The Ford Ranger Stormtrak made its debut in South Africa this month. Based on the luxuriously appointed Wildtrak, the Stormtrak is poised to continue the success of Ford’s popular recent limited-edition model, the Ranger Thunder.
“When it was launched in 2020, the Ranger Thunder added distinctive styling and enhanced functionality to the already trendy and popular Ranger Wildtrak on which it was based,” says Doreen Mashinini, General Manager for Marketing at Ford South Africa. “The Thunder proved itself a tremendous success surpassing all expectations with a sales tally of well over 2 000 units during its 12-month production run.”
Striking visual enhancements
The Ranger Stormtrak has striking visual enhancements and convenience features, and includes several outlandish design elements, including a striking black mesh grille with red inserts, a black insert in the lower section of the front bumper, black decals for the bonnet and doors, black roof rails and 18-inch alloy wheels finished in gloss black.
Three-dimensional Stormtrak logos on the lower sections of the front doors, as well as on the rear tailgate identify the newcomer, along with an attention-grabbing model specific Lucid Red paint colour. The Stormtrak can also be had in Sea Grey, Frozen White and Blue Lightning, all formulated to appeal to the varied personalities of Ranger customers.
The styling upgrades to the Stormtrak are matched with carefully considered convenience features to aid day-to-day practicality, including a Power Roller Shutter for the rear load compartment, which allows a customer to electronically open or close the protective shutter over the loadbox and provides a convenient method to securely stow cargo out of sight.
Compared to the manual roller shutter, which can be locked only in specific predetermined positions, the intelligent Power Roller Shutter can be securely locked in any position and has also been designed with an anti-pinch feature to prevent injury or damage when contact is made with an object.
Bespoke buttons on the key fob, instrument panel and inside the load box add to the overall convenience of the system, complemented by the tailgate locking mechanism being integrated into the vehicle’s central locking system.
Inside the cabin
Inside the cabin you are greeted with luxury and attention to detail – including illuminated front scuff plates. This theme is continued on the premium leather seats replete with striking red stitching, as well as the Stormtrak logo taking pride of place on the front seat backrests. Red stitching is used throughout the leather-trimmed cabin, including on the soft-touch dashboard upper, steering wheel and gear lever, further enhancing the sporty ambience.
As with the Ranger Wildtrak, the premium level of standard features in the Stormtrak is exceptional, including the SYNC®3 infotainment system with embedded navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a nifty USB charging port located in the rearview mirror makes for easy fitment of a dash cam.
As standard is an extensive list of innovative active and passive safety systems and driver aids, such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Forward Collision Alert, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid, and Driver Alert System.
Safety is further aided by the fitment of LED headlamps as standard for improved safety when driving at night. Daytime visibility is also improved with the inclusion of the distinctive LED daytime running lights.
The Ranger Stormtrak is powered by Ford’s 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo engine which produces 157kW and 500Nm. It is paired with an advanced 10-speed automatic transmission that delivers seamless shifts matched to responsive performance and impressive fuel economy. The Ranger’s towing capacity of 3 500kg remains unchanged, along with the 800mm water wading depth and 230mm ground clearance.
It is priced at R790 300 for the 4×2 model while the off-road ready 4×4 model costs R846 500. All prices include VAT.
All new Ford Rangers come standard with Ford Protect, comprising a four-year/120 000km comprehensive warranty, three-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and five-year/unlimited km corrosion warranty. A six-year/90 000km service plan is included which covers six services. The recommended service interval is 15 000km or annually, whichever occurs first.
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