The first drive experience with the 2019 Ford Ranger was quite impressive. Its on-road and off-road performance was exceptional. It was quite a true experience with lot of comfort. Thinking of any obstacle? With zero squeaks and zero rattles, it glides over any tough terrain easily.

Aside the fact that it promises impressive drive and top handling features especially on Nigerian roads, Ultra-competitive light commercial vehicle (LCV) has continued to appear out of the dark as this American automaker, Ford has taken a step further with this new model. The latest Ford Ranger was unveiled recently in Pretoria in South Africa with improvements on its comfort, technological, safety and mechanical features.

The new Range offers trim options to its global customers such as Base, XL, XLS Series and XLT (Limited) specification for Sub-Saharan Africa as well as exotic and exclusive top of the Wildtrak Range model.

Looks like what we have here is utility pickup truck whether for pleasure or work

According to the General Marketing Manager at the Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) Region, Doreen Mashinini, recently made a statement:

The current Ranger has been a fantastic success story for Ford in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is the leading LCV export to markets in Europe, the Middle East and the rest of Africa.

She further said:

The New Ranger introduces fresh exterior and interior design cues that build on its ‘tough truck’ image, complemented by the adoption of new technologies that further bolster the Ranger’s established reputation for supreme safety, convenience and comfort.

Abiona Babarinde, who happens to be the General Manager at the Marketing and Corporate Communication at Cosharis Motors (exclusive distributor of Ford products in Nigeria), also had his say on the new Ranger:

We are excited about this new addition to our Ford collections that will certainly deliver the expected value in the auto market as this is expected to delight our numerous existing customers and convert new prospects in the truck segment. Surprisingly, some of our loyal customers have already started to make enquiries on this New Ranger which is a good signal that this vehicle will be well accepted and will do well in our market.

The design of the 2019 Ford Ranger is stylishly assertive on the road. You enjoy greater differentiation in the series with this new range. There has been tremendous upgrade on the front-end design of the prominent XLT series for more horizontal look.

The grille at the center bar is now divided into two, rendering more accurate and well-crafted appearance. There is also high sense of solidity and power from the lower bumper though the beam at the center that extends into the outer fog lamp area. It also features a wider lower grille, which the new bumper, in the range complements very well with new front end. Similar design has been deployed on the XL and XLS variants.

Regardless of the variant you acquire, its off-road capability is quite impressive

>>> 2019 Ford Range Engine option:

• 3.2-liter 5-cylinder engine of Durotorq TDCi generative engine power of 147KW and 470Nm of torque.
• TDCi 2.2-liter engine extending to two existing levels. It has 88KW/285Nm of torque and 5-speed manual gearbox for specific base models as first level while the second level features 118KW/385Nm for the top range versions. It has an option of 6-speed speed manual and automatic transmission based on selected derivatives.
• Four-cylinder (2.5-liter) Duratec petrol engine available for specific models, with the capability of providing power of 122KW and 225Nm with a 5-speed manual transmission gearbox. We feel Nigerians would love this engine type.

>>> 2019 Ford Range highlighted features:

• It features the award winning SYNC technology combined with an equipped in-car entertainment system for the upmarket models.
• Standard Passive Entry and passive Start (PEPS) for the XLT.
• SYNC 3 connected to the integrated 8-inch touch-screen displayed colour for the high-end XLT models.
• Standard Navigation as standard for specific XLT derivatives.
• Thatcham specification alarm which is standard for models such as XL, XLS, XLT and Wildtrak models with a complementary spare wheel lock.

2019 Ford Ranger | CarGurus Test Drive Review

>>> Safety features in the 2019 Range include

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system
• Traction Control (TC)
• Trailer Sway Control (TSC)
• Hill Start Assist (HSA)
• Hill Descent Control (HDC)
• Adaptive Load Control (ALC)
• Roll Over Mitigation (ROM)

The model offers a spectacular towing capacity of up to 3,500kg and load capability up to 1,999kg while having a ground clearance of 230mm and water wading depth of 800mm. Ford has not held back in this Ranger to make it a compelling choice for work and a pickup for leisure.

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