The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is one of the most popular permutations of Australia’s most popular vehicle — as far as market relevance is concerned, this is a review worth reading.
In brief
The Wildtrak grade is one of the most popular in the Ford Ranger lineup, but is it worth spending extra to get it?
While Toyota might have been the brand that moved the most metal in 2024, Ford’s Ranger closed out the year as the country’s top-selling nameplate, easily beating other popular tow rigs like the Toyota HiLux, Prado and Isuzu MU-X by a thick margin. And when it comes variants, the Wildtrak grade is one of, if not the most, popular within the Ranger family (although Ford itself won’t confirm).
So, the statistics say that a bunch of you either already hold the keys to a Ranger Wildtrak or are thinking about adding one to your fleet soon — but how does it perform when towing? To give Ford a decent challenge we hooked up one of the biggest caravans we could get our hands on to a four-cylinder Wildtrak, and this is how we went.
What was on offer
Retailing for $69,640 before on-road costs, the Ranger Wildtrak 2.0L Bi-Turbo comes in $5200 cheaper than its more muscular 3.0L V6 sibling. Our test car was also equipped with Blue Lightning paint for an extra $700, as well as the Flexible Rack System for $2800, and while we could live without fancy paint, the sliding ladder rail that straddles the tub and the flip-out cross bars on the roof are actually features worth paying more for.
As for the Wildtrak’s standard feature set, highlights include leather(ish) upholstery, a gigantic 12-inch infotainment centre screen, a wireless phone charger and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, built-in satnav, a thumping Bang & Olufsen premium audio system, an 8in digi-dash, dual zone climate control, rear air vents, plus front and rear USB outlets (two USB-C and two USB-A).
More pragmatic features include side-steps, a powered aluminium roller shutter tonneau cover, LED foglamps, a 12V power outlet in the tub, adjustable tie-down points on the upper sides of the tub (four in total), fixed tie-down loops on the lower tub (six in total) and integrated box steps in the rear bumper to help access cargo. Oh, and a tow package that includes an integrated trailer brake controller and factory-fitted towbar. As an out-of-the-box offering, most shouldn’t feel the temptation to dip into the aftermarket — there’s already plenty of gear.
What towing features does it have?
For this test, we’re not looking to max out the Ranger Wildtrak 2.0’s 3500kg maximum towing capacity — after all, doing so would leave us with just 521kg of payload aboard the ute. That said, the Jayco Discovery 21.66-4 Outback we’ve got here will still present a decent challenge with its 2450kg tare — plus a few hundred kilos of water and gear onboard.
The Ranger Wildtrak is well-equipped to meet that challenge. Like most other Ranger variants, it ships with a bevy of towing-specific features that greatly enhance its ease of use, features like a trailer light self-checking function, customisable trailer profiles that can be stored in the infotainment system (and automatically interface with the sat-nav to ensure your route is compatible with your trailer’s physical dimensions), and the aforementioned towbar and electronic trailer brake controller. The reversing camera also has a towing-specific top-down tow hitch view, which takes a lot of the trial and error out of connecting a trailer when solo, and this camera is just one of many quality-of-life features that makes towing with a Ranger easy.
Tyres and performance
The 2.0L Wildtrak comes fitted with dark silver 18-inch alloy wheels, wearing Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT/S rubber. As an all-terrain compound, the Wrangler Territory should give drivers the confidence to do moderate offroading, though our tow test kept to the blacktop. On the highway, tyre roar wasn’t that much more noticeable than a dedicated highway terrain tyre, and braking traction was decent as well.
Fuel consumption and driving performance
After a little more than 710km of driving, which encompassed a mix of steady-state highway cruising (mostly at 100km/h, not 110km/h), we saw an average of 16L/100km on the fuel computer. That’s more than respectable, though not the best result we’ve seen from a 2.0L Ranger on a tow test. The last time we put Ford’s twin-turbo four-pot through the wringer over a similar route, it returned an average of 13.8L/100km — although that one was lugging a Jayco Starcraft, a physically smaller van with a 570kg lighter tare mass. For the massive, draggy Discovery, 16L/100km is a decent result.
