A surfcasting trip to the Far North provided the perfect opportunity to put the latest release in Ford’s Ranger lineup to the test.

The backstory

Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, once said, "Every success is the mother of countless others."

And that statement rings especially true for the Ford Ranger, New Zealand’s most popular new vehicle for nine years on the trot. Rather than resting on their laurels, Ford keeps giving birth to new successes. In 2023, Ford added more options to the Ranger lineup with the launch of the Raptor, Platinum, and Wildtrak X. The latest double cab pick-up off the rank is the limited-edition Tremor. It couples the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine from the ‘standard’ Ranger options with the full-time automatic 4WD system from the Ranger V6 models. It also boasts specialised off-road capabilities, unique macho looks, and a comfortable interior – all whilst retaining the 3.5-tonne towing capacity. 

The look and feel

Despite clearly being a Ranger, the Tremor sports some additional componentry that completes the practical, off-road look. Immediately noticeable are the extended sports bars above the tray, 17-inch alloy wheels in ‘Asphalt Black’, General Grabber AT3 All-Terrain Tyres, and a rugged-looking front section. The Tremor’s snout features a honeycomb black grille, C-Clamp LED headlamps, and a steel bash plate. Other exterior details include a unique ‘Bolder Grey’ colour for the front and rear bumpers, extended wheel arches, door handles, and mirror caps. Cast aluminium side steps add a nice touch, too. The Tremor comes ready to tow with a towbar and tow hitch, although a cargo cover for the tray is an optional extra.

The Tremor is a perfect fishing companion.

The Tremor is available in white, black, blue, and ‘Conquer Grey’ – a colour option previously reserved for the Raptor. Our test vehicle sported the Conquer Grey livery, and it looked superb with the perceived shade subtly changing depending on the time of day and angle of sunlight. 

Jumping inside the cab, the ebony interior finds a nice balance between style and durability. The seat upholstery is water-resistant black vinyl with grey stitching. Embroidered ‘Tremor’ logos, matching those on the exterior, feature on the front seats. The seats are very comfortable and provide excellent back support. There’s good legroom in the second row for adults and ISOFIX points for the little ones’ car seats. Vinyl is used on the flooring in lieu of carpets – great for muddy or sandy boots and easy to clean. Both reach and height are adjustable for the leather-trimmed steering wheel. There are a pair of cupholders in front of the cavernous centre console storage and an open shelf above the glovebox for passenger princesses to put valuables.

The technology

Under the hood is Ford’s tried-and-true 2.0L Bi-Turbo diesel with 10-speed automatic, full-time four-wheel drive. This improves grip on the open road and is a perfect option for towing. The enhanced drive system also provides a range of off-road modes for various conditions and settings for towing. Naturally, modern controls such as push-to-start, e-shifter, and electronic park brake are all there for driving ease. 

The Tremor’s unique off-road suspension features position-sensitive Bilstein Dampers with external reservoirs and off-road springs. In conjunction with the tyres, this equates to an additional 26mm of ground clearance and nudges the overall height of the Tremor up slightly. Like the Raptor, the Tremor’s Trail Turn Assist system brakes the inside wheel around tight bends in low-speed, off-road conditions, decreasing the turning radius to help negotiate tight spots. The suspension package fortunately doesn’t reduce the braked tow rating, which stays at 3.5 tonnes.

All-time four-wheel drive is excellent on the open road.

The 8” digital instrument cluster is highly customisable and features handy detection systems for issues such as failed trailer lighting or low tyre pressure. The 10” infotainment screen connects with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to make disc-jockeying and navigating a breeze, and the rear parking cameras and sensors mean parking gaffes should be a thing of the past for most! There’s ample scope for charging phones and other essentials with a handy wireless charger under the infotainment screen, three USB ports, two 12-volt sockets in the cab, and a further 12-volt socket in the tray. The tray has multiple handy tiedown points, and although the sports bar is mainly aesthetic, it could come into play when securing a large load. There are also roof-mounted auxiliary switches in the cabin to cater for the fitting of powered accessories.

Dual-zone climate control up front and air vents for rear passengers ensure everyone stays at their desired temperatures. There are no heated seats and only the driver’s seat is electronically adjustable (although the manual passenger seat is adjustable six ways). Autonomous Emergency Braking with Junction Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, a Digital Rear View Camera, and Blindspot Monitoring with Trailer Coverage & Cross-Traffic Assist all augment the Tremor’s 5-Star ANCAP Safety Rating.

The ebony interior finds a nice balance between style and durability. 

Performance

As a driver of a current-model Ranger (Wildtrak), the Tremor felt very familiar. And that’s great because I find the Wildtrak hard to fault! The 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel offers good throttle pick-up, and the 10-speed transmission is silky smooth. At general open-road cruising speeds, the engine doesn’t sound like it’s working too hard at all. And that’s probably because it isn’t – a fact which is reflected in the impressive fuel economy we managed over the test period (involving a mix of open-road, city, and beach driving) of 9.8L/100km. With the 80L fuel tank capacity, that gives a realistic range of almost 800km. We chose to do most of our open-road driving in full-time four-wheel drive, but didn’t notice any difference in performance (on dry roads, at least) when switching over to two-wheel drive. 

Ride quality on the bitumen is perhaps not quite as refined as some Ranger variations due to the firmer suspension and off-roading tyres, yet it remains superior to most other ute manufacturers. The Far North provided plenty of off-road driving to indulge in, and the Tremor never put a foot wrong. Although the sand on the beaches was generally firm between low and high-water marks, we encountered some soft stuff and rutted ground at various access points, including Te Paki Stream at the top of Ninety Mile Beach.

The Tremor has plenty of room for fishing necessities.

A Ford Ranger Raptor also accompanied us on the trip. Aside from the grey colour option, the Tremor has borrowed plenty of the Raptor’s off-roading smarts, including Trail Turn Assist, Rock Crawl mode, and Trail Control (essentially off-roading cruise control). The main four-wheel driving attributes the Raptor boasts over the Tremor are front and rear locking diffs – the Tremor only has an open differential in the front axle, but we never strayed into country where this difference could be observed.

The tray had plenty of room for fishing necessities, and although our gear was less secure at pitstops without a cover, it was nice to be able to chuck oversized chilly bins and surf rods in the back. As a side note, I sometimes find a lockable tray to be a ‘poisoned chalice’ with a tendency to fill up with various neglected fishing items! The box steps at the Tremor’s rear are awesome for grabbing gear from the tray, too. 

Overall, the Tremor proved a fun and practical fishing machine for our Far North adventure. Perhaps another quote from Henry Ford best sums up the Tremor experience:

"Man minus the machine is a slave; man plus the machine is a freeman."

Specifications

For more information, visit the Ford website.

December 2024 - Nick Jones
New Zealand Fishing News Magazine.
Copyright: NZ Fishing Media Ltd.
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited