Ford Australia has revealed an off-road-focused special edition version of its top-selling Ranger ute that bridges the gap between the Wildtrak and Raptor.
The new Ford Ranger Wildtrak X revives a nameplate last seen in 2021 in the previous-generation form, and is set to arrive in Australian showrooms during the second half of this year.
This new Ranger special edition is priced from $75,990 before on-road costs, which is $4800 more expensive than the Wildtrak V6 and only $1000 cheaper than the luxurious Ranger Platinum V6.
The Ranger Wildtrak X is offered exclusively with the 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine which produces 150kW of power and 500Nm of torque, mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
It uses a full-time four-wheel drive system with a 4A mode that can be used on pavement, instead of the part-time four-wheel drive system found in all other Ranger Bi-Turbo variants.
Ford has noted the Ranger Wildtrak X is the first variant to meet Light Duty Truck Euro 6 emissions level, which means it requires AdBlue.
It’s worth noting this combination of the Euro 6-compliant 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine and full-time four-wheel drive is already available in the Everest.
One main highlight of the Ranger Wildtrak X is its suspension setup that has been “specifically tuned” for touring and payload.
This suspension setup includes Bilstein position-sensitive dampers which have a monotube design and a nitrogen-charged external reservoir.
There are also new 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 265/70 R17 General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres as standard.
Thanks to the tweaked suspension setup and all-terrain tyres the Ranger Wildtrak X has a 30mm wider front and rear track width than the existing Wildtrak, as well as 26mm more ground clearance.
Despite the suspension changes the Ranger Wildtrak X still have a 3500kg braked towing capacity like the rest of the core Ranger line-up.
On the outside the Ranger Wildtrak X can be distinguished by its exclusive Cyber Orange paintwork. This colour was previously available on the Bronco off-roader.
Other exterior highlights include a new off-road grille design with integrated LED lights, a steel bash plate, cast aluminium side steps, black exterior highlights, Wildtrak X badging, and Matrix LED headlights.
This new special edition model also comes with Ford’s Flexible Rack System, which was only recently introduced, and includes two main components that can be adjusted to fit a variety of items.
Inside the Ranger Wildtrak X comes with the larger 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster, a B&O premium sound system, and an overhead auxiliary switch bank for aftermarket accessories.
It has new leather-accented seats with Miko suede and Wildtrak X embroidered into the seat backs, upper glove box and all-weather front and rear floor mats.
There’s also Terra suede on the glovebox, instrument cluster hood, door trim, and centre console rails, as well as Cyber Orange contrast stitching.
The Ford Ranger Wildtrak X comes with a variety of off-road-focused modes to help owners “tackle challenging terrain”.
Trail Turn Assist helps owners negotiate tight turns on narrow tracks by applying the brake on the inside rear wheel. This is designed to be used on loose surfaces at speeds under 19km/h and in either 4H or 4L with the rear differential unlocked.
Ford claims the Trail Turn Assist feature can reduce the Ranger Wildtrak X’s turning circle radius by up to 25 per cent.
Another feature is Trail Control which helps drivers maintain a constant low-speed while off-road. It works at speeds below 32km/h and manages acceleration and braking.
This feature is already available in the Ranger Raptor and essentially acts as an off-road cruise control.
The last off-road-focused mode is Rock Crawl which has been designed to help customers traverse uneven, rocky terrain in a controlled manner.
This drive mode requires 4L to be engaged and will automatically lock the rear differential. It’ll also actuate a unique throttle and transmission calibration that’s designed to help the driver traverse the terrain as smoothly as possible.
At this stage it’s unclear how many examples of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak X will be coming to Australia.
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