But at this level of heft and drag, the question does need to be asked: are you better off splurging a bit and getting the V6 instead? Besides having more power (184kW) and more torque (600Nm) than the 2.0 bi-turbo, the venerable 3.0L V6 feels a lot more relaxed when it comes to moving big things. Our last tow test with a V6 Ranger (in Sport trim), returned highway numbers between 16–18L/100km on a rather hilly route through the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, lugging a van with a 300kg lighter tare but similar frontal area, so the bigger engine doesn’t necessarily translate into a substantially bigger thirst.
The Ranger’s 2.0L engine is adequate at lower speeds on level ground, but the big Discovery does feel like a proverbial ball and chain around the four-pot’s ankle when time comes to tackle a meaningful grade while also pushing aside air at highway velocity. The spread of ratios in the standard-issue 10-speed automatic helps it out here, but it does feel a little too eager to kick down at times, even when it seems doing so pops the engine out of the meaty part of its torque band. At higher RPM, this engine also sounds fairly harsh — although it’s admittedly fairly muted when just cruising between 80–100km/h in ninth gear.
No qualms around the Ranger’s braking hardware though — it definitely felt up to the task of slowing down this particular combo, even on steeper descents. Ford’s integrated brake controller also makes it a cinch to dial in the right brake balance, and it is a greatly appreciated feature.
Ride quality is really the only part where the Ranger Wildtrak 2.0L comes up wanting. Before embarking on our journey, I had the thought that having 240-odd kilos of downforce on the tow ball coupled with another hundred or so kilos of payload in the tub would impart a plushness to the Ranger’s live-axle rear end — as it tends to do with most leaf-sprung utes. Instead, the Ranger still felt a little stiff-legged in the back. Maybe more cargo in the tub would have helped, but on the flipside, there was not all that much to complain about in terms of handling. No wayward porpoising or lightness to the front end, and generally civilised behaviour even on lumpy country backroads.
Safety and comfort features
The Ranger Wildtrak’s safety fit-out is comprehensive, with nine airbags in total, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control (which works all the way down to 0km/h), a 360-degree parking camera, blind spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition, autonomous emergency braking with junction assist, and driver attention monitoring.
It’s a robust list, but the one chink in that armour is a hyperactive driver attention alert that seems to interpret any kind of deviation from the lane centreline as a signal that the driver has lost consciousness. The resulting bongs and alert messages are annoying to the extent that deactivating the system becomes attractive, which unfortunately nullifies any benefit those systems otherwise have. Ford is aware, however, and a software fix to reduce the driver alert’s sensitivity is in the process of being rolled out.
Interior comfort is at the top of the segment, and the Wildtrak, being just one rung below the top-shelf Ranger Platinum, is well-equipped for long hours behind the wheel. The eight-way power adjustable (and heated) front sports seats are comfortable and accommodating of a range of body types, and other key touchpoints like the steering wheel and transmission selector are upholstered in a reasonably convincing faux leather. Adjustable for rake and reach, the steering column has a range of movement that should work for pretty much anyone, regardless of their arm-to-leg ratio.
Door bins are capacious, there’s a little bit of storage beneath the rear bench seat (ideal for tools and your towbar when you’re not using it), and the double-decker glovebox is perfect for keeping your lunch separate from your work gloves. Downsides? Like the majority of dual-cab utes these days, the Ranger Wildtrak only has provision for two child seats in its back row, so despite having a wide cabin there’s no legal way to put three bubs back there.
Final thoughts on the Wildtrak 2.0L
It’s not difficult to see while the Wildtrak grade is a popular choice for Ranger buyers. It ticks many boxes for many people, while also providing good comfort and capability when out on the open road. Its bevy of tow-centric features also makes it a no-brainer for anyone who hitches up a trailer on a regular basis, and it copes admirably well when hooking on something as weighty as a Jayco Discovery Outback.
That said, something like that Discovery is arguably near the upper limit of what makes sense for the Ranger’s 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-pot. More than a few times we were left thinking that the extra twist and more relaxed nature of the V6 might be a better partner, and while the four-cylinder certainly gets the job done — and does so very efficiently — that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best tool for that particular job.
