Looking to extract maximum launch bang per buck, Ford is staggering the introduction of its all-new Ranger pick-up.
First come Raptor and Wildtrak, which are already starting to appear in UK dealerships. Then in May we should see XL, XLT and Platinum. And last to arrive will be Tremor and Wildtrak X, scheduled for first deliveries in July.
The phased introduction of the seven-model Ranger line may be less than ideal, but, with the new VW Amarok also rolling out of the Ford factory in South Africa at the same time, it was almost inevitable. Too many new variants all at once for optimum production set-up, reckons Ford. Hence the phasing.
Not that there’s likely to be any shortage in demand. Ford says the overall European pick-up market has returned to its pre-Covid upward trajectory, which had seen the annual total hit 180,000 vehicles in 2018 before slumping to 110,000 in 2022. Such is the rate of recovery that the firm predicts we’ll be back to 180,000 units by 2025 … at the latest.
So, which of Ford’s magnificent seven is most likely to appeal to farmers? Probably not the pictured Raptor flagship, with its £56,000+ tag and 652kg payload, the latter making VAT non-reclaimable.
Of much broader appeal will be the Wildtrak (2.0-litre four-cyl diesel or 3.0-litre V6 diesel), Wildtrak X (2.0-litre diesel only and Bilstein suspension) and Platinum (V6 diesel only), all of which get 1.0t payloads, 3.5t towing and are VAT reclaimable.
Nett prices are from £39,350 (Wildtrak) and £44,400 (Platinum), with the Wildtrak X tag still to be announced. We’ll be driving the ‘X’ in an upcoming issue.
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