2024 Ford Ranger: Climbing to the top of the pickup pile

Tag along as Vicki Butler-Henderson takes Australia’s top selling vehicle for a spin on UK soil.

The Ford Ranger is one of the world's top selling pickup trucks, grabbing headlines as it ended 2023 as Australia’s most popular vehicle, bringing the mighty Toyota Hilux’s 7-year streak of king of the utes (or utility vehicle for the uninitiated) to an end. 

Through our partners at DriverReviews, we’re bringing you an exclusive review from Vicki Butler-Henderson on the new Ford Ranger. We join Vicki alongside the UK’s best-selling Ranger variant in its natural habitat, a slightly damp, muddy clearing. The Wildtrak, priced at £45,000 plus VAT sits towards the high end of the Ranger pricing list, with single-cab two-seaters starting from around £28,000.

Perched on authentically mud-caked Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT tyres, the Ranger looks ready for all-terrain action, be it out in the field, or on the building site. This off-road rubber can be wrapped around any of the four wheel diameter options, all the way up to 20-inches.

Utility is the name of the game for Ford here — with a longer wheelbase than previous the previous model, and a height greater than a Range Rover, the Ranger provides plenty of room to play with. As Vicki demonstrates when she hops up on the bumper step...

As well as space, Ford clearly have security in mind – from an auto-closing bumper shutter, all the way to a lockable glovebox — a handy spot to keep your sarnies safe until your lunch break. Vicki then provides a brief overview of the interior’s creature comforts, listing plenty to keep drivers, car-poolers, or family members relaxed and entertained.

Vicki hits the road, heading for the England’s steepest street – based in bustling Bristol – to test the Ranger’s “slippery” driving mode. Nose-to-tail parking is strictly off limits here, but you may be surprised by what triggers the sensors on the Ford’s 360-degree camera during the sharp decline...

The punchy new 3-litre V6 diesel engine is then tested on the way back to the top. Although the slightly vertical location is not the place to showcase the Ranger’s ability to haul its 2,300kg frame from 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds, Vicki’s favourite gradient readout screen takes centre stage throughout the impressive climb. What’s that you ask? You’ll have to check the video out to see.

Question time: what does a Ford Ranger and Bristol’s most famous bridge have in common? The suspension (well, sort of). The Ford’s leaf spring suspension represents a technology which goes back 160 years, making it nearly as old as the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Age is just a number though, and when it comes to heavyweight haulage Vicki reckons this technology still holds strong, relaying that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” from her comfortable perch.

Its versatile utility has certainly led to the Ford Ranger’s success in the UK and beyond, but will the Wildtrak live up to its forebears? You’ll have to watch the video to find out. 

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