We test many vehicles here at NZ Autocar. But when it’s an off-roader, there’s limited access to challenging terrain up here in Auckland.
And there’s only so far you can take it before you inadvertently bend something expensive, turning a good day bad.
This is why we were rather stoked when Ford invited us to a multi terrain off-road expedition in Queenstown in their Rangers and Everests. Ice drifting, river crossings, and lavish accommodation were promised, so naturally, we were there…
Early on the first morning, we clambered onto a bus well before the sun rose and waited for the coffee to take effect – heading slowly towards our destination at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds.
It’s the only place in the world that car manufacturers have on hand to conduct winter testing during the northern hemisphere’s summer. The part we would be using was essentially a football field-sized ice rink, covered in a layer of snow.
Ford had rounded up four Rangers, a trio of Everests, dozens of orange cones, and a handful of helpful driving instructors. They told us to chuck it into 4WD, lock the rear diff, and keep it in second gear. For the entire day. Drifting ensued.
Eventually, regardless of previous experience, they’d coached everybody into drifting confidently around slaloms, figure eights and other interesting shapes.
The trucks took the thrashing without flinching, except the one moment where an Everest showed an error screen, and needed to be turned off and on again. But we’d probably chalk that up to someone being in the wrong drive mode while trying to drift.
We alternated between models and trim levels but as they are all based on the same platform, they all handled rather similarly. If anything, the Everest had slightly more grip on the rear end under braking. You can’t help but notice those small differences on ice.
We switched between a V6 Platinum and various Bi-Turbo Wildtrak and Sport Rangers while there was an Everest V6 Platinum, and two Sports. Naturally, everybody wanted to drive the V6 Platinum models.
They had the edge when it came to responsive power delivery, making it easier to control the drifts as the snow slowly turned into slippery ice. The 2.0 Bi-Turbos still did a great job of sustaining long drifts but it’s hard to compete with the eager torque of a 3.0L.
By the end of the day, we felt like seasoned rally drivers and it was smiles all around. And just as we thought our excitement levels had peaked, four helicopters appeared to fly us home. Really pulling out all of the stops with this one – way better than taking the bus.
We were graced with another clear blue sky for day two of adventuring and we set off with Carricktown in our sights – the stony remains of a 150-year-old mining town – located inside the Young Australian Historic Reserve.
A convoy of Rangers and Everests trekked through a rutted, rough dirt road, giving us totally new terrain to get a handle on. Being a shared trip with Youtubers and vloggers, we were stopping for content every five minutes which, as a photographer surrounded by beautiful scenery and tough trucks, was fine by me.
We experienced the Trail Control feature on this track – think of it as active cruise control for gnarly tracks. Adjusted in 1km/h increments, we were able to follow each other at crawling speeds on the uneven trail. It also brakes wheels individually during a descent, helping prevent lockups and controlling the speed better.
It’s quite amazing how it almost magically helps to maintain the traction at each corner, keeping the vehicle planted during the process.
At one point, we came to an intimidating incline. It was one of those hills that you’d probably avoid walking up if possible, and steep enough to have us wondering if the Ford was going to topple over as it went up. Thankfully though, one by one, each Ford in the convoy made it to the top – just in time for another photo op overlooking the Clutha river.
As if ice drifting, overlanding, and hill climbing weren’t enough, Ford introduced us to Arrowtown’s Arrow River and, following the 4X4 path, we plunged across the water, over and over again.
The star of the show was the new Wildtrak X, with its cyber orange paint creating a sharp contrast to the icy river banks and dark water.
On this model, the front grille comes with even more LEDs than usual, it has a sizeable steel bash plate up front, and features more serious off-road suspension, wheels and tyres. Its smoother ride over the rough trails was noticeable compared with the regular Wildtrak.
It also comes with a very cool sliding rack system – which was brand new, and the talk of the town during this trip. It essentially aids the roof racks by providing an adjustable third contact point anywhere along the rear tub. You can slide it right up to the cab, or have it right at the back of the tub – depending on what you have to carry.
It was a wonderful opportunity to take the Rangers and Everests offroading in such a wide range of environments.
We took a track for almost every off-road mode Ford provides. We had great guides, a well planned route, and all the right equipment handy.
Overall, as an experiential event, Ford created a special weekend for all of us, and a memory that will stick with many international motoring journos who were also present. And that’s all while showing us a different side of their vehicles.
Yes, at the end of the day, the most difficult offroading challenge most new Rangers face is when they summit the curb at a bakery.
But once they reach their more adventurous second or third owners, they’ll be able to really showcase their off-road capability like they did in Queenstown.
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