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The launch of a new off-road-capable vehicle in the kingdom wouldn’t be complete without hiring out the Bahrain International Circuit’s outdoor obstacle course to put it through its paces, and so it proved with the 2016 Ford Ranger.
A bold, more modern look lends the latest model a more powerful presence on the road than its predecessor. Luckily, its performance on the array of hills, bumps and drops proved that its brawn was not just limited to its muscular and chiselled bodywork.
It’s a rite of passage for any Bahrain motoring journalist to attempt this course considering the frequency of its use as a test event, although, sadly this time, I could only be a passenger as I handed over my disclaimer form to the beaming driver who would take us round while offering snippets of information about the car and its impending challenges.
The new Ranger remains one of the most capable pick-ups in its class thanks to its 800mm water-wading depth (perfectly showcased as it splashed through the ‘flooded tunnel’ with considerable ease), and 230mm of ground clearance that allowed it to clear all of the steep, rocky crevasses on the assault course.
To be fair, this was probably the most interesting sojourn around the off-road experience I’ve had. Usually, the vehicles we take round there have so many gadgets and features that you only have to press a button and the car will ‘do its thing’. It’s impressive, but at times a little boring.
However, with the Ranger, the car was a mighty manual so the driver had to do most of the work himself (probably the reason we weren’t allowed to drive the cars ourselves considering the lack of manual motors in this part of the world), and, surprisingly, it made for a more involved and exciting experience.
The steep inclines were managed with an electronically-controlled driver mode knob on the central console, which allows you to shift from 4x4 to 4x2 on the fly. For low-speed torque or additional downhill control, drivers can also engage low-range 4x4 gearing, while an electronic locking rear differential helps to improve traction in difficult conditions.
The steep drops, ‘camel humps’, rocky inclines and quicksand sections were conquered with a variety of assisting widgets packaged into the Ranger. These include the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) and ABS. The ESP system integrates Traction Control, Hill Launch Assist, Hill Descent Control, Adaptive Load Control and Trailer Sway Control, while ABS includes Emergency Brake Assistance and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution.
Sandeep Mathur, the general manager of the kingdom’s Ford distributor, Almoayyed Motors, said: “The new Ford Ranger brings a new level of comfort and refinement to its segment without compromising on the rugged capability that our customers demand and have come to appreciate from the current model.
“The current Ranger is one of the toughest, most capable pick-ups out there, and this is reflected in the exceptional sales of the Ranger to date.
“Thanks to our proud truck heritage and global expertise in the utility segment, we’ve made what was great even better, with a bold new look, improved efficiency and a new level of refinement.”
If the smoothness and comfort with which it passed its rigorous test last week is anything to go by, it looks like Ford is onto another winner.
The 2016 Ford Ranger is available from the starting price of BD6,995. For more information, visit the Ford showroom in Sitra or call 17737373.
