The Ford Ranger, already known as one of South Africa’s most popular
vehicles, is not often mentioned in the same breath as the most high-tech
vehicles.
But the new limited-edition Ranger Thunder, launched in a virtual event on
Thursday, includes a raft of design and functional enhancements, including the
ability to park itself. Until now, we have seen that functionality mainly in
top-of-the-range luxury sedans. However, during the launch, radio presenter
Angie Khumalo demonstrated autonomous parallel parking, initiated while the
Thunder was slowly driving past the parking spot that was as good as anything
seen in the sedan world.
This comes courtesy of Ford’s Semi-Automatic Parallel Park Assist (SAPPA),
which uses ultrasonic sensors on the front and rear bumpers that search for
parking spaces that are big enough to park the vehicle, and alerts the driver
when a suitable spot is found.
The system calculates the trajectory and steers the vehicle into the slot
using the Ranger’s electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) and sensors. The
driver only operates the accelerator and brake, and selects the appropriate
gear indicated by Park Assist.
It suggests that pick-ups will join the evolutionary path to autonomous
driving that has been largely the domain of sedans on the one end of the scale
and buses and delivery trucks on the other.
Ford has also bolstered the standard specification on most of its Ranger
line-up, introducing LED headlamps with LED daytime running lights and front
fog lamps as standard on the new Thunder, and on all XLT, Wildtrak and Ranger
Raptor derivatives.
The controls on the Thunder and other Ranger models have also been
upgraded: Ford’s Connected Touch Radio (CTR) is incorprated into an
eight-inch touchscreen, which replaces the smaller four-inch display and
entry-level SYNC1 system previously fitted to XLS models. The CTR infotainment
system is available as an option on the XL derivatives, which also gain
practical side steps as an optional extra.
“As the winner of the 2020 International Pick-up Award, the locally
assembled Ford Ranger continues to set the benchmark for style, luxury and a
vast array of technologies that enhance driving convenience as well as
safety,” says Doreen Mashinini, general manager og marketing at Ford Motor
Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA).
“There are also several enhancements to the already impressive list of
standard features on XLS and XLT models, which gives customers even greater
value for money, as well as improved driving safety.”
Derived from the Ford Ranger Wildtrak, the Ranger Thunder introduces
distinctive design features, such as a revised honeycomb-style front grille
incorporating red accents for the side “nostrils, and 18-inch multi-spoke
alloy wheels finished in black.
The load compartment includes a lockable “Mountain Top” black
roller shutter to secure goods being carried. A cargo area management system
features a bed divider, which allows the owner to compartmentalise the
available space for securely holding different-sized items.
Ranger Thunder models are exclusively available in Sea Grey, Frozen White,
Absolute Black and Moondust Silver. As with the Wildtrak and Ranger Raptor, the
Thunder is powered by a 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo engine, which produces 157kW and
500Nm, and is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
This combination, benefits from the transmission’s Progressive Range Select
(PRS) function by giving the driver the ability to lock out gears from the
automatic shifting range. This makes the Ranger Thunder ideal for towing or
when driving in slippery conditions or climbing steep gradients. The Ranger’s
exceptional towing capacity of up to 3 500kg remains unchanged in the
Thunder, as do the 800mm water wading depth and 230mm ground clearance.
On the Ranger Wildtrak, the list of factory-fitted options has been expanded
to include the roller shutter for the rear load box, along with the new black
finish for the 18-inch double-spoke alloy wheels.
Ranger Thunder further benefits from a raft of technologies that debuted in
the current generation Wildtrak, including Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
that uses a combination of radar and camera systems, along with new software to
detect pedestrians, as well as stationary and moving objects.
Adaptive
Cruise Control (ACC) with Forward Collision Alert gives a visual and audible
warning if the gap to the vehicle ahead falls below a critical distance. The
brake system is pre-tensioned and the servo boost assistance system is
modulated to provide immediate brake performance if required by the driver. The
system is also able to brake the vehicle independently of the driver in an
emergency if the accelerator pedal is released, helping avoid a collision or
reduce the impact speed.
Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid are also standard on the Ranger
Thunder. The Lane Keeping Alert function is designed to warn the driver by
means of a vibration in the steering wheel when the forward-facing camera
detects that an unintentional lane departure is likely to occur. The Lane
Keeping Aid goes a step further by temporarily steering the vehicle back into
the current lane. Additionally, a Driver Alert System informs the driver by
means of visual, audible and vibration warnings if fatigue is detected.
Lighting upgrades for
XLT, enhanced audio system for XLS
Ford has enhanced the standard lighting, and resulting driving safety, on
all Ranger models from the XLT model and above with the fitment of LED
headlamps across the board. The new lights incorporate LED daytime running
lamps for improved visibility, as well as LED front foglamps.
The Ranger XLS line-up receives a significant upgrade to its built-in
infotainment system, with the current first-generation SYNC with four-inch
LCD display also replaced by a Connected Touch Radio (CTR) system, which
provides improved connectivity at the lower end of the infotainment line-up.
Incorporating an eight-inch full-colour touchscreen, CTR is largely
equivalent to SYNC3, with the exception of embedded navigation and voice
recognition. It offers two USB slots and full Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
connectivity for smartphones – including the ability to use a paired phone’s
navigation functions – along with text-to-speech.
The CTR infotainment system is available as an option on Ranger XL models,
which also now offer practical side steps as a factory-fitted added-cost item.
* To view the Ranger Thunder launch video on Ford South Africa’s YouTube
channel, click here.
