Ford Wildtrak: More than just another vegetable mover

The Ford Ranger has just scooped the 2020 International Pick-up Award (IPUA) in Lyon, France, together with high praise for Ford’s new combination of their 2-litre bi-turbodiesel engine and 10-speed automatic transmission into the Ranger to create an attractive option in the Wildtrak range.

BMH Ford Ballito gave The Courier a spritely double cab Wildtrak to use and investigate why the Ranger, so often seen on the North Coast, was so popular.

First impressions of the Wildtrak are of space, security and luxury, greeted by a leather-clad dash top with a beautiful inset stitching pattern instead of a typical plastic variety.

Sitting high up and seeing how intuitive the cockpit layout puts a first-time bakkie driver at ease, and Ford seems to think this is high priority – flushing the Wildtrak with cameras and sensors to make parking the large pick-up a breeze for even the most novice driver.

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The touch-screen navigation and media centre is also featured cleverly inside the instrument binnacle, housing two separate screens showing your chosen information displays.

A wide-angle parking camera for going backwards, a parallel sensor to gauge whether parking spaces alongside are big enough and a proximity sensor in the front tells you not only how close you are to objects while parking – but handily doubles as a collision sensor while driving, warning you about following too closely and even braking for you if ignored.

Although I do wonder – if you get rear ended in that situation, who’s to blame? You, or the Ford? That little bit at the bottom of the insurance claim form where they ask ‘what happened’ may not be enough space.

My phone is paired to the truck seamlessly and the 2-litre bi-turbodiesel motor hums quietly compared to most oil burners.

The 10-speed transmission aids greatly in managing fuel consumption – after a full day’s testing in and around the stop-start traffic of Ballito and Salt Rock, I still returned a meagre ratio of 10.2 litres per 100km – fantastic for an automatic double cab, high-riding 4×2 with a difflock.

The focus of my vehicle-testing expectations was aimed squarely at Ford’s bravery, putting such a small motor into a large vehicle with a claimed towing capacity of 750kg; this apart from the gross vehicle mass (GVM) allowed for with the Wildtrak at 3500kg.

That’s over four tons of mass fully laden for the 157kW and 500Nm of torque to handle, but with Ford borrowing the same powerhouse to use in the Raptor, there is some clear confidence involved.

The torque band of each gear is carefully attuned to the motor, giving the Wildtrak a delayed but relatively smooth acceleration curve.

Those in need of sheer ‘grunt’, however, will be happy to know that the original 3.2-litre five cylinder motor mated with a six speed auto is still available. The bi-turbo unit boasts mildly more power, but having to cycle through ten forward gears may frustrate those in expectation of more mid-range torque delivery.

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The Wildtrak’s off-road capability has not been dampened by the engine and transmission, holding lower gears at higher revs to maximise applied torque to the rear wheels in rough ground, and the already high-riding body and chunky tyres make a great concert to the ease and comfort of off-road driving.

The Wildtrak seems to be Ford’s answer to the reality that most people who buy luxury double-cabs are using them primarily as family vehicles on the road, as ‘tanks’ to move their kids and groceries around, while the added benefit of good off-road capability also lends hand-in-hand to being prepared for the conditions of South African roads and the occasional dirt road, or the need to pull a trailer.

The Wildtrak bi-turbo is an embodiment of the pleasures that all people enjoy, crammed into the shell of a popular vehicle layout that now boasts the perk of reduced fuel consumption. Available at BMH Ballito starting at R658, 900 and the 3.2 litre six speed Wildtrak auto at R635, 600.

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