Ford Ranger 2020 review: Wildtrak

There are some standout elements to the Wildtrak - it’s not limited to the model-specific paint work and the decals on the doors, as there is a unique dark grey finish on the grille, door handles, mirror caps, fog-light surrounds and rear step bumper. There’s also a silver bash plate on the front bumper, sturdy side steps with metallic elements, the rear-end has a sailplane sports bar and tub topper, and this grade also gets a roller top hard tonneau as standard issue.

The attractive, masculine appearance of the regular Ranger with some sporty elements.

It takes the attractive, masculine appearance of the regular Ranger and adds some sporty elements, though it still lags behind some rivals as it doesn’t have LED headlights (HID) or tail-lights (halogen), though it does have LED daytime running lights. 

The interior has a number of model-specific design touches, many of which may fly in the face of a real tradie truck: part leather seats with Wildtrak embroidery, plus orange stitching throughout the cabin and a different leather steering wheel cover, too. The dark grey plastic look is mirrored in the cabin, with a dash insert also letting your passengers know they’re in the Wildtrak. 

Featuring Wildtrak embroidery and orange stitching.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak with the 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine has a list price of $64,790 before on-road costs. 

That’s pricey, but a lot of the stuff you’re paying for is excess to requirements if you’re considering the vehicle for work purposes. You could just as easily buy an XLT and save thousands. Or if you can deal with the five-cylinder engine, there are some more work-focused variants down the range that’d be considerably more suitable.

Having said that, I get it. You might be the foreman, or an agent, or have some other job that doesn’t actually require too much hard work. And the Wildtrak could be perfect for you.

It has plenty of gear to justify its cost: 18-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, HID headlights, all the Wildtrak body additions, an integrated tow bar and wiring harness, tub liner, 12-volt outlet in the tub, roller hard top and the model-specific interior with part-leather trim and a dark headlining.

Featuring 18-inch alloy wheels.

There’s also an 8.0-inch touchscreen media system with sat nav, DAB digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player. There are two USB ports - one to connect to the screen, one for charging. There’s also a 12-volt charger in the back, and a 230-volt powerpoint, too. 

The front seats are heated and the driver’s seat has electric adjustment, there are digital displays in front of the driver showing navigation and driving data (including a digital speedometer, which many utes still miss out on), but sadly there is still no reach adjustment to the steering wheel.

The Wildtrak has a digital speedometer, which many utes still miss out on.

There is good reason people choose this as a dual-purpose vehicle, because it manages to be an SUV-like drive experience with the added usability of a dual-cab ute.

Its steering is considerably lighter than most of its rivals, makes it super easy to park - or you can just use the auto-parking function, which worked a treat during my time with it. It does have a pretty large 12.7m turning circle, but it doesn’t feel that big to drive, nor to manoeuvre. 

The steering is considerably lighter than most of its rivals.

The 2.0L engine is refined, punchy and efficient in equal measure. It’s not as noisy as the 3.2L, either, which is good, and the 10-speed auto does a tremendous job at choosing the right gear at the right time. You might find there’s a touch of lag to contend with on the odd occasion, but it’s mostly very smooth sailing. 

And the Wildtrak’s overall compliance is also a highlight, due to its nicely tuned suspension. It has independent front suspension and a leaf sprung rear end, though it rides better without a load in the tray than many, if not all, of its rivals.

We didn’t go off-road for this test, but there is a multi drive mode system that works in conjunction with the 4x4 hardware (2H high range, 4H high range, 4L low range, eLocking electronic locking rear diff).

In our previous testing we’ve found the Ford Ranger to be a great performer in the rough stuff, and this is no doubt thanks to its dimensional strengths: approach angle - 29 degrees; departure angle - 21 degrees (because it has a tow bar); break-over angle - 25 degrees; wading depth - 800mm; ground clearance - 237mm.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak - as with the rest of the Ranger line-up - is now among the best you can get in the ute segment for safety gear.

The 19.75MY update saw the brand introduce auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection across the entire range, as well as lane keeping assist, driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition and automated high-beam lights.

The AEB system works at city and highway speeds, and has adaptive cruise control as part of the mix, too. You won’t find blind-spot monitoring or rear cross-traffic alert, though.

It has a five-star ANCAP crash test rating (from 2015, when the standards were considerably more lax), though it does have six airbags (dual front, front side and full-length curtain), plus there’s a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and semi-autonomous parking system, which remains unique to the segment.

The Wildtrak has a five-star ANCAP crash test rating.