Platinum will take-up station between the Wildtrak X and Raptor as the most luxurious model in the Ranger range. Image: Ford
Its most recent addition having been last month with the debut of the Ranger Wildtrak X, Ford used its celebration event, commemorating 100 years of production in South Africa, in Pretoria earlier today to announce the arrival of two further models in the first half of 2024.
Initially described as a European-only model despite production originating from the Silverton Plant, the Ranger Platinum will slot in between the Wildtrak and Raptor as the most luxurious and upmarket Ranger ever to have been sold in South Africa.
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Following the same route as the comparative Everest Platinum, the Ranger Platinum will only be offered with the parament all-wheel-drive system and the 3.0-litre Lion turbodiesel V6 engine that sends 184kW/600Nm to the ground via the recalibrated General Motors co-developed 10-speed automatic gearbox.
Setting itself apart from the Wildtrak, the Platinum’s unique exterior additions comprise the standard fitting of the Matrix LED headlights and machined 20-inch alloy wheels, silver roof rails, chrome window surrounds, a chromed rear bumper, side-steps, a soft-touch closing tailgate, a studded grille with a chrome logo bar and Platinum lettering on the bonnet, tailgate and at the base of the front doors.
Inside, the unique touches consist of perforated quilted leather seats with the fronts being heated, electric and ventilated, dark grained open pore maple wood inserts on the dashboard, expanded leather touch points, ambient lighting and platinum badging on the seats, dashboard and floor mats.
Carried over from the Wildtrak is the 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.4-inch SYNC 4A infotainment system, the eight-speaker B&O Play sound system, a wireless smartphone charger, Park Assist and the 360-degree camera system, to name a few.
For now still unpriced, unconfirmed speculation points to a sticker of R1.1-million on the back of the Wildtrak being priced at R1 026 400 and the Raptor at R1 184 100.
Used until earlier this year to denote off-road versions of the previous Ranger and F-150 in North America, the Tremor moniker originally joined the Platinum also only being reserved for Europe without any markets being privy to either.
Now confirmed for South Africa, the Tremor effectively takes the place of the erstwhile FX4, but not merely as an appearance package.
Also based on the XLT, like the FX4, the Tremor’s exterior revisions include either the Flexible Rack System as an option or the standard steel sports bar, a darkened grille, a steel bashplate underneath the front bumper, a pair of tow hooks, cast-aluminium side-steps, Tremor badges on the tailgate, cladding around the wheel arches and 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres.
Available in a model bespoke colour called Boulder Grey, the Tremor’s biggest gains are underneath. where, like the Wildtrak X, Ford has fitted it with position-sensitive mono-tube Bilstein shock absorbers while also widening the front and rear tracks.
Inside, the XLT issued eight-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.1-inch infotainment system remain, but with model specific touches in the form of water-resistant vinyl floor mats and seats, plus the overhead auxiliary switch panel with six outlets.
Up front, the bi-turbo 2.0-litre Panther unit provides motivation of 154kW/500Nm to all four wheels as standard via the 10-speed automatic ‘box, as well as the permanent all-wheel-drive system.
Still to be priced like the Platinum, speculation points to a likely starting price of around the R850 000 mark based on the XLT 4×4’s sticker of R833 800 and the four-cylinder Wildtrak 4×4’s R925 000.
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