries and tech it incorporates. In fact, a lot of both are traits more commonly found in posh crossover SUVs than a utilitarian pick-up truck.

All seats are upholstered in plush leather and feature sporty orange-hued pipe-stitching motif. Front seats also boast Wildtrak script embossed into the backrests.

The plush ambience here is exuded by the adoption of soft leather upholstery complete with orange-hued contrast pipe-stitching in the seats, steering wheel, and dash. These are also matched with a bevy of soft-touch materials in key touchpoints too – again, things more commonly expected in posh crossovers.

Both the 8-inch (left) and 12-inch displays offer high levels of interactivity and functions, the latter doubling up as a touchscreen with both wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity even.

Then comes the bevy of tech which, typical of Ford, are high in count and performance. You need not look past both the 8-inch digital instrument display and larger 12-inch centre infotainment touchscreen units to tell this, the latter bolstered by its offer of wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity too.

Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) with auto-hold function is yet another addition unique to the Wildtrak in the Ranger line-up.

Also, unlike the XLT Plus, the Wildtrak even comes prime with a nifty electronic parking brake (EPB) suite that both de-clutters the centre stack and adds greater driving convenience, the latter thanks to the addition of auto brake-hold (ABH) function.

Both USB-A and USB-C charging ports are present in the front dash and rear centre stack, the former bolstered with a wireless charging pad too.

Keeping comfort levels high is the presence of an automatic dual-zone climate control unit with dedicated rear vents.

Boosting comforts further is the presence of a dual-zone automatic climate control suite with rear vents. Also, both USB-A and USB-C charge ports are present in both the front and rear, the former bolstered further with a wireless charging pad, and the latter by a nifty three-pin socket. All in, charging or powering-up any device on-the-go on board in a cinch with the Ranger Wildtrak.

USB-A and USB-C charge ports are present for rear passengers too, as is a three-pin socket. The latter is also present in the flatbed alongside a 12-volt socket.

While overall space is equally abundant, our only gripe here lie in angle of the rear seat bench’s backrest – one inescapable niggle with any pick-up truck stemming from boxed-design of the cab. Otherwise, there’s really little else to gripe about, and the news gets better once we got going…

On the pavement, little else comes close to matching the Ranger Wildtrak in terms of refined comforts and easy drivability.

What’s It Like To Drive?

The short version to this is that it’s similar to the XLT Plus variant we drove prior, which is good news indeed given just how well-balanced and friendly said variant felt at the wheel. The same applies in this range-topping Wildtrak, which arguably felt a lot better as it’s boosted by the on board luxuries detailed.

What truly makes the difference here are the high levels of damping, the ultra-light power-steering setup, not forgetting the cabin’s unrivalled noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) suppression levels. As far as trucks go, this is perhaps the one that feels the most refined and most comfortable on-road at least.

That says a lot indeed despite the fact this Ranger still conforms to the traditional pick-up formula of riding on a ladder-frame chassis with rear leaf-springs. The latter is generally what stymies on-road comforts in most 4x4 pick-ups and SUVs, meaning you still need to live with a degree of bumpiness in this Ranger.

2.0-litre bi-turbo 4-cyl diesel may sound small, but its 210 PS and 500 NM outputs sees it punching above its weight well.

Nevertheless, comforts levels remains high overall, and this is also one truck that’s equally versatile in performance. Though the mill’s 2.0-litre displacement may not sound beefy, its 210 PS and 500 NM outputs – the same as the XLT Plus – felt more than sufficient to do just about anything.

Some argue the 10-speed automatic box has perhaps three too many cogs, but it undeniably plays a huge role at refining the delivery of the Ranger Wildtrak's pep.

Perhaps the 10-speed box somewhat dulls the delivery of said pep a little. And though it also sounds like three cogs too many, Ford has tailored both the transmission and mill well enough to make it feel as if it has endless pulling power from the low-end, and at the same time, not puffless in the higher rev ranges.

Certainly, if you liked how the XLT Plus drove, then this Wildtrak will certainly impress prospects better, more so given the added ease of which granted by the active driver assist tech (ADAS) Ford laced it with.

