Motoring with Bob Roco ROMEO: Ford Ranger goes Platinum

– All-new model delivers unrivalled luxury and sophistication

Ford is once again setting new benchmarks in the highly competitive pick-up segment with the launch of the Ranger Platinum – the most luxurious and sophisticated Ranger ever.

The Platinum joins the recently announced Tremor as the latest additions to the Ranger line-up. The Platinum series takes prime position at the pinnacle of the standard Ranger line-up, alongside the mighty Ranger Raptor which is the master of high performance and off-roading.

“The new Ranger led the South African double cab segment in 2023, and for good reason thanks to its exceptional all-round capabilities whether used for work or play, along with its car-like driving characteristics and outstanding safety,” says Doreen Mashinini, General Manager for Marketing at Ford South Africa. “Ranger Platinum now takes the pick-up segment into unchartered territory by providing the exceptional levels of luxury, comfort and refinement normally associated with premium sport utility vehicles, or SUVs.

“Ranger Platinum complements the other recent additions to the line-up, including the new Ranger Tremor, and adventure ready Wildtrak X that we launched late last year,” Mashinini says. “This gives customers a wide range of Ranger models to suit their unique needs, whether living the city life in Sandton or Sea Point, mixing the daily commute with adrenaline-fuelled sports on the weekend, or tackling your favourite 4×4 trails with confidence.”

Class and style

Ranger Platinum distinguishes itself from the rest of the Ranger line-up with a unique grille incorporating accented mesh and a silk chrome finish for the horizontal bars and grille surround. This is complemented by three-dimensional ‘PLATINUM’ badging on the bonnet and lower sections of the front doors for a further exclusive touch.

The classy silk chrome detailing is evident throughout the vehicle, from the side steps to the side vents, window linings and rear bumper, while accented wheel arches house attractive 20-inch alloy machine-faced wheels with ebony accents, fitted with all-season tyres. The front bumper, mirror caps and door handles are colour coded to create a refined and seamless visual appeal.

The loadbox incorporates the fixed sports hoop and side rails as standard, while the tailgate features additional damping for enhanced ease of use. On a practical level, the Cargo Management System is fitted as standard, making it easy to safely secure all types of loads, while the useful roof rails are carried over from the Wildtrak models. Buyers can have the nifty powered roller shutter fitted as an added-cost option.

The Platinum joins the Raptor as the only Ranger models currently available with Ford’s innovative Matrix LED lights which are built into the signature C-clamp headlamp design. The fully adaptive Matrix LED lighting system offers numerous benefits, including a glare-free high beam which prevents dazzling other road users while providing increased visibility at night.

The innovative lights also boast a High Beam Boost feature, which uses a cluster of dormant LEDs to offer 30 percent lighter than just the Matrix LED high beam alone. Plus, there’s a Dynamic Bending Lights function on low beam which uses sensors to measure vehicle speed and steering angle to swivel the headlamps into a bend by up to 15 degrees, thus allowing the driver to see more of the road ahead compared to conventional, non-bending lights.

Customers can select from five colour options for the Ranger Platinum: Iconic Silver, Frozen White, Carbonized Grey, Lucid Red and Agate Black.

While the exterior enhancements make it abundantly clear that the Ranger Platinum has an upmarket pedigree, the cabin truly embodies the no-comprise approach to comfort, convenience, and supreme luxury. The seats are unique to Platinum and feature premium quilted and perforated high-grade leather, along with accent stitching and “PLATINUM” badges on the front seatbacks and floor mats to emphasize the vehicle’s special status.

Furthermore, the front seats offer heating and ventilated cooling functions, along with 10-way power adjustment with memory function. This allows the occupants to achieve the perfect seating position with ease, and remain supremely comfortable regardless of the weather outside. The driver also benefits from a heating steering wheel to take the edge off icy winter mornings.

The instrument panel, similarly, gains an exclusive edge thanks to soft-touch trim with accent stitching, attractive Black Maple decorative finishes for the dashboard and door appliques, satin aluminium trim strips, and the addition of the upper glovebox for enhanced practicality. With ambient lighting as standard, owners can change the interior ambience to suit their preferences or mood.

High-end technology

In keeping with its range-topping status, the Platinum is equipped with the 12.4-inch full-width LCD instrument cluster, which is shared exclusively with the Ranger Raptor. This widescreen display provides a clear view of all the vehicle parameters, with the graphics and theme changing according to the chosen Selectable Drive Mode. It is also highly configurable to suit the driver’s preferences.

As with the recently announced Ranger Tremor, the Platinum receives Pro Trailer Back-up Assist with Trailer Reverse Guidance, which has also been added to the Raptor and Wildtrak X as standard features, and is available as an option on the Wildtrak derivatives. Pro Trailer Backup Assist takes the guesswork out of reversing the vehicle with a trailer, as the driver simply uses the rotary Selectable Drive Modes controller on the centre console to position the trailer where required. Trailer Reverse Guidance provides informational graphics and up to seven camera views to help the reverse the trailer while the driver uses the steering wheel to control the direction.

Numerous other trend-setting features found in the Wildtrak and Ranger Raptor are standard fare on the Platinum. This includes the 12-inch centre touchscreen display which incorporates the latest-generation SYNC 4A infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless charging, SYNC Off-road screen, 360-degree camera system, and the premium B&O sound system with 10 speakers.

For charging modern devices and powering accessories on the move, a 400W inverter is built into the vehicle, with 240-volt and 12-volt power outlets positioned on the rear of the centre console and in the load bay. This is complemented by dual USB points for both front and rear seat occupants.

Ranger Platinum also features the full range of advanced driver aids such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Lane Centring, Active Park Assist with autonomous parallel and perpendicular parking, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, and seven Selectable Drive Modes (Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, Sand and Rock Crawl) to name but a few of the stand-out features.

Occupant safety is out of the top drawer too, and the Platinum is the first Ranger model to be equipped with far side airbags positioned between the front seats. This prevents the occupants colliding with each other in an impact, thereby reducing the risk and severity of resulting injuries. Dual front, side- and curtain airbags, along with the driver’s knee airbag, provide further collision protection.

Refined performance

The premium look and feel of a high-end luxury vehicle is one thing, but it must be matched with effortless performance – and in this regard the Ranger Platinum doesn’t disappoint. It features the same silky smooth 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine as found on the top-spec Wildtrak model, delivering a seamless 184kW of power at 3 250 r/min and a massive 600Nm of torque from 1 750 to 2 250 r/min.

This highly praised V6 engine provides seamless performance in the city, on the open road, when towing (up to 3.5 tons) or venturing off-road. It is mated to Ford’s sophisticated 10-speed automatic transmission that is electronically controlled using the compact e-Shifter, and is packaged with the switch-operated electronic parking brake.

As with all V6 models in the range a full-time four-wheel drive system is standard, providing sure-footed traction and control, regardless of the driving conditions. It operates in 4 Auto (4A) by default for both on and off-road driving, while 4×4 high-range (4H) and low-range (4L) can be selected for gravel and more challenging terrain, respectively. Rear-wheel drive only is available by switching to 2H.

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