We say goodbye to giant killing Ford Ranger single turbo XLT

The Ford Ranger in top XLT spec was available in 2.0-litre bi-turbo configuration good for a class leading 154 kW of power and 500 Nm of torque. And you could opt for a state-of-the-art ten-speed auto box as found in the Mustang.

This was a combo good enough to see off anything the competition could throw at the Ford Ranger out on the road. But this was almost expected. What was not expected. Our long-term XLT in basic single-turbo spec with the base six-speed auto fitted, would punch so much higher than we thought it would.

Average power numbers on paper

Making only 125 kW and 405 Nm it was outgunned on paper by everything except the 120 kW Foton Tunland and 110 KW Peugeot Landtrek. The Toyota 2.8 GD-6 Hilux with 150 kW. The Nissan Navara with 140 KW was stronger too. As was the GWM P300 and Isuzu D-Max with 135 kW and 130 kW respectively.

Some would argue, what is the point of taking an almost entry level bakkie to Gerotek to check just how fast it is. And you would be half right. It’s not something that would be top of our list. But we had our reasons for doing so.

The first one is that we have built a database of bakkie performance data over the past 20 plus years. We like to compare numbers, and there are petrol-heads out there that enjoy these numbers too. Adding our Ford Ranger XLT was more part of the technical road test process than it was for bragging rights.

But it felt faster…

The other reason was that this Ford Ranger XLT felt rather nippy for a double cab bakkie that so many overlook because the power numbers are not great. It’s basically the runt of the litter. Leisure bakkie owners want all the power. Just check out Ford Ranger Raptor sales.

There is no reason on earth you would need a 292 kW twin-turbocharged gas guzzling bakkie. But yet, they sell as fast as the dealers can get their hands on stock. And we wanted to see how close our runt would get to the competition when the lights went green.

And it didn’t just get close; it beat all of them except for GWM’s surprisingly quick P300, with a 0-100 km/h time of just 11.74 seconds versus the class leader at 10.85 seconds. I say just because our Ford Ranger time is quicker than the likes of Toyota’s Hilux 2.8-litre Legend RS that could only manage a 12.38 second run.

Big names were taken down

Other big names to fall were Isuzu’s 3.0-litre D-Max X-rider with a 12.95 second time and Nissan’s 2.5-litre Pro 4X with a 13.18 second run. The Ranger’s sibling, the Amarok 2.0 TDI came in with a decent 12.47 second time to round out the top six places. Foton’s Tunland and Peugeot’s Landtrek were nowhere to be honest.

Going fast is obviously not the only reason to buy or like a double cab bakkie. We can also report that over the 7 000 km period we had our Ford Ranger XLT, we averaged 9.8-litres per 100 km. Which I think is exceptionally good for a 4×4 that did everything from towing to off-roading and not just live on the open road.

XLT Styling

Slotting in above the XL and below the Wildtrak, the XLT also offers plenty tech and comfort at a price many of its competitors simply can’t match. You have the likes of:

• C-clamp LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights;
• Front fog lamps and optional LED taillights;
• Body-colour mirrors, door handles and rear bumper;
• A spray-in bed liner with integrated 12V power socket;
• Innovative side steps;
• Running boards;
• And a towbar to match the 3 500 kg towing capacity.

As well as:

• Smart keyless entry;
• Push-button start system;
• Premium cloth seats with six-way adjustment;
• Leather-trimmed gearshift lever;
• And Electrically adjustable mirrors with heating and an auto-folding function

Optional extras

Additional extras of the XLT include:

• Electrochromatic interior mirror;
• Rain-sensing windscreen wipers;
• Automatic headlight activation;
• Rear-view camera;
• Front and rear parking sensors;
• And cruise control.

No less than six Upgrade Packs are available on the Ford Ranger XLT, which include the likes of:

• A Black treatment styling pack;
• 17 and 18-inch alloy sport wheels;
• Off-road underbody protection kit;
• And all-terrain tyres.

The interior upgrades comprise:

• Dual-zone climate control with rear vents;
• Wireless charging pad;
• Embedded navigation for the SYNC 4A system;
• Partial leather seats;
• And spare accessory switches.

Safety systems

Safety upgrades available are:

• Collision Mitigation System with;
• Pre Collision Assist;
• Dynamic Brake Support;
• Forward Collision Warning;
• Automated Emergency Braking;
• Post-Impact Braking;
• Lane Keep Assist;
• And automatic high-beam headlight activation.

Pricing

Our Ford Ranger XLT Double Cab 4×4 SiT 6AT retailed for R767 000 before now being replaced by the updated model that features the ten-speed auto box and a new price tag of R788 500.

Included as standard is a four-year / 120 000 km warranty, four-year / unlimited distance Roadside Assistance and five-year / unlimited distance corrosion warranty.

Customers have the option of purchasing service or maintenance plans up to eight-years or 165 000 km. The warranty can be extended up to seven-years or 200 000 km, while the Roadside Assistance can be extended for an additional one or two years.