Ford’s new flagship Ranger, the Platinum, is heading to South Africa and is expected to make landfall in March.
The Platinum will take its place atop the Ranger podium upon its arrival, sans the high-performance Raptor, with a starting price of R1,119,000.
Of course, the Ranger has its half-twin in South Africa with the VW Amarok, both of which are produced at Ford’s Silverton Plant in Pretoria, and the similarities go deeper than just their architecture.
Since its launch in 2022, the Amarok has had two range-topping units known as the PanAmericana and the Aventura, which the automaker distinguishes with their specs and intended roles.
Volkswagen describes the PanAmericana as the off-road-focused flagship, while the Aventura is said to be the more urban-oriented take on the platform with several fancy additions.
This makes for an interesting contrast with the Ford Ranger, which already has the bundu-bashing Wildtrak and is now receiving the Platinum, which, just like the R1,184,200 Aventura, is described as the most luxurious model in its family from its manufacturer.
Performance
Both the pinnacle Ranger and Amarok are equipped with Ford’s 3.0-litre, turbocharged, V6 diesel engine which produces a total of 184kW and 600Nm.
Likewise, each bakkie has a selectable four-wheel-drive system and a 10-speed automatic gearbox, resulting in an average fuel consumption of 8.4l/100km.
Since they share the same platform, they also have identical physical attributes and performance figures, which you can see below:
| Specification | Platinum and Aventura |
|---|---|
| Length | 5,350mm |
| Width | 2,208mm |
| Height | 1,886mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,270mm |
| Ground clearance | 237mm |
| Wading depth | 800mm |
| Approach angle | 30.0 degrees |
| Break-over angle | 22.0 degrees |
| Departure angle | 25.6 degrees |
| Load capacity | 944 kg |
| Towing capacity | 3,500kg |
Both models also come with hill-descent control, a lockable rear differential, and driving modes for Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, and Snow/Sand.
All in all, the two 4x4s are identical in all the ways that matter most, which means it boils down to their equipment sheets.
Features
Since these are the best-of-the-best entries for their respective automaker’s stables, neither the Platinum nor the Aventura are skimping out when it comes to features.
Both ship with Matrix LED headlights, daytime running lights, keyless entry and start, leather seats, a leather multifunction steering wheel, a wireless charger, dual-zone climate control, ambient cabin lighting, 10-way electronically adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a 12-inch digital cockpit, and a 12-inch vertical infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The VW and Ford also come with assistance items including adaptive cruise control, front and rear park distance control, a 360-degree camera, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, driver-fatigue detection, rear cross-traffic alert, and Park Assist.
Where they differ mainly comes down to aesthetics, as the Amarok has chrome accents with a black and khaki two-tone interior, while the Ranger has silver accents with dark ebony colouring on things like the dashboard.
The Aventura also gets 21-inch alloy rims, an electric roller cover, and an eight-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system; whereas the Platinum has 20-inch rims, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, and a Pro Trailer Back-up Assist function with Trailer Reverse Guidance.
Both double cabs are supported by a 4-year/120,000km warranty, but the VW also gets a 5-year/100,000km maintenance plan, while a service or maintenance plan is an optional extra on the Ford.
Ford Ranger Platinum
VW Amarok Aventura
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