The Ranger Wildtrak comes fully brimmed with a bevy of active driver assist (ADAS), one of which being Lane-Departure Warning (LDW) and -Keeping Assist (LKAS) pictured.

Tell Me More About These Active Driver Assists

Like the on-board luxuries and tech we noted earlier, this is also perhaps another front where the Ranger truly stands more akin to a posh crossover SUV than utilitarian truck. Ford left nothing to chance here by equipping the Ranger in this guise will the full works to enable Level 2 semi-autonomous driving, in fact.

Present too is an Active Cruise Control (ACC) suite that features Stop-and-Go function too.

Highlights include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with stop-go function, lane-departure warning and -keeping assists (LDW and LKAS), Blind-Spot Detection System (BLIS), High Beam Assists (HBA), Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA), as well as a nifty 360-degree camera that also doubles up as a nifty tool for off-roading too.

These, by the way, come on top of the usual array of standard safety equipment that includes six airbags, ABS brakes with EBD and BA, traction and stability control (TCS and ESP) suites plus roll-over mitigation, as well as key basics like seatbelts and ISOFIX childseat anchors.

Other notable ADAS features primed include Blind-Spot Detection System (BLIS), both Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), as well as Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA).

As if these weren’t enough, Ford went the extra mile to include truck-centric assists too like Adaptive Load Control (ALC), Trailer Assist/Sway Assist, along with both Hill-Launch Assist (HLA) and Hill-Descent Control (HDC) – the latter being a must-have with any 4x4 vehicle with all-terrain capabilities.

In short, not only does the Wildtrak pack luxuries and tech similar to premium crossovers, it even boasts similar levels of intelligent driving tech that really polishes it further for the urban setting, thus making it both a safer and more convenient truck in the process too.

Unsurprisingly, the Ranger Wildtrak proved to be equally as capable off the pavement.

Can It Handle The Rough Still?

Though the Wildtrak packs enough chops to keep itself civilised on the black-top, Ford fortunately did not forget its core pick-up truck roots by ensuring it retains its all-terrain driving capabilities as well. The presence of a full-blown 4x4 driveline with multiple selectable drive modes plus diff-lock modes, Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT tyres, as well as an electric rear diff-lock.

Selectable 4x4 drive modes and diff-locking modes are easily accessible in the centre stack, and can both toggle and activate on-the-fly too.

And before you asked, yes, we did put much of these through their paces as how we did with the XLT Plus prior and, predictably, the Wildtrak tackles the challenges off the black-top with ease. Perhaps the switch from rear brake drums to a rear discs have also heightened the Wildtrak’s ability here, but the nifty 360-degree camera mentioned earlier is really what eases piloting the Wildtrak off the beaten path.

Nifty 360-degree camera view (left), and Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT tyres (right) all boost the Wildtrak's off-roading abilities, the latter boding well with the Wildtrak's 230 MM ground clearance too.

Unless you plan on doing the occasional spots of desert dune-bashing or compete in something like the annual Borneo Safari 4x4 challenge, you won’t need much other than what the Wildtrak already packs to traverse or perhaps conquer any and all paths that lay ahead in your daily lives – both paved and unpaved. As far as we’re concerned, the package offered by this truck is complete, perhaps justifying the next bit…

At RM169,688, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak in no cheap ask or even a bargain.

That Price Though…

Yes, at RM169,688 sans insurance, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak is far from a cheap ask or even bargain. In fact, said figure is only matched by the Toyota Hilux GR-Sport, which is arguably stands more of a bargain alternative against the Wildtrak’s sportier Raptor 2.0 Bi-Turbo twin instead.

Yes, this really is one pick-up truck that’s truly unmatched in every sense of the word, right down to its price. But given what it delivers as a total package, we reckon it’s a justifiable premium indeed. Perhaps the inclusion of a 5-year or 160,000 KM warranty might help rationalise things.

Nevertheless, if you find yourself in the fortunate position to afford one, and you seek a pick-up truck that can do it all on the daily, then the Ford Ranger Wildtrak is very much second to none. The only other way to better this is to opt for either of its two Raptor twins, but that’s perhaps an argument for another time…

SPECIFICATION
FORD RANGER WILDTRAK 2.0 BI-TURBO

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