Sunday Drive: Ford Ranger FX4

Saturday, 20 June 2020

The Ranger FX4 gets the same impressive 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine as the Raptor.

FORD RANGER FX4 2WD
Base price: $55,390
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel inline-four, 157kW/500Nm, 10-speed automatic, 2WD, combined economy 6.4L/100km, CO2 175g/km (source: RightCar).

Those vertical intakes sitting either side of the grille look like they were made for RTR's signature DRLs.

Vital statistics: 5351mm long, 1850mm wide, 1821mm high, 3220mm wheelbase, 18-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Probably the best bang for buck Ranger, biturbo two-litre engine a winner

Those FX4 decals look great without being too much.

We don't like: Driver assist package not the greatest, no heated seats, a bit tall and floaty without stuff in the tray.

The FX4 is the newest member of the Ranger band. It takes the XLT as a base, swaps the old 3.2-litre diesel out for the Raptor’s 2.0-litre twin-turbocharged unit and ramps up the specs. We took the two-wheel drive version out for a play.

As is the norm for a Ford Ranger, the interior is quality. The FX4 leans a bit more toward to luxury than workhorse.

For some brief context, Ford offers the FX4 in both 2WD and 4WD guises, the former starting at $55,390 and the latter costing $67,890. However, at the time of writing, you can pick up a 2WD FX4 for as low as $46,990, making it a right bargain

Slotting in between the XLT and the Wildtrak, the FX4 gets a special black mesh grille, mirror caps and lower front valence, darkened bi-LED headlights, exclusive 18-inch alloys and an FX4-specific extended sports bar. Further features include black door handles and front guard fender feature with retro red ‘FX4’ lower front door and tailgate decals. Inside are leather-accented seats with FX4 embossed logos and red stitching, more of which can be found throughout the cabin and plenty of soft-touch materials. All in, the FX4 looks fantastic if you like your ute a bit on the stealthy side.

Blinged-up without being obnoxious, blacked-out wheels and that awesome sports bar. What's not to like?

**READ MORE:

* Ford adds Raptor power to 2WD Ranger

* Ford New Zealand rolling out new Ranger ute in December

* Do you want a V6 ute without the fruit?

* Ranger Bi-turbo: when less engine means more ute

The engine is good too, being the twice-boosted 2.0-litre diesel from the flagship Raptor. It sends 157kW of power and 500Nm of twist through Ford’s ten-speed automatic, which is snappy enough to go from tenth to sixth in a pinch, then back to top gear for economic cruising. There aren’t any steering wheel paddles here, if you want manual control you have to use the shifter-mounted buttons. You’ll want these if you want to lock out gears when towing. Mention which, the FX4 is capable of towing a maximum of 3500kg braked, in keeping with Ranger standards.

Staring into the chasm between the Bridgestone all-weather tyres and the arches gives the impression the FX4 is a bargain Raptor, despite only being RWD, although Ford has given it a locking diff between the leaf springs at the back, which should help make up some ground against its four-by-four brethren.

If I were more confident in my abilities off-road, I would have been tempted to find out for myself. Instead, I chose not to stuff the FX4 into a tree and restrict myself to a bit of gravel driving. My groundbreaking findings: the FX4 is adept at driving on loose surfaces.

But fair warning: the traction control can be quite lenient. It will catch a slide but only after half a second of concern.

The ride is good too, although a few passengers commented that it felt “a little bit floaty.” Probably a byproduct of having no tools, wood, bricks or bags of cement in the tray to weigh the thing down. Although, to be fair, one of those passengers has a habit of owning old Alfa Romeos which have a tendency to bounce off potholes like popcorn.

Inside the FX4 is really quite nice, with Sync 3 included as standard, which supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for those wanting to plug their phone directly into the vehicle. The leather is soft and nice to touch, though heated seats wouldn’t go amiss. Steering wheel controls are intuitive without being overwhelming and the twin digital readouts in the dash are easy to navigate and perceive. There isn’t a default rev gauge but I quickly found I didn’t really need one.

Power steering is electric, which is nice and light at low speeds but progressively weights up as the speedo climbs. The turning circle isn’t the greatest, at 12m but that’s not out of character for a ute. It also means the FX4 can nudge itself back into a lane, usually a feature sitting alongside active cruise control but the FX4 doesn’t get that.

You’ll need to step up at least to the Wildtrak, which only comes in four-wheel drive and starts at $72,990 for the 2.0-litre biturbo. The Wildtrak also gets heated/electrically adjustable front seats, puddle lamps, active park assist and auto start/stop, among a handful of other visual changes.

Which brings us to the final point. Is the two-wheel drive FX4 a worthy consideration for your next do-it-all workhorse? I’d say yes - it easily offers enough of an upgrade over the XLT to warrant the $3400 difference.

Particularly as, at the time of writing, Ford will sell you a 2WD FX4 for the better part of $47k which, if you’re considering spending Wildtrak money, gives you a lot of dosh to play around with. You could add in any extra creature comforts with coin to spare.