AIMS: Ranger goes Wildtrak in Melbourne

As the second locally-developed commercial vehicle to make its debut at AIMS, Ranger Wildtrak is one of two Ranger models on display at the Ford stage. Seen by the Australian public for the first time, the Chilli Orange Ranger Wildtrak is enhanced by 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, an aerodynamic sports bar and Wildtrak badging.

Inside, the five-seat cabin gains combination cloth and leather upholstery as well as more than 20 storage spaces – including a chilled console bin and large glove box. Equipment includes Bluetooth telephony with Voice Control, a rear view camera system, rear parking sensors, a high-end audio system with CD, iPod and USB connectivity, and five-inch colour screen with satellite navigation.

Ranger Wildtrak is powered by a (147kW/470Nm) 3.2-litre turbodiesel Duratorq five-cylinder engine. Ranger models will also be available with (110kW/375) 2.2-litre and (122kW/226Nm) 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbodiesels.

"Wildtrak's aggressive look and bold new graphics are a perfect fit for those who appreciate a sporty and more expressive image. It will look fantastic transporting the latest quad bike or jetski for weekend getaways," said Ranger's chief designer, Craig Metros.

Joining the Ranger Wildtrak in Melbourne is the Ford Ranger 4x4 XLT Dual-Cab.

Ranger XLT shares Wildtrak's tough looks, as well as its all-new chassis frame, engine, front and rear suspension and steering system.

Ford's engineers say Ranger's suspension is tuned for a variety of road conditions while "still delivering outstanding payload capacity". Ford says the rear suspension also provides Ranger with a firmly planted ride for high-speed driving on dirt roads with reduced sway and less vehicle "skate" on corrugated or rough surfaces.

Ranger models offer the choice of 4x2 and 4x4 configurations and boast a fording depth of up to 800mm. The vehicle's ground clearance is enhanced by having the driveline components mounted above the frame rail so that items like the transfer case and oil pan are protected by strong crossmembers.

Ford says the vehicle will offer a range of safety technologies, including hill launch assist, hill descent control (on 4x4 models), shift-on-the-fly 4x4, an array of airbags (including side-curtain airbags in up-spec models), stability control, trailer sway control, adaptive load control and roll-over mitigation when it goes on sale some time next year (2012). An example of the latest technology incoprorated in the vehicle is deceleration-activated hazard lights -- under heavy deceleration, flashing emergency braking lights automatically alert following vehicles.

Designed and developed in Australia, Ranger is the first light commercial vehicle to be built under the One Ford strategy. The global product program brings together the full engineering expertise of Ford around the world.

"With the One Ford strategy, we were able to deliver a truck with no compromise," explained Ford's Asia Pacific and Africa engineering director, Jim Baumbick.

"The engineering team in Australia had full access to the global Ford capability, testing facilities and, most importantly, corporate knowledge around delivery of Ford Tough Trucks."

The all-new Ranger will be manufactured in Thailand, South Africa and Argentina for more than 180 markets worldwide.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site