Ford has finally unveiled the pricing of the highly-anticipated Ranger Platinum, the new flagship of the bakkie series.
The indicative pricing for the Platinum has it going for R1,119,000, making it the second most expensive Ranger in the country behind the halo-model Raptor.
The range-topping 4×4 will launch in South Africa alongside another Ranger, the new Tremor, at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
Specifications
The Platinum is positioned as the pinnacle model in the normal Ranger line-up ahead of the Wildtrak, which is reflected in its price.
Like the top-spec Wildtrak, it will feature the brand’s 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, which generates a total of 184kW and 600Nm, connected to a 10-speed automatic gearbox.
It can tow up to 3,500kg and carry 944kg in the load bed, and uses an advanced all-wheel-drive system with 2H, 4H, 4L, and 4A settings, the latter of which automatically adjusts power distribution between the wheels to best suit the terrain.
It further has seven selectable drive modes including Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, Sand and Rock Crawl.
It’s in its equipment list that the Platinum intends to set itself apart, as the Blue Oval has described the incoming double cab as “providing the exceptional levels of luxury, comfort, and refinement normally associated with premium SUVs.”
Essentially, if the Wildtrak can be thought of as the outdoor go-getter, the Platinum will serve as the series’ most refined option, which is reflected in the kit and styling elements that it comes with.
For starters, it has a unique grille with a silk chrome finish, and these elements are extended to the side steps, air vents, window lining, and rear bumpers.
New 3D “Platinum” badges can be found on the bonnet and front doors, and the car is mounted atop 20-inch alloy wheels with ebony accents that are wrapped in all-season tyres.
Customers will also have a choice of five different paint schemes – Agate Black, Carbonized Grey, Frozen White, Iconic Silver, and Lucid Red.
The Platinum is the only Ranger besides the Raptor to be available with Matrix LED headlights, too, which provide a glare-free high-beam to oncoming traffic at night and are flanked by the signature C-clamp LED daytime running lights.
These headlamps have a new High Beam Boost function, which uses a dormant cluster of LEDs to produce 30% more light than the normal high beam, as well as a Dynamic Bending Lights function that uses sensors to measure the vehicle’s speed and steering angle to swivel the lights around a bend by up to 15 degrees.
Inside, the luxury theme is conveyed through quilted and perforated high-grade leather upholstery with accented stitching, which complements a set of model-unique floor mats.
The front seats have both ventilation and heating functions and can adjust electronically in 10 different directions with a memory option to save different users’ preferences.
There is also a heated steering wheel, and the dashboard is spruced up by the addition of a Black Maple finish, satin aluminium strips, and a new upper glove box.
The Ford is fitted with a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster like the Raptor, which can change its display based on the driving mode selected, as well as a 12.0-inch Ford Sync infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Other standard items include a wireless charger, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, front and rear USB ports, dual-zone climate control, ambient cabin lighting, and a 400W inverter with 240V and 12V outlets in the load bay and centre console, respectively, for powering accessories.
The Platinum is also the recipient of assistance and safety systems such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, a 360-degree camera, active park assist with autonomous parallel and perpendicular parking, tyre pressure monitoring, and new far-side airbags that prevent occupants from slamming into one another in a collision.
Like the new Tremor and Wildtrak X, it additionally benefits from a new Pro Trailer Back-up Assist with Trailer Reverse Guidance ability, which provides graphical assistance from the camera when reversing a trailer.
Each purchase will include a 4-year/120,000km warranty and a 4-year/unlimited-kilometre roadside assistance plan. Buyers can extend the warranty up to a 7-year/200,000km plan, and extend the roadside plan by another two years.
Owners can also add a service or maintenance plan, which can run for up to eight years or 135,000km.
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