autoevolution
 

2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak Looks Rough and Rugged

FoMoCo launched the range-topping 2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak today in Thailand. Building upon the utilitarian Ranger ute we all know and love, the facelifted model in Wildtrak format adds some aggressive styling to the mix, joined by a plethora of offroading-focused technological brouhaha.
2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak 10 photos
Photo: Ford
2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak
It’s a bit of a shame that the chicken tax imposed in 1963 by President Lyndon B. Johnson renders the Ford Ranger facelift a no-show in the United States, but countries like the Land Down Under, New Zealand, parts of Asia and Europe will get it. The striking aesthetic cues of the full-size F-150 pickup truck rubbed off the mid-size Ranger facelift.

Just like the F-150, the 2015 Ford Ranger is available in basic formats, with black plastic bumpers and so on. Not the Wildtrak though. This bad boy boasts 800 mm water-wading capability and 230 mm of ground clearance, as well as an electronically controlled transfer case. A lever would’ve been manlier though.

Trevor Worthington, vice prez of Product Development for Ford Asia Pacific, is enthusiastic about the Wildtrak: “Building on the bolder, smarter and more refined new Ranger, the new Wildtrak is a perfect fit for customers who want to combine genuine 4x4 capability with stand-out styling and premium features.”

The trapezoidal front grille and outboard nostrils do it for us, especially in that shade of dark metallic gray borrowed by the side mirrors. Curious how the exterior color of the Wildtrak is called? Pride Orange.

How cool does that sound? Cool White, Black Mica, Aluminum Metallic and Metropolitan Gray don’t rock our boat as much as Pride Orange. To be frank, this color matches the orange stitching inside best. So the 2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak ute talks the talk, but can it walk the walk? In a nutshell, yes, and then some.

Look beyond the fuel efficient 2.2-liter Duratorq four-pot turbo diesel (118 kW / 160 PS and 385 Nm / 284 lb-ft) and take the 3.2-liter Duratorq five-cylinder TDCi instead. With 147 kW (200 PS) and 470 Nm (346 lb-ft) on tap, the peeps from Ford Australia claim that the revised 3.2-liter is up to 18 percent more economical than the one in the pre-facelift Ranger ute. It can also tow up to 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs) if properly equipped.

The FoMoCo people tell that Australia and NZ will get the 2015 Ford Ranger Wildtrak in the third quarter of the year. Until then, you can find more about the Wildtrak in the press release attached under the video.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
press release
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories