Ford New Zealand has today announced the new off-road focussed Ranger Wildtrak X will land on our shores later this year, staking the claim as the bridge between the regular Wildtrak and Raptor.
The limited-edition model builds on the already proven chassis with key wheel and suspension upgrades like a set of Bilstein Position-Sensitive Dampers, which are said to cater for both off- and on-road cornering improvements.
Under the bonnet sits the familiar 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine which has now been coupled with a full-time four-wheel drive system instead of the part time ‘shift on the fly’ system. It also upholds the standard Ranger’s 3500kg towing capacity.
The Wildtrak X has been developed to meet Light Duty Truck EU Stage 6 emissions standards which means it requires the use of AdBlue.
As for rubber, General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres are fitted as standard, with the 265/70 R17 units wrapped around new 17-inch alloy wheels.
With the new wheels, tyres, and suspension combined, the Ranger Wildtrak X boasts a 30mm wider track width front and rear, and an additional 26mm of ground clearance when compared to the existing Wildtrak.
New off-road tools are now at the driver’s disposal including Trail Turn Assist which helps the vehicle negotiate tight bends on narrow tracks by applying the brake on the inside rear wheel to reduce turning radius.
Another new feature is Trail Control (also found on the Raptor) which helps drivers maintain a constant low-speed while driving off the beaten path, as well as Rock Crawl mode for you guessed it, rocky terrain.
To transport lenghty cargo, Ford has also fitted the Wildtrak X with its Flexible Rack System.
Exterior appointments include the “stand out” Cyber Orange paint colour, exclusive to the Wildtrak X, a new off-road grille design, LED headlights, a steel bash plate, aluminium side steps, Wildtrak X badging, and black Ford oval badges.
Inside, there’s new leather-accented seats which wear Miko suede and have “Wildtrak X” embroidered into the back rests along with the upper glove box, and floor mats. More suede can be found on the glovebox, instrument cluster hood, door trim and centre console rails while Cyber Orange stitching can be found throughout the cabin.
Technology fit out consist of a B&O Sound system and 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster. The Wildtrak X also comes with an overhead auxiliary switch bank for aftermarket accessories.
Pricing for the Ford Ranger Wildtrak X is at $80,990 and its expected to arrive in showrooms in the second half of this year.
