Over the last eight or nine years, the Ford Ranger has been my tow vehicle of choice, starting back with a leased XLT, followed by the Extreme R (a variant exclusive to Whangarei’s Ford dealership Pacific Motor Group), and more recently, the FX4, Wildtrak, and now the Wildtrak X model.

The Ranger has a braked tow capacity of 3500kg, or 6000kg gross (truck and trailer), which means our most recent company project boats – an Extreme 745 Centre Console and a Buccaneer Billfisher 735 – fit comfortably within those parameters.

To be fair, most of the Wildtrak X new features are cosmetic upgrades – wheel arch flares, 18” black alloys, front bumper inserts, LED light bar, roof rails, black running boards with lights, a unique grill, three-pin power socket in-cab, leather accentuated seats with contrasting colour trim and stitching (which also includes the dash and steering wheel), and an electrically operated roller canopy – but the essentials for a practical tow vehicle have remained untouched. Why change a winning formula?

A great deal of emphasis on the Ford Ranger’s features is around safety. The Wildtrak X has a 5-star ANCAP safety rating with six airbags, AEB and EBS – Autonomous Emergency Braking and Automatic Braking System, and pre-collision warning with various settings.

I put the ABS system to the test recently when towing the Extreme 745. I approached a crossroads on Highway 27 near Tahuna, following at what I considered a safe distance behind a truck in wet road conditions. As the truck approached the intersection, I thought it was going to proceed through, but neither of us had seen the motorbike approaching from the right. The truck hit its brakes at the last minute and I needed to stop in a hurry.

Just before I hit the brake pedal the collision warning sounded and the ABS activated, bringing me safely to a halt on the wet surface, accident avoided – just! The pre-collision warning was like having a back seat driver calling the shots, but this time it was a welcome one! 

As a result of this near-miss, I adjusted the pre-collision setting to its greatest distance, giving me even more notice to start braking, which is particularly important when towing.

Other features that aid towing safety are Traction Control and Trailer Sway Control, the latter detecting and adjusting speed and braking to prevent excessive trailer movement. The backing camera is great when reversing up to the trailer and the Active Park Assist and the parking sensors make fitting into those tight spots a relatively stress-free operation. The Ford Ranger has a large profile, which can be daunting for some drivers, but with all the aids working in your favour, you can nail those tight spots on the first attempt.

In recent times I have had several Rangers incorporating the Bi-Turbo 2.0-litre diesel as opposed to the 3.2-litre five-cylinder option. I find the bi-turbo motor, despite having only four cylinders, delivers a better driving experience, especially when towing on the hills. The 10-speed auto gearbox provides near seamless changes, although I like to drive it ‘manually’ over the tighter, steeper terrain, both ascending and descending. The 2.0 Bi-Turbo delivers 30Nm more torque and 10kW more power, according to Ford.

The engine’s economy is good, although I have not been able to match the manufacturer’s claim of 7.4 litres/100km. My business partner Grant Blair, who has an identical vehicle, got close recently on an extended trip to the Coromandel, but my best on a combined open road and urban 500km excursion was 8.4 litres – perhaps I had too much fishing gear in the boot. Towing the Extreme 745 Centre Console (probably around 2800kg all-up) back from Whakatane to Auckland saw the economy at just over 12.0 litres/100km.

An example I often use as a power comparison is whether I can maintain the 90km/h tow speed limit from the bottom of the Bombay Hills heading north to the top – the Wildtrak X did not even blink an eyelid and had more to give had it been needed.

A couple of features I would like to see included are blind-spot monitoring – it would be far more useful to me than heated seats, especially when driving in heavy traffic; the second would be more tie-down points around the inside of the tray.

I enjoy the Ranger Wildtrak X as both my everyday drive vehicle and for towing duties. It is comfortable both around town and on extended journeys, with all the mod-cons at the driver’s fingertips.

Acknowledgement: Ford NZ has a commercial arrangement with NZ Fishing Media that sees it provide two tow vehicles to the business.