$1200 premium for new Ford Ranger diesel
BY RON HAMMERTON | 24th May 2018
FORD Ranger customers will pay a $1200 premium for the new, more powerful 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine and 10-speed automatic transmission over the current 3.2-litre diesel/six-speed auto unit when the facelifted ute lands in Australian showrooms in September.
The company has culled the expansive Ranger line-up from 34 variants to 29, with some slow-selling variants – mostly 2.2-litre XL workhorses towards the affordable end of the range – getting the chop.
Ford Australia has also hiked prices by between $300 and $1000 across the range in return for some more equipment and chassis tweaks.
The all-diesel line-up now starts with the low-riding 4x2 2.2-litre single-cab chassis workhorse at $27,990 plus-on-road costs and tops out at $74,990 for the newly added, off-road-focused Raptor flagship that will be the priciest one-tonne pick-up on offer in Australia.
While the Raptor gets the 157kW/500Nm bi-turbo engine and 10-speed auto transmission as standard, the powertrain can also be had as a $1200 option in two other levels – XLT and Wildtrak.
The cheapest of these is the $51,490 XLT 4x2 double-cab pick-up, while the 4x4 version will cost $59,390.
The engine is also available in the XLT 4x4 super-cab for $57,390, while the Wildtrak 4x4 dual-cab pick-up can be had with the new engine at $63,990 – $11,000 cheaper than the Raptor.
The two current engines – the 147kW/470Nm five-cylinder 3.2 diesel and 118kW/385 2.2-litre four-cylinder remain in the range
Announcing the Ranger pricing and specifications four months out from launch, Ford Australia president and CEO Graeme Whickman said Australian customers in the ute segment were looking for value for money and “genuine, real-world capability”.
“The MY19 Ranger delivers great capability and improvements across the line-up, from suspension upgrades to autonomous emergency braking (AEB),” he said.
However, as GoAuto reported last week, the AEB will only be standard on the top-shelf Raptor and Wildtrak, and as a $1700 option in a tech pack of safety and convenience features on XLT. The lower XL and XLS grades miss out altogether.
The main changes to the base XL are the suspension upgrades wrought by Australian engineers, along with an easy-lift tailgate, rear parking sensors (on the pick-up, not cab-chassis), and restyled black cabin interior.
The mid-range XLS – which still has just one double-cab 3.2-litre pick-up variant with a choice of manual or auto transmission – gains front parking sensors, as well as the chassis re-tune.
Ford’s Sync3 connectivity package is also now available for a $1950 premium.
The biggest styling changes have been made to the XLT which gets a fresh face, high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights, LED daytime running lights, keyless entry and push-button start and – with the optional 2.0-litre bi-turbo powertrain, idle-stop.
The XLT’s cabin also gets the black make-over, but with new decorative finishes for a higher-quality look.
The former king of the hill, the Wildtrak, also gets a new fascia with a unique Wildtrak look.
Extras include LED foglights, power-lock tailgate, AEB, park assist, traffic sign recognition and a new-look black cabin interior with partial-leather heated front seats.
The new-look Ranger gets a five-year warranty for all buyers – private, business or fleet. Vehicles fitted with Sync3 get map updates for seven years when they get their car serviced at a Ford dealer.
Ford Ranger 2018 pricing*
| 4x2 | |
| XL Single C/C 2.2L Low Rider | $27,990 |
| XL Single C/C 2.2L Hi-Rider (a) | $33,690 |
| XL Super C/C 2.2L Hi-Rider (a) | $36,190 |
| XL Double C/C 2.2L Hi-Rider (a) | $38,190 |
| XL Double P/up 2.2L Hi-Rider (a) | $39,690 |
| XLT Double P/up 3.2L Hi-Rider (a) | $50,290 |
| XLT Double P/up 2.0L Bi-Turbo Hi-Rider (a) | $51,490 |
| 4x4 | |
| XL Single C/C 3.2L | $41,890 |
| XL Single C/C 3.2L (a) | $44,090 |
| XL Super C/C 3.2L | $44,390 |
| XL Super C/C 3.2L (a) | $46,590 |
| XL Super P/up 3.2L (a) | $48,090 |
| XL Double C/C 2.2L (a) | $46,090 |
| XL Double P/up 2.2L (a) | $47,590 |
| XL Double C/C 3.2L | $46,390 |
| XL Double C/C 3.2L (a) | $48,590 |
| XL Double P/up 3.2L | $47,890 |
| XL Double P/up 3.2L (a) | $50,090 |
| XLS Double P/up 3.2L | $49,190 |
| XLS Double P/up 3.2L (a) | $51,390 |
| XLT Super P/up 3.2L (a) | $56,190 |
| XLT Super P/up Bi-Turbo (a) | $57,390 |
| XLT Double P/up 3.2L | $55,990 |
| XLT Double P/up 3.2L (a) | $58,190 |
| XLT Double P/up Bi-Turbo (a) | $59,390 |
| Wildtrak Double P/up 3.2L | $60,590 |
| Wildtrak Double P/up 3.2L (a) | $62,790 |
| Wildtrak Double P/up Bi-Turbo (a) | $63,990 |
*Excludes on-road costs
