New Ford Ranger Tremor goes on sale in South Africa – Pricing and features

The new Ford Ranger Tremor has officially gone on sale in South Africa, adding another special-edition model to the bakkie’s extensive line-up.

The Tremor is based on the mid-range XLT but features many of the same enhancements as the Wildtrak X that made its debut in late 2023 and comes at a lower price point of R977,500, making it R62,000 cheaper than the X.

All Ford Rangers are sold with a standard 4-year/120,000km warranty and a 4-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance plan. Buyers can extend the warranty to a 7-year/200,000km plan and extend the roadside assistance by up to two years.

An optional service or maintenance plan is also available for a duration of up to eight years or 135,000km.

Engine

Like the Wildtrak X, the Tremor is fitted with the Blue Oval’s 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine, giving it a total of 154kW and 500Nm to play with.

A 10-speed automatic gearbox is used to connect the drivetrain to all four wheels, and the bakkie is capable of towing 3,500kg and carrying 946kg in the rear bin.

The advanced all-wheel-drive system has settings for 2H, 4H, 4L, and 4A, and it also has seven driving modes for Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, Sand, and Rock Crawl.

The real selling point of the Tremor, however, is its modified suspension, as it and the X are the only units to feature specially developed Bilstein position-sensitive dampers that greatly improve comfort off-road and raise the ground clearance by 24mm.

Combined with 17-inch black alloy rims and 265/70 R17 all-terrain General Grabber AT3 tyres, the double cab has a ground clearance of 237mm and a water-wading depth of 800mm.

The new model is also fitted with an enthusiast-rated steel bash plate, two front tow hooks, disc brakes on every wheel, cast aluminium side steps, a tubular sports bar, and steel underbody protection for the engine, transfer case, and fuel tank.

Other features added to the Tremor include Ford’s Trail Turn Assist, Trail Control, and Pro Trailer Backup Assist with Trailer Reverse Guidance, all of which debuted on the X.

Trail Turn Assist is able to brake the inside wheels in tight bends to reduce its turning circle by 25% at speeds under 19km/h, while Trail Control functions as a form of off-road cruise control for speeds below 32km/h.

Lastly, Pro Trailer Backup Assist with Trailer Reverse Guidance helps a driver maneuver their trailer by using the central screen and camera to save the dimensions of a trailer and track its movement when reversing.

Features

The Tremor’s enhancements are not just limited to its utilitarian functions, as it has received other cosmetics and features to help it stand out even further from its siblings.

There are model-specific badges on the tailgate and load box sides, a black grille with auxiliary LED headlights, extended wheel arches, a cargo management system, a spray-in bedliner, integrated rear 12V sockets, and Bolder Grey accents on the front bumper, H-bar, fender vents, mirror caps, door handles, and rear bumper.

There are six colours to choose from, namely Agate Black, Carbonized Grey, Frozen White, Lucid Red, Blue Lightning and Iconic Silver.

Inside, you’ll find a water-resistant black vinyl upholstery with grey stitching, six-way electronically adjustable front seats with orange Tremor logos, grey and ebony finishes on the doors and dashboard, and easy-to-wash flooring.

Equipment on the bakkie includes keyless entry and start, overhead auxiliary switches for accessories, a 12-inch portrait Sync4 infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a charging pad, dual-zone climate control, an “eShifter” gearstick, and a larger 12-inch digital driver display not found on the standard XLT.

All of this is on top of a suite of driver assistance functions, such as a 360-degree camera, hill descent control, hill launch assist, dynamic stability control with load adaptive control, roll over mitigation, traction control and trailer sway control; lane-keep assist, pre-collision assist with a forward collision warning system and autonomous emergency braking; pedestrain detection, reverse brake assist, blind-spot monitoring and front and rear parking sensors.

Ford Ranger Tremor