Ford South Africa released a limited edition Ranger Stormtrak, based on the high-end Wildtrak, which is set to replace the Thunder. I know that’s a lot of Ranger variants to take in but it’s not a brand new model. As you may know, the Ranger is one of the top-selling vehicles in South Africa and it is built in Pretoria and exported around the world.
The Thunder was meant to sell 1000 unites but it was so in demand that they sold over 2000 units in its limited edition 12 month run, which is double what Ford anticipated. So now that production has ended, the Stormtrak will be the new limited edition variant. The vehicle is aimed at those who want something different, and with the Stormtrak, this is some of what you can look forward to:
- Black mesh front grille with red inserts
- Custom decals and black accents
- 18″ gloss black alloy wheels
- 3D Stormtrak decals
- A choice of four colours: red, blue, grey and white
- An electronically controlled Power Roller Shutter
- Bespoke buttons on the key fob
- Adjustable bed divider kits for the cargo area
- Leather seats with red stitching
- Sync 3 infotainment with CarPlay Android Auto
- FordPass functionality to control it with an app
I attended the media event for the Stormtrak that started in Gqeberha and we drove through the Karoo and Baviaanskloof Reserve, which is a World Heritage Site. We spent all day going through the mountain, it was incredible, I didn’t know such a place existed. Of course, there was no signal in these remote parts. I liked the look of the Stormtrak, the red and black details are complementary and the red accents makes it stand out from other Rangers.
We drove on all types of terrain, covering a lot of gravel roads. These take longer than usual as you can’t go above a certain speed. We had varying weather and at time we really needed the wind to carry the dust out of our line of sight, but alas we managed and that’s what made it fun.
The Stormtraks just needed to switch to 4H on the driving mode to do the mountain climbs and the opposite, hill descent, when going down in parts you wanted to. The two nights, almost three days was quite an adventure; one night in Steytlerville and another near the Storms River.
The Stormtrak comes in one engine variant, Ford’s new 2L Bi-Turbo engine with an output of 157kW and 500Nm of torque, paired to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. It involved long days driving in a convoy with the usual driver changes. We drove the 4×4 version and there is a 4×2 as expected.
Pricing for this limited edition variant:
Ranger Stormtrak (4×2) – R790 300
Ranger Stormtrak (4×4) – R846 500
It comes standard with Ford Protect, which is a four year/120 000km comprehensive warranty, three year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and a five year/unlimited corrosion warranty. It also includes a six year/90 000km service plan is included which covers six services. Service intervals are recommended at 15 000km or annually, whichever comes first.
Nafisa Akabor
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Recharged is an independent site that focuses on technology, electric vehicles, and the digital life by Nafisa Akabor. Drawing from her 16-year tech journalism career, expect news, reviews, how-tos, comparisons, and practical uses of tech that are easy to digest. info@recharged.co.za