Ford Ranger bringing the Thunder

The Ford Ranger is a popular choice amongst South Africans with XLT Wildtrak and Raptor variants on offer. Now though Ford SA has introduced an exclusive limited-edition Ranger Thunder which features a variety of design and functional additions.

Situated between the LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights and front fog lamps, which now features as standard equipment on XLT, Wildtrak and Raptor variants, is a revised honeycomb-style front grille which incorporates red accents for the side ‘nostrils’. Moving around to the side of the vehicle customers will find black detailing on the side mirror housings and a three-dimensional “Thunder” moniker fitted to the lower section of the front doors, similar to the one found on the tailgate at the rear. The wheel- wells are filled with new 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels are finished in black which adds to the Thunder’s sporty character. The integrated sports hoop, a familiar fixture on Wildtrak derivatives, gains a red insert to further compliment the overall theme.

More practical additions come in the form of a “Mountain Top” black roller shutter to safely secure goods being carried on the loading bed as well as a cargo area management system with a bed divider that allows the owner to easily compartmentalise the available space for securely holding different-sized items. The Ranger Thunder is available in four colours namely; Sea Grey, Frozen White, Absolute Black and Moondust Silver.

Moving to the interior one will notice the Thunder variants incorporating swathes of black leather on the seats, dashboard, steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake shrouds and is finished with red contrast stitching in place of the orange used on the Wildtrak.  The new front leather seats also feature ‘Thunder’ decals embroidered in red. The new Ford bakkie also incorporates an 8.0-inch full-colour touchscreen and is largely equivalent to the familiar SYNC 3 system although the embedded navigation and voice recognition features. The system offers two USB slots to which you can connect your smartphone to access the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity functions which include the ability to use your phone’s navigation apps.

The Thunder variant benefits from all the standard equipment you will find with the Wildtrak, such as Autonomous Emergency Braking which will activate if the radar and camera systems detect pedestrians or other objects. Furthermore, the new offering also comes with Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Collision Alert as well as Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid. Bolstering the package is the Semi-Automatic Parallel Park Assist which takes over parallel parking manoeuvres by using ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear bumpers for the owner.

“As the winner of the 2020 International Pick-up Award, the locally assembled Ford Ranger is proudly one of South Africa’s most popular vehicles and continues to set the benchmark for style, luxury and a vast array of technologies that enhance driving convenience as well as safety. We are delighted to add the exciting new limited-edition Ranger Thunder which adds a sportier and even more exclusive dimension to what is already one of the pickup segment’s front-runners. There are also several enhancements to the already impressive list of standard features on XLS and XLT models, which gives customers even greater value for money, as well as improved driving safety,” Doreen Mashinini, General Manager Marketing, Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA).

Under the bonnet of the Thunder features a 157 kW and 500 N.m 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo motor mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Warranty and Service

The Ford Ranger Thunder comes with a four-year/120 000km warranty, three-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance and five-year/unlimited-kilometre corrosion warranty. A six-year/90 000km service plan is also included.

Price

Ranger 2.0l Bi-T Double Cab Thunder 10AT 4×2 – R736 000

Ranger 2.0l Bi-T Double Cab Thunder 10AT 4×4 – R787 000