With several leading brands having vacated the UK’s historically buoyant pick-up sector during recent years, Ford has wasted little time in expanding its own line-up of Ranger trucks to fill the gaps.
For the blue oval brand this opportunity must have presented itself like something of an open goal. Despite the previous government’s (hastily withdrawn) threat to withdraw VAT exemption from double-cab trucks, the market’s appetite for them appears undiminished and there now seems to be a Ranger derivative to suit all wants and needs, even those that customers may not have known existed, which brings us to the Ranger Wildtrak X.
The model joined the line-up in 2023, along with the more utilitarian Tremor, to bring the number of Rangers on offer up to seven.
Ford says both the Wildtrak X and Tremor are off-road-focused vehicles featuring reworked chassis with suspension upgrades including advanced Bilstein dampers as standard.
Ford claims additions such as a 26mm ride height increase compared to the Wildtrak and a 30mm wider track width as well as an uprated heavy-duty power steering system and a protective steel bash plate improve off-road capability on the Wildtrak X.
Standard new off-road technologies include Trail Turn Assist, which uses brake-based torque vectoring to reduce turning radius by up to 25% while Trail Control operates in a similar way to cruise control: when the driver selects a speed below 20mph the vehicle automatically manages acceleration and braking to maintain the selected speed.
We suspect the Wildtrak X’s bling appeal attracts as many admirers as its off-road prowess, however. It is no shrinking violet with large, flared wheel arches above 17in alloys, ‘Accent’-coloured front bumper and, in the case of our test truck, a bold and loud ‘Cyber Orange’ metallic paint job. Tying in with this colour scheme the leather-trimmed seats in the cabin are embellished with orange stitching.
Interior tech
The reach and rake adjustable steering wheel plus 10-way electrically-powered driver’s seat ensure a comfortable driving position while the front passenger seat can be adjusted four ways manually. Both front seats are heated, as is the leather-stitched steering wheel.
The centre piece of the cabin is a 12in multifunction infotainment display with Ford’s Sync four connectivity and satnav incorporated. Connecting a smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is a simple process and means you can choose between the navigation system installed in the vehicle or one available on your smartphone as well as accessing hands free all the other services it offers through the dashboard touchscreen.
The excellent rearview camera and front and back parking sensors make tight urban manoeuvres relatively stress free but overall the Wildtrak X demonstrates impeccable manners about town despite its bulk. The steering is well-weighted and true and the seamlessly smooth 10-speed automatic transmission is class leading.
On the exterior, useful features are the heavy duty steps positioned between the rear wheels and bumper that facilitate access to the load bed, which is otherwise reached by lowering the sturdy rear tailgate. A pair of plugs for powering tools are installed in the load area.
Our truck came with Ford’s innovative Flexible Rack System as a £1,600 (all prices exclude VAT) optional extra, which enhances load-carrying ability for longer items. The folding roof rack features an adjustable sliding rear load hoop to allow long items to be carried above the roof rather than between the tailgate and cab in order to free up the load bed for other items. The rack has a dynamic load limit of 80kg.
At the other end of the options scale our truck also came with one-touch rear windows for £50 and for an additional £450 was equipped with the Power Pack 3, including a power inverter, wireless phone charger and six inputs for accessories like LED lights.
Drive and performance
The Wildtrak X handles well on road and the performance from the 2.0-litre 205hp Ecoblue diesel engine is impressive enough to mean customers are unlikely to cast envious glances in the direction of the 3.0-litre 240hp unit offered elsewhere in the Ranger line-up, let alone the V6 petrol that powers the Raptor.
The suspension enhancements that offer gains in the extreme off-road conditions that, let’s be honest, few operators are likely to tackle, lead to a slightly bouncier ride on road than in the standard Wildtrak, which costs £2,000 less than the Wildtrak X.
A generous helping of ADAS on the Wildtrak X includes intelligent speed assist, lane change warning and aid, collision mitigation system and reverse brake assist.
| Model | Ford Ranger Wildtrak X 2.0-litre EcoBlue 10-Speed Auto |
| Price (ex VAT) | £43,680 |
| Price range (ex VAT) | £29,216 – £46,841 |
| Insurance group | tba |
| Warranty | 3yrs/60,000mls |
| Service intervals | 2yrs/12,500mls |
| Load length | 1,564mm |
| Load width (min/max) | 1,224mm /1,560mm |
| Load bay height | 511mm |
| Gross payload | 1,036kg |
| Load volume | n/a |
| Engine size/power | 1,998cc/203hp |
| Combined fuel economy | 27.2mpg |
| CO2 | 273g/km |
| On sale | September 2023 |
| Key rival | Volkswagen Amarok Style |
| Verdict | The Wildtrak X offers marginal gains over the already impressive standard Ranger Wildtrak. |
| Score | 8/10 |
