Last week marked the end of my long-term test with the Ford Ranger Platinum. While I was in mourning, I received a more basic Ranger on test. No quilted leather seats, no seat heaters and coolers, no steering heater, no 360 degree camera, no push-to-start feature and most importantly, no three-litre V6 turbodiesel engine paired to a 10-speed automatic gearbox.
It was a Ranger with cloth seats, a key that needed to be inserted into the ignition and a two-litre turbo-diesel paired to a six-speed manual gearbox. The Ranger Platinum is a luxury bakkie but I went back to basics and now I have, as we like to call it, a workhorse. The beginning was a tough adjustment.
I mean, going from automated buttery-smooth gear changes to changing gears yourself can be a slight inconvenience and not having the comfort I had just a few days ago also made it all the more challenging. But then, I did start to adjust to the vehicle and at first, a feeling of nostalgia overcame me. I recalled driving my grandfather to the flea market in his manual bakkie that was anything but smooth.
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The Ranger XL had a smooth drive, even though this version lacked a bi-turbo or V6 engine. It has 125kW of power and 405Nm of torque, which is more than enough. Where it also excels is the fuel consumption.
It was the first time I drove a bakkie that gave me less than 8 litres/100km compared with the Platinum that drank petrol for breakfast, lunch and supper. It started to feel slightly refreshing. The basic technology I use, like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, were in the Ranger XL.
That meant I could stay connected while driving, without a fuss. The Ranger XL also has a reverse camera and rear sensors, so there’s no issue with backing into tight spaces, although I did miss the 360 degree camera on the Ranger Platinum, because sometimes, you are not sure if your towbar is sticking out.
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