Measuring up
Pros
- Fuel economy
- Ease of towing
- Feature set
Cons
- Firm ride even when loaded up
- Transmission gets busy even on mild grades
- It’s a pricey thing in Wildtrak spec
FORD RANGER WILDTRAK 2.0L BI-TURBO RATINGS
Value for money 7/10
If you’re purely chasing value, the same mechanical package in the car you see here can be had in less expensive variants further down the Ranger lineup. However, for what’s offered in terms of feature-count and quality-of-life enhancements, the Wildtrak is reasonable value
Towing performance 8.5/10
As-tested here, the Wildtrak 2.0L made reasonably easy work of towing a heavy caravan. Could it be even easier? With a bigger engine, sure — maybe take a peek at the 3.0L diesel V6 option
Hitching up 9.5/10
With the array of tow-friendly functions, camera views and customisable trailer profiles that are built-in to the Ranger’s infotainment system — not to mention its well-engineered standard-issue tow bar — the only way it’d be easier to hitch up a trailer is if the Ranger was able to crank the jockey wheel down for you
Creature comforts 7.5/10
The Wildtrak has plenty of electronic life-enhancers as well as some little luxuries like leather upholstery, but if you’re lusting for the plushest Ranger experience then the even more feature-packed Ranger Platinum might be up your alley
Accessibility of spare parts 9/10
With Ford having one of the broadest dealership footprints in the country, getting access to spares and service departments shouldn’t be a challenge regardless of where you live
Fuel economy 9/10
Considering the weight we were pulling, the 2.0L has camel-like thirst. Getting 16.0L/100km while towing a big Jayco is very respectable indeed
Solo performance 7/10
Unladen, the Ranger 2.0 has no trouble keeping up with traffic
Engine power 7.5/10
You don’t a lot of revs to extract the Ranger 2.0L’s 154kW and 500Nm, and the 10-speed auto’s spread of ratios helps get the most out of those outputs
Innovation 9/10
Thoughtful features include practical stuff like the integrated footholds in the rear bumper and the versatility of the optional sliding ladder rack/roof rack, but Ford’s built-in electronic trailer aids also set it apart from most of its ute competition
X-factor 8.5/10
If you want a ute that’s comfortable, well-equipped, efficient and hugely capable as a tow rig, the Ranger Wildtrak is pretty hard to overlook
FORD RANGER WILDTRAK 2.0L BI-TURBO SPECS
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
| Length | 5370 (5.37m / 17ft 6in) |
| Width | 1918 (1.92m / 6ft 3in) |
| Height | 1886mm (1.89m / 6ft 2in) |
| Wheelbase | 3270mm (3.27m / 10ft 7in) |
| Ground clearance (at kerb weight) | 234mm (9.2in) |
| Kerb mass | 2343kg |
| Payload (based on kerb mass) | 937kg (calculated) |
| Gross vehicle mass | 3280kg |
| Gross combined mass | 6350kg |
| Towing capacity | Braked: 3500kg Unbraked: 750kg |
| Towball (max) | 350kg |
| Front axle | 1450kg |
| Rear axle | 1959kg |
DRIVETRAIN
| Engine | 2L I4 Bi-Turbo diesel engine |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic transmission with two-speed 4WD transfer case |
| Power | 154kW at 3750prm |
| Torque | 500Nm from 1750–2000rpm |
GENERAL
| Fuel capacity | 80L |
| Suspension |
Front: Independent with coil springs and sway bar Rear: Multi-link solid axle with leaf springs |
| Brakes | Front and rear vented discs |
| Wheels | 18in alloy with 255/65 R18 Goodyear Wrangler Territory AT/S all-terrain tyres |
| Warranty | Five years / unlimited kilometres |
Ford Ranger Wildtrak 2.0L price from $69,640 (before on road costs)
Options fitted
- Blue Lightning paint ($700)
- Flexible Rack System ($2800)
Ford Ranger Wildtrak 2.0L price as shown $73,140 (before on road costs)
More information
Ford Australia
P: 13 3673
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Watch our review of the Jayco Discovery 21.66-4 Outback here:
Tow test: Ford Ranger Wildtrak 2.0L Bi-Turbo — is this the best Ranger variant?