The Ford Ranger has been a staple in Australia for years, but its rise to stardom with the latest-generation model in 2022 was nothing short of meteoric. If you told anyone a decade ago that the mid-size pickup truck would outpace its competitors like the Hilux, they might’ve laughed in your face.
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Back in 2014, the old Ranger sat at a respectable sixth place on the sales charts with 26,619 units sold, trailing the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, and the Holden Commodore. Fast forward to 2023, and the new Ranger hit a record-breaking 63,356 sales, nudging out the Hilux by over 2,000 units. By 2024, it had cemented its place at the top with 62,593 sales, nearly 10,000 more than Toyota. So, what’s behind this rapid success?
Over the past couple of years, the Ranger has become an incredibly common sight on Aussie roads. It’s hardly a surprise as much of its development was led by Ford Australia. Eager to see what all the fuss is about, we recently spent a week living with the popular Ranger Wildtrak. We weren’t disappointed.
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Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
The 2025 Ranger is available in a dizzying number of variants in Australia, starting off with the most basic XL Hi-Rider Single Cab starting at AU$36,880 (~$23,100) and topping out with the AU$90,000+ (~$56,500) Ranger Raptor that we also recently drove. Between these two models are over a dozen different configurations with single cabs, dual cabs, different engines, and both rear-wheel and four-wheel drive options.
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In the US, the 2025 Ranger family starts at $33,080 and tops out at $55,820 for the Raptor. Our tester was the popular Ranger Wildtrak with the available 2.0-liter engine, starting at AU$69,640 (~$43,700) before on-road costs.
Ford’s 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged diesel four-cylinder is known as the ‘Panther’ but feels more like a tame kitten, although that’s not really an issue. It produces 206 hp (154 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque and is coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The pickup also has a part-time four-wheel drive system as standard with low range and a locking rear differential. For an extra AU$5,400 (~$3,400), the Wildtrak is also available with a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 with 247 hp (184 kW) and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm), although the 2.0-liter is more than adequate.
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
An Excellent Cabin
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The cabin is one of the highlights of the latest-gen Ranger. Gone are the days when vehicles in this class had horribly basic cabins, void of any technology. In fact, the Ranger Wildtrak comes loaded with heaps of tech, making it feel more like an SUV than a normal truck.
As with other Ranger models, a portrait 12.0-inch infotainment screen is the highlight. It runs on Ford’s SYNC 4A system and offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Virtually all of the major controls and settings are found on the screen, but that’s no bad thing as it’s responsive, clear, and easy to understand.
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The screen also houses plenty of systems to make towing a breeze. These include a top-down tow hitch camera. There’s also an integrated trailer brake controller, a trailer sway control system, and a blind-spot monitoring system that adapts to towing. The blind-spot monitoring system works well, but because the radar is positioned within the taillights, there have been some cases in the US of thieves stealing these lights.
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Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Most of the climate control settings are also operated through the screen, although there are buttons and dials for the temperature and fan speeds, which is nice. Nevertheless, I’d prefer a few more physical HVAC controls. Elsewhere, there’s an 8.0-inch infotainment display, which is good, but not as impressive as the larger 12.4-inch unit found in the Ranger Raptor. It offers limited customization options and isn’t the highest-resolution screen either.
The rest of the cabin is a nice mix of hard-wearing black leather and plastic, with bright orange contrast stitching adding a little bit of flair. We spent almost 24 full hours behind the wheel of the Wildtrak during our time with it and the driver’s seat proved to be very comfortable on long journeys. A wireless charging pad is another welcome inclusion.
The Ford Ranger and its competitors have become popular family and lifestyle vehicles Down Under, so it’s nice that the second row offers plenty of space and comfort, along with individual air vents back and a pair of USB ports. A large storage cubby is found under one of the rear seats.
The Drive
Much like the new Mitsubishi Triton I recently drove, the new Ranger drives much more like an SUV than the previous-gen model, yet still feels like it could go anywhere and do anything.
Like most turbo-diesels, the 2.0-liter mill is a little noisy and a little rattly at low speeds, but it quickly settles into a rhythm at highway speeds and is mostly unobtrusive. While the V6 has an extra 40 hp (30 kW) and 100 Nm of torque, I was never left wanting for any more performance from the four-cylinder. Ford doesn’t quote a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time, but it’ll hit that mark in roughly 9-10 seconds, which is adequate.
As mentioned, this engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic, the same transmission found in several other Ford models. While some may think it has a too many gears, it operates smoothly in the background, quickly and quietly shifting between cogs in urban areas. You can shift manually through the gears with “plus” and “minus” buttons on the shifter, although it’d be a little nicer if it used paddles like the Raptor.
One of the main reasons buyers would opt for the 2.0-liter model over the 3.0-liter is fuel efficiency. Ford says the four-cylinder can sip just 7.6l/100 km (30.9 US mpg) over the combined cycle, compared to 8.4l/100 km (28 US mpg) for the V6. However, both of those figures are very ambitious.
During my time with the Ranger Wildtrak 2.0, I averaged 8.9 l/100 km (26.4 US mpg), with roughly 80% of my driving sitting at highway speeds with the cruise control turned on. On some stints, fuel economy did sit around the 8.1 l/100 km (29 US mpg) mark, but I never saw it dip into the 7s. I suspect the V6 would average closer to 10.0 l/100 km (23.5 US mpg) under similar testing conditions.
Ford has made vast improvements in the quality of the Ranger’s ride compared to its predecessor. Although it has a live-axle at the rear, as well as leaf springs at the back, it remained comfortable over most road surfaces. However, it is not as plush as the new Triton, which surprised me. With some weight in the bed, the ride can no doubt be slightly improved. As it stands, it’s good but not great.
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
Unsurprisingly, the Ranger Wildtrak isn’t the type of vehicle that feels at home when driven in anger. The steering feels a little wayward and doesn’t provide much feedback, nor do the brakes instill you with much confidence. But really, that’s most part and parcel with vehicles like this.
Plenty of safety tech comes standard, including adaptive cruise control and a driver attention monitoring system. Some have complained about this monitoring system being overactive, prompting Ford to roll out a software update to tone it down a little. I didn’t have any issues with it. What I did find annoying is the fact that active lane centering is not controlled by a button on the steering wheel and has to be turned on by diving into the settings menu on the main screen.
Photos Brad Anderson/Carscoops
We didn’t have the opportunity to test out the towing abilities of the new Ranger, but it has a solid rated towing capacity of 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs), which is on par with its competitors. Like the Raptor, there are plenty of driving modes, too, including Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, and Sand.
Verdict
All told, the truck we tested is an impressive bit of kit and it’s hardly a surprise that the new Ranger has become so popular. It feels more modern than all of its competitors, has plenty of tech and has a wide breadth of abilities. However, higher-spec models like the Wildtrak are pretty expensive, which perhaps explains why some cheaper alternatives from China, like the new BYD Shark, are gaining in popularity.