The words "luxury" and "bakkie" should never be mentioned in the same sentence, a bakkie is meant to be rugged and tough, something that gets messy and have a multitude of uses but none of that includes princess treatment for its occupants. But here I am, about to tell you about a double cab bakkie that is rugged, that is built tough, can take on just about any challenge but all the while, keeping its occupants in complete luxury with premium finishes and technology galore. Which bakkie can offer this? Well the range topping Ford Ranger Platinum of course! Yes, Ford South Africa have decided to extend the Platinum name plate onto the Ranger and with it, comes all the bells and whistles that we've come accustomed to with the Everest Platinum. During my time with the bakkie, I drove into one of the more elite estates in Durban and the Ranger felt at home, hence I dubbed it "The Estate Bakkie", I think it could catch, anyway, lets get into the crux of it.
DESIGN
While the design of the Ranger is pretty much standard over the range, each trim is characterized by the exterior features, that make a massive difference in terms of overall aesthetics. Don't believe me? Look at a base Ranger without the Matrix LED headlamps, ya, thought so. Just looking at this Ranger Platinum, gives you a feel that it is special and sets itself apart from the others, it's almost like that meme of that guy from the 1700's looking down upon you. It's so fancy that even the name of the colour palates are fancy, my test car was finished off in "Agate Black" and yes, it didn't look like an a normal black as it stood there glistening in the sun light. The Ranger Platinum has a host of shiny details that give that premium look from the outside with its main eye catcher being the Platinum grille with chrome surround, other noteworthy details are the Matrix LED headlamps, LED tail lamps, LED front fog lamps, colour coded door handles, side steps, mud flaps for both the front and rear. While we at the rear, the rear bumper is accent coloured as well. The load box or bin as we call it has a nice finish and as an added extra you could have an automated roller cover. Added to the looks department is a classy rear sports bar with sports hoop and chrome roof rails. The Ranger Platinum sits on massive Goodyear Wrangler tyres which have 20" diamond cut alloys inside them, very attractive looking rims for an attractive looking car. Now, like the Everest, there are a number of Platinum badges around the car to make it known this is a Platinum model, if you follow me on TikTok, you can view the video on the official count on this one and see how it compares to the Everest.
PERFORMANCE
Powering the Ranger Platinum is the same V6 turbocharged 3.0L V6 diesel engine that I had in the Everest Wildtrak earlier this year. While the performance figures are the same, with it delivering 184kW and 600Nm of torque, the output does feel a bit more composed in the Platinum, not sure if it has anything to do with the suspension of the comfy seats. It has the same 10-speed automatic gearbox with e-shifter and rear wheel driven with optional 4WD and low-range for rough terrain. On the road feel, its a lot more sturdy than other Rangers I've driven, doesn't feel bouncy when doing high speeds and overall a very smooth ride. It is a nice looking car with nice features so I didn't really want to take it off-road and get it dirty but hey, I am doing a test on it so I treated it to some light gravel venturing in the cane fields and boy did it eat it up like a charm. That V6 just comes alive when you hand it a challenge, the driving modes are easily selectable from the jog shuttle control behind the gear selector, where you can choose one of seven, yes it has seven driving modes, namely Normal, Eco, Tow, Slippery, Mud, Sand and Rock Crawl. Then there is the off-road controls which you can control the diff lock, traction and select your high and low gears as well as engaging four wheel drive. Most off these though are pre-programmed into the driving modes, so if for example you're doing rock crawl, the 4-wheel low range would be engaged along with it, so even as a novice you could easily navigate most obstacles that come your way with the car. Ford claim a 10.1L per 100km fuel consumption with the Ranger Platinum, but with me having just 7 days with it, and a V6 in front of me, it's safe to say I didn't really achieve that figure.
COMFORT
It's not like the Ranger Platinum doesn't shine in other departments but this is where it shines the most, on the interior. I mean, quilted leather seats with heating and ventilated, along with steering wheel heating, in a bakkie? Come on man! It almost feels as if you're stepping into one of those off-roaders form the UK that's name is very close to Ranger. Choice of materials used in the cabin are very premium, even the fake dark wood trim on the dash looks believable and not like a cheap plastic knock off. There's ambient lighting to illuminate the cabin at night, though I don't know if you can choose the colour on this as I couldn't find any settings on the SYNC menu. The digital cluster is different from the other Rangers as it features the 12.4-inch screen which only the Ranger Raptor has. This screen is fully configurable via controls from the multi-function steering wheel which are easy to use even when driving. Focal point in the cabin is the 12-inch iPad style multi-function touch screen infotainment center. The UI from FORD SYNCE 4 is pretty neat with the ability to give you option to display your mobile apps wirelessly but still have native controls present for easy access to the vehicles data when needed. There is even controls for your climate control on the screen should you wish to use that instead of the analog controls located below it. It is dual zone climate control with vents in the second row for the rear passengers, the front seats are electronically adjustable and the Matrix LED head lights are adaptive. There is a wireless charging pad as well as USB Type C ports for charging devices. There are 12V power points in the center storage and back with the bin featuring one as well as a 3-pin Euro plug. The auxiliary switch bank is located just behind the sunglasses case on the roof and can accommodate up to 6 additions. The sound system is a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen system which provides the perfect quality for any type of music.
TECH & SAFETY
With a car like this, safety is a paramount with the Ranger Platinum having dual front, front side, curtain, driver far side and driver and passenger knee airbags. For the road it comes with dynamic stability control which incorporates ABS, load adaptive control which assesses the weight of the load to manage the roll over mitigation, if you're towing something, it has trailer sway control to make sure whatever you're towing stays in line with the vehicle, by the way the maximum towing capacity of the Ranger Platinum is 3500kgs. The Ranger Platinum comes with 360 camera views with 4 cameras that project multiple views to assist you with everything, there is even an additional camera port should whatever you're towing have a camera too. Key driving aids include adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane assist and evasive steer assist to avoid collisions. It even has post collision braking which stops the car after impact should the drive be unconscious at the wheel. A handy feature for a big car like this is active park assist 2.0 which is fully autonomous and can parallel and alley dock your car with perfection making use of the PDC's. There's loads more which you can read about in the brochure but I think I covered the important ones.
VERDICT
I know I joked about the Ranger having 20 odd derivatives in my Ford Puma review, but with it being made locally, it really was an opportunity for Ford South Africa to showcase what they can do and make it known there is a Ranger for everybody, even if you're living on a fancy high-end estate and just want to look cool for your neighbors. The Ranger Platinum has a steep price tag but if you really go through what you're getting, you will soon find there is no other brand that can offer you all of this in a bakkie, apart from it's twin that is made in the same factory as this but it does come at a higher cost. The trend in motoring is a weird one as we see the shift from sedans and hatches to crossovers, SUV's and bakkies. I was never really an advocate for bakkies being a family type vehicle simply because they were big, didn't offer the same level of comfort and were a hassle to park. I also felt that most people who bought them, rarely used them for the purpose they were made for but clearly my thinking was short sighted as sales still continued to rise and demand for something like this became more relevant. I'm glad that Ford has heeded their call as this is a masterful example of what can be made.
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