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Pickups have become a major player as farmer vehicles, with their ability to carry five adults with ease and still have load carrying ability. All the main players have a pickup in their range, from the evergreen Toyota Hilux to the new kid on the block the Fiat Fullback which we tested earlier this year.
This week I had the pleasure of driving the biggest of these machines, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak. The Wildtrak is an imposing presence, with its all-black paintwork and massive 18in alloy wheels. Climbing up into the cab, you can immediately see that this version has got all the bits you could possibly need, from in-built satellite navigation to multi-zone climate control.
The 3.2 litre diesel engine fires up with a throaty rumble, a hint of the 200hp produced from the five-cylinder lump.
On the road
This car came with the six-speed manual box. Selecting first gear to get going was done with a good solid mechanical motion, which gives a real feeling of solidity to the box. Moving away, the clutch and steering are nicely weighted for a machine of this size.
The power delivered from the big diesel makes for decent progress but by no means swift. This is to be expected when you take the 2.2t which this beast weighs into account.
When driving on standard Irish back roads, the Ranger is very comfortable, taking all the humps and hollows in its stride.
The only issue is when you meet other traffic, the size of the pickup means you nearly always end up having to use its off-road capability to get out of the way.
This was especially an issue when meeting tractors and trailers loaded with this year’s harvest on the move.
With a class-leading towing capacity of 3,500kg, I was tempted to find a small grain trailer and join in.
The Wildtrak is 5.4 metres long.
This is also the reason for the lack of outright performance, as the big diesel is obviously set up for massive torque rather than speed.
This torque gives the feeling that if it were attached to a small house, there would only be one winner.
Once off the back roads and out on the motorway the big jeep gets up to speed and cruises very quietly at the national motorway limit. The cruise control is easily set up and works perfectly when required.
Sitting cruising on the motorway, you can really feel this pickup’s American roots, lounging in the comfortable driver’s seat with the big engine burbling effortlessly, you feel like a proper US rancher.
The infotainment system is Ford’s latest SYNC system, which is controlled using an 8in touchscreen. It is very intuitive and easy to use.
There are many features, which are all controlled from the responsive touchscreen, from the in-cabin ambient lighting colours to the rear view camera which is very helpful in a machine the size of a small cargo ship.
The cargo bed of the big ford is sizeable at 1.5 metres square, big enough for a bag of meal comfortably.
While on the topic of manoeuvrability, steering lock on all of these pickups is an issue and a decent-sized paddock is required to get the Ranger to point the opposite direction.
The verdict
The big Ford makes me smile – it is great fun to drive and very comfortable. The sheer size of it is both very reassuring and unnerving in equal amounts.
The major plus points for the Ranger are the monstrous towing capacity of 3,500kg and the phenomenal torque that the engine produces.
On the other side, the lack of manoeuvrability and thirst for diesel are minor if you have the need for the positives that it brings.
This top of the range pickup is a serious contender in the market and going by the number of fellow ranger driver I spotted during the week in the driver’s seat, the public are buying into the American dream.
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