Viewed only as hard-working utilitarian machines in bygone days, double-cab bakkies have become family-friendly leisure vehicles, now as commonly used for the daily school run or family road trip as they are for towing or tackling harsh, unforgiving terrain.
These tough hi-riders are top-sellers in South Africa, especially those built on home turf. The locally assembled Ranger is a firm favourite and the Ranger Thunder, a limited-edition Ranger Wildtrak with added features, is Ford’s latest addition to its Ranger line-up. Offered in 4x2 and 4x4 variants with two powertrains, the Thunder brings added sportiness and style to the popular Ranger range.
finweek put the Ford Ranger Thunder 2.0-litre BiT 4x4 10-speed automatic through its off-road and on-road paces.
