Over in South Africa, where the featured video was filmed, the best-selling pickup truck is the good ol’ Hilux. Last year when nobody – not even the automotive sector – could escape the consequences of the health crisis, Toyota sold 31,263 examples. Care to guess which came in second place?
That would be the Ford Ranger, which moved 18,846 units in the southernmost country in the African continent. The Blue Oval-badged truck in the drag-racing video comes in the guise of the XLT with the single-turbo 2.0L diesel engine, 10-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive, and FX4 decals on the sides. Not to be confused with the off-road package offered in the United States, this fellow is equipped with an electronic diff lock as standard while 4x4 models boast shift-on-the-fly engagement.
Priced from 712,300 rands ($46,805) for this exact configuration, the Ranger is flexing 177 horsepower (180 PS) and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) of torque from 1,750 revolutions per minute. That’s more than adequate for a 2.0L plant this application, more so when compared to Toyota’s bakkie.
The 2.4 GD-6 4x4 Raider AT takes its mojo from a four-cylinder turbo diesel that flaunts 148 horsepower (150 PS) and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque from 1,600 revolutions per minute. These numbers may not impress you in the least, but do remember that lower output and larger displacement make the 2GD-FTV a far less stressed engine than Ford’s EcoBlue lump.
Priced from 627,900 rands ($41,275) at the moment of the drag race, the Hilux in this configuration also features a more traditional automatic transmission with six forward ratios. You may have already guessed which is the quicker pickup in a straight line, and you’re not wrong. The Ranger doesn’t accelerate as fast off the starting line, but higher torque and 10 forward ratios make the difference. According to South Africa’s CAR Magazine, the Ranger crossed the finish line by two-and-a-half lengths.
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
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