Off-road ready Ford Ranger Wildtrak X joins range

Alvin Lee September 5, 2019 New Car Price, News 1,522 Views

Ford is introducing an even wilder version of its Ranger Wildtrak ute. Dubbed the Wildtrak X, the off-road focused edition of Australia’s second best-selling vehicle combines the convenience and high-spec equipment of the Wildtrak with more capable off-road gear.

Delivering a striking on-road presence second only to the Ford Ranger Raptor, the Wildtrak X’s off-road credentials are bolstered by the Ranger’s inherent capabilities, including best-in-class water wading, 3500kg towing capacity as well as its advanced on-the-fly 4×4 system.

Offered exclusively in 4×4 double-cab form, the Wildtrak X promises maximum capability, adventure and desirability.

On the outside

Immediately giving the Wildtrak X a more aggressive stance, new 18-inch alloy wheels with +35 offset in tough matte black finish show the X’s intent, and match the mud-ready additions to this unique Wildtrak. The look is bolstered by fender flares, finished in black, to emphasise the new alloys and give the Wildtrak X greater on-road presence.

Upfront, Wildtrak X is fitted with a black nudge bar, complete with an LED light bar for improved night-time vision. Also hard to miss is the A-pillar-mounted snorkel, which allows owners to make the most of the Ranger’s best-in-class 800mm water wading capability.

The dark-finish on all of the Wildtrak X’s details further emphasise the charcoal detailing on Wildtrak, which sees a unique front-end – including grille, lower bumper area and door handles – finished in darker shades to help it stand apart as the range-topping Ranger model.

On the inside

Inside, the Ranger Wildtrak X takes advantage of the premium features as standard on Ranger. These include leather-appointed seating with Wildtrak orange stitching detailing, which is also used on the steering wheel, gear-lever and handbrake boot.

SYNC 3 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone capability is standard. The 8.0-inch full-colour screen not only hosts a reversing camera, but built-in voice-activated sat-nav.

As well as Smart Keyless Entry with Push-button start, Driver Assist Technology on Ranger Wildtrak X includes Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control, Hill Descent Control, Hill Launch Assist as well as an electronic rear differential lock. There’s also a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, as well as the Active Park Assist semi-automatic parallel parking feature – a segment first.

Powertrain

The Ranger Wildtrak X is available with the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo, 10-speed turbodiesel, as well as the 3.2L turbodiesel 6-speed automatic powertrain.

With 157kW/500Nm, the Bi-Turbo powertrain was first introduced on the Ford Performance Ranger Raptor and is fitted with the specifically tuned, new generation 10-speed automatic. The 10-speed automatic includes a lock-out feature to hold specific gears when towing, giving the Ranger Wildtrak X a towing capacity of 3,500kgⁱ and 950kg payload. Fuel economy on the combined cycle is rated at 7.4L/100km.

In the guise of the 3.2L, five-cylinder common rail turbodiesel with six-speed automatic, the Wildtrak X has a payload of 920kg and towing capacity of 3,500kgⁱ. Fuel economy is rated at 8.9L/100km.