Ranger equivalent of the Everest Platinum becomes the new flagship model between the Wildtrak V6 and Raptor. Image: Ford
Penned-in for South Africa last year as its 100th anniversary celebration event, Ford has disclosed price and spec details of the Ranger Tremor and Platinum ahead of their market introduction in the latter stages of the first quarter of the year.
Originally billed as a European-market only model, the Platinum takes-up residency between the V6 engine Wildtrak and the Raptor as the most luxurious model within the locally built Ranger range.
The second model after the Everest to receive the Platinum moniker in South Africa, the Ranger Platinum retains not only the full-time four-wheel-drive system, but also the 3.0-litre Lion turbodiesel V6 engine that sends it 184kW/600Nm to the ground via the General Motors co-developed 10-speed automatic gearbox.
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Aesthetically, the Platinum’s exterior differences from the Wildtrak includes the standard fitting of the Matrix LED headlights, ebony accented 20-inch machined alloy wheels, a model specific satin silk grille with a mesh pattern, silver mirror caps, Platinum lettering on the bonnet, chrome window surrounds and a chromed rear bumper.
Also standard is the otherwise optional soft-touch closing tailgate, chrome side-steps, satin silver roof rails, chrome side vent surrounds, black accents on the front bumpers, a satin silver front skidplate and Platinum badges at the base of the front doors and on the tailgate itself.
Inside, the upmarket touches comprise quilted leather seats with the fronts being heated, electric and ventilated, black maple wood inserts, expanded soft-touch leather on the dashboard, a heated steering wheel, Platinum badges on the seatbacks, dashboard and floor mats, satin aluminium detailing and a 64-colour ambient lighting system.
Carried over from the Wildtrak is the 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, the 12-inch SYNC 4A infotainment system, 360-degree surround-view camera system and the 10-speaker B&O Play sound system.
The specification itinerary goes further as Ford has also furnished the Platinum with the Trail Assist system from the Wildtrak X, Adaptive Cruise Control, a tyre pressure monitor, the Trailer Pro Assist system, a 400-watt inverter, 240-volt and 12-volt power sockets build into walls of the loadbin, and the Terrain Management system with seven modes; Eco, Slippery, Normal, Tow/Haul, Mud and Ruts, Sand and the low-range exclusive Rock Crawl.
In terms of colours; five options are available; Frozen White, Agate Black, Carbonised Grey, Iconic Silver and Lucid Red.
At the other end of the spectrum, the off-road focused Tremor, also originally designated for Europe, bridges the gap between the XLT and Wildtrak as the spiritual replacement for the previous generation Ranger FX4.
Similar to the Platinum by being a nameplate long used in North America, but until now not in South Africa, the Tremor is, however the opposite of the FX4 by being more substantial than an appearance package.
Although based on the XLT, the Tremor comes standard with 17-inch Asphalt Black machine alloy wheels wrapped in General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres, the Flexible Rack System as an option over the standard tubular steel sports bar, Bolder Grey exterior detailing, a steel bash plate underneath the front bumper and a black Ford badge on the grille.
Along with Tremor badges on the tailgate and at the base of the doors, the specific touches goes further by including cast-aluminium side-steps, Bolder Grey wheel arch cladding, a pair of tow hooks and no less than seven colour options; Carbonised Grey, Agate Black, Iconic Silver, Frozen White, Blue Lightning, Lucid Red and the Tremor exclusive Conquer Grey.
Underneath, the Tremor’s biggest difference from the XLT stares as, apart from Ford having widened the front and rear tracks by 30 mm, the bashplate has been expanded to underneath the transfer case and fuel tank instead of only protecting the engine.
In addition, the claimed ground clearance has been increased by 24 mm to 261 mm as a result of not only the wheels, but largely to the mono-tube Bilstein position-sensitive dampers taken from the Wildtrak X.
Joining the Wildtrak X as the only four-cylinder Ranger to receive the full-time four-wheel-drive system, the Tremor also keeps the Trail Assist system and the Terrain Management System with the prevailing seven modes.
Inside, the standard specification sheet has been revised from the European model by forgoing the 10.1-inch infotainment system for the 12-inch in order to accommodate the 360-degree surround-view camera system.
While the smaller eight-inch digital instrument cluster remains, Ford has made the otherwise optional wireless smartphone charger standard, along with the overhead auxiliary switch panel with six outlets and unique touches comprising water-resistant vinyl floor mats, grey and ebony inserts, water-resistant vinyl seats with grey stitching and orange Tremor embroidery work on the front seatbacks.
On the safety and driver assistance system front, the Tremor comes fitted with Hill Descent Control, Lane Keep Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Monitoring, Trailer Sway Control, Roll Over Mitigation, Hill Start Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Reverse Brake Assist, Road Edge Detection, Load Adaptive Control and Pre-Collision Assist.
As mentioned, power for the Tremor comes from the locally made 2.0-litre Panther bi-turbodiesel engine, whose 154kW/500Nm is directed to the wheels through the same 10-speed transmission as in the Platinum and Wildtrak X.
On-sale soon, both the Ranger Tremor and Platinum’s respective sticker prices include a four-year/120 000 km warranty plus an optional service or maintenance plans up to eight years or 135 000 km.
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