By Otsile Kadiege

Ford South Africa is further expanding the local Ranger line-up with the new Tremor derivative which is based on the XLT grade. The new Ranger Tremor gets unique exterior styling, the same suspension upgrades found in the Ranger Wildtrak X, full-time AWD system and Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist with Trailer Reverse Guidance. According to Ford South Africa, the Ranger Tremor is aimed at customers who require enhanced capability and confidence in conquering challenging off-road conditions, as well as owners that typically customize their vehicle for over-landing adventures.

Ranger Tremor exterior styling

The Ranger Tremor is visually distinguished from the XLT series through the addition of a black honeycomb off-road front grille that is equipped with the same LED auxiliary driving lights as the Wildtrak X, along with unique Bolder Grey exterior details for the lower sections of the front bumper and H-bar, fender vents, mirror caps, door handles, and rear bumper.

This is complemented by extended wheelarch mouldings in Bolder Grey that frame the purposeful 265/70 R17 all-terrain General Grabber AT3 tyres with white lettering, mounted on 17-inch Asphalt Black machine-faced alloy rims. Further distinguishing the Ranger Tremor from its regular siblings is the inclusion of the ‘Tremor’ badge on the rear tailgate and bold ‘Tremor’ decals on the loadbox sides. Another special detail is the use of the black Ford Oval on the front grille and tailgate – an exclusive treatment that is shared only with the Wildtrak X and Ranger Raptor.

As standard, the Ranger Tremor is fitted with a steel bash plate, steel underbody protection for the engine, transfer case and fuel tank, two front tow hooks, cast aluminium side steps and the long-leg tubular sports bar. Adding a further touch of exclusivity, Ranger Tremor is available in Conquer Grey – a colour option which was previously limited to the Ranger Raptor. Additional choices include Agate Black, Carbonized Grey, Frozen White, Lucid Red, Blue Lightning and Iconic Silver which replaces Moondust Silver in the Ranger colour palette.

Ranger Tremor interior styling and technology

Inside, the Ranger Tremor gets seats which are trimmed in water-resistant black vinyl with Medium Dark Urban Grey stitching, six-way adjustable front seats with a Tremor logo embroidered in orange on the seat-backs, practical vinyl flooring and Precision Grey accents and Ebony upper trim finishes on the doors and dashboard.

On the tech front, instead of the standard 10.1-inch infotainment display in the Ranger XLT, the Ranger Tremor is equipped with a larger 12-inch touchscreen and Ford’s SYNC 4A infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as an Off-road SYNC Screen with the 360-degree camera system and wireless charging.

Ranger Tremor safety and driver assistance systems

As standard, the Ranger Tremor has a plethora of safety and driver assistance systems. These include  seven airbags (dual front, side, curtain and driver’s knee), Post-Collision braking, Hill Descent Control, Hill Launch Assist, Dynamic Stability Control (which includes Load Adaptive Control, Roll Over Mitigation, Traction Control and Trailer Sway Control). It also boasts the Lane Keeping System with Road Edge Detection, Pre-Collision Assist (with Dynamic Brake Support, Forward Collision Warning System and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection), Reverse Brake Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring with Trailer Coverage, and parking sensors front and rear.

The Ranger Tremor is also equipped with the Trail Turn Assist feature that debuted on the Wildtrak X. The system brakes the inside wheel when negotiating tight bends in off-road conditions below 19km/h, reducing the vehicle’s turning radius by up to 25 percent to help navigate around obstacles.

Another standard nifty feature is Trail Control which will allows the driver to concentrates on steering through difficult terrain after simply selecting a set speed below 32km/h when driving off-road, and the vehicle will manage its acceleration and braking.

Performance and off-road capability

Powering the Ranger Tremor is a 2.0-litre bi-turbo turbodiesel engine making 15kW and 500Nm. It’s paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and comes with Ford’s full-time four-wheel drive system, which uses an electromagnetic transfer case (eMTC).

As mentioned above, the Ranger Tremor benefits from the same suspension upgrades as the Wildtrak X, including the specially developed Bilstein Position Sensitive Dampers that provide variable levels of damping force based on the prevailing driving conditions.

Pricing and warranty

The Ranger Tremor will be available in local showrooms at the end of Q1 2024.

Ranger Tremor Double Cab 2.0L BiT 4WD 10AT – R977,500

Ford Protect will be included as standard, comprising of a four-year or 120 000km warranty, four-year or unlimited distance Roadside Assistance and five-year or unlimited distance corrosion warranty. The recommended service interval is 15 000km or annually, whichever occurs first.

Customers have the option of purchasing a service or maintenance plans up to eight years or 135 000km. The warranty can be extended up to seven years or 200 000km, while the Roadside Assistance can be extended for an additional one or two years.