Ford Ranger Wildtrak, car review: A lot more than a jack of all trades

We took the rough flatbed off-road and it handled everything with some integrity

The Wildtrak certainly has the grunt to back up the looks

The latest incarnation of Ford’s tough flatbed gives the impression of being all things to all people.

On the other hand it’s rugged and can two serious weights, on the other the cabin is swathed in leather and there are decent bits of kit around the interior. So can it be a master of all trades?

The Ranger comes in two versions, Wildtrak – tested here – and Limited. The Wildtrak has a 3.2-litre turbodiesel producing 197bhp and quite a lot of torque.

You can switch between rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive on the move

It also has 18in wheels and plenty of colour choices, but just one configuration: Double Cab. The Limited has a 2.2-litre diesel giving 158bhp along with 17in alloys, and three body styles: Regular Cab, Super Cab or Double Cab.

The Wildtrak certainly has the grunt to back up the looks. The engine sounds strong, and it is strong enough to two trailers up to 3500kg while the load bed can handle 1035kg. Our vehicle had the six-speed auto box (a six-speed manual is an option) and that stirred the torque nicely, changing up when it could to save fuel and reduce emissions.

Ford Ranger Wildtrak

On sale: January 2016

Price: £32,370

Engine: 3200cc, diesel

Power: 197bhp at 3000rpm

Torque: 347lb ft at 1500-2750rpm

Gearbox: 6-spd dual-clutch automatic

Top speed: 109mph

0-62mph: 10.4sec

Fuel economy: 28.2mpg; CO2 265g/km

We took it off-road and it handled everything with some integrity. You have an electronically controlled transfer case, so you can switch between rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive on the move. There is also a low-range gearset for when dealing with difficult terrain or getting a heavy trailer up a rutted slope. It all worked solidly and felt like it would continue doing so for quite some time.

The cabin keeps the outside away pretty well. The front seats are comfortable and easy to adjust and we liked the swathes of leather with orange stitching. Like the Limited, the Wildtrak has an 8in touchscreen, sat-nav, heated front seats, reversing camera, hill descent, sensors front and rear and more, so there’s plenty of kit.

You get a well-appointed cabin and a package capable of serious towing and carrying

This seems like a lot more than a jack of all trades, as you get a well-appointed cabin and a package capable of serious towing and carrying, across a variety of terrains. But then the price for the Wildtrak does seem pretty high. We might be tempted by the Limited version which seems to offer better value for money without losing out much in terms of necessary kit. A full road test will provide a more conclusive answer.