Adventurous New Ford Ranger Wildtrak X confirmed for South Africa with teaser debut at NAMPO

Rugged Ranger Wildtrak X benefits from a bold new style along with a more rugged suspension and all-terrain tyres

Specialist writer

Natasha Pansegrouw

Ford South Africa is expanding the Ranger line-up with an exciting and adventurous all-new model, the Wildtrak X, which will make its debut at this year’s NAMPO Harvest Day, taking place from 16-19 May in the Free State.

The show’s overarching theme of ‘Agriculture Innovated’ relates to the more rugged characteristics of the Ranger Wildtrak X, which has been engineered to venture further off-road without compromise.

Based on the hugely popular Ranger Wildtrak, the new Wildtrak X adds versatility without compromising on the outstanding levels of luxury and safety that are hallmarks of this high-spec model.

“The Ranger Wildtrak range has been immensely popular in South Africa for more than a decade due to its trend-setting style, peerless status, innovative suite of driver assistance technologies and exceptional performance,” says Doreen Mashinini, General Manager for Marketing at Ford South Africa. “NAMPO and Ford South Africa have a long and proud history and we’re thrilled to be revealing the Wildtrak X at this year’s event to whet the appetite of those customers who push the boundaries of an active, outdoor lifestyle.”

Packed with driver assistance systems and bespoke accessories, the Wildtrak X is truly unique from the standard Wildtrak range. Off-road enthusiasts will benefit from the Wildtrak X’s wider stance and increased ground clearance, along with purposeful all-terrain tyres fitted on new-design 17-inch alloy wheels. This is combined with specially tuned Bilstein Position-Sensitive Dampers that provide sure-footed performance in all types of terrain.

It is also the first Ranger model to be equipped with Ford’s Trail Turn Assist. This innovative system, which applies brake pressure to the inside rear wheel, helps reduce the turning radius by up to 25 percent. It’s designed to be used on loose surfaces at speeds of under 19km/h, and can be engaged when the vehicle is in either 4H or 4L and the rear differential is unlocked The Ranger Wildtrak X can also be ordered with Ford’s new Flexible Rack System. This optional upgrade consists of two main components: a sliding load rack that can be locked into five positions along the length of the load bed, and folding roof racks that store inside the roof rails when not in use.

The Wildtrak X is powered by Ford’s powerful yet efficient 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine that produces 154kW of power and 500Nm of torque – and is matched to a smooth-shifting and responsive 10-speed automatic transmission.

It is also the first Ranger 2.0L Bi-Turbo model to be available with Ford’s on-demand four-wheel drive system that offers four modes: 4A (automatic), 2H, 4H and 4L.

The full specification of the Wildtrak X, along with pricing, will be confirmed closer to the Q3 2023 launch timing.