Ford Ranger Platinum review: Performance and luxury in one package

I caught a glimpse of the Platinum at Ford South Africa’s Silverton factory late last year before its introduction in the country, and it occurred to me then that it would resemble the Platinum version of the Ford Everest with similar exterior features. These exterior features give the Ranger a whole new character, largely thanks to 20-inch alloy machine-faced wheels, chrome accents, and a unique grill with a silk chrome finish for the horizontal bars and grille surround.

On the inside, one wouldn’t expect such a luxury cabin inside a double cab bakkie, but the Platinum pulls it off without mismatching the essence of a utility vehicle. As a result of perforated leather seats, they are noticeably more comfortable to sit on than their counterparts. The steering wheel, which has a heating function, also feels nicer to wrap your palms around. Adding to the luxury found on the inside are heated and ventilated seats for driver and passenger with a 10-way power adjustment with memory function.

The instrument panel found in the Platinum has a soft-touch trim with accent stitching, Black Maple decorative finishes for the dashboard and door appliques, satin aluminium trim strips, and the addition of the upper glovebox.

The Platinum isn’t just all show, it’s powered by the 3l V6 engine found in the Ranger Willdtrak, which has proven to be a reliable power source for the bakkie. It boasts healthy power figures of 184kW and 600Nm. A 10-speed automatic transmission is mated to the engine, which time and time again proves to match the Ranger's V6 superbly by shifting seamlessly through gears, providing a smooth and responsive driving experience under various conditions. While I didn’t drive the Platinum off-road every chance I got, I was sure to pay attention to what it’s like to drive on a daily basis in city living conditions. The power is certainly enough and it can be frugal with fuel consumption (averaging between 10 and 11l per 100km) depending on driving behaviour.

Features

Because the Platinum sits at the top of all Rangers, it comes heavily equipped with plenty of useful features for its price tag. These include Matrix LED lights, a 12.4-inch full-width LCD instrument cluster, Ford's Pro Trailer Back-up Assist with Trailer Reverse Guidance, selectable drive modes, a 12-inch centre touchscreen display which incorporates the latest-generation Sync 4A infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless charging, Sync off-road screen, a 360-degree camera system, a B&O sound system with 10 speakers.

A 400W inverter is built into the vehicle as well with 240-volt and 12-volt power outlets positioned on the rear of the centre console and in the load bay. This is complemented by dual USB points for both front and rear seat occupants.

The Ranger Platinum also features adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane centring, active park assist with autonomous parallel and perpendicular parking, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The Platinum is also the first Ranger model to be equipped with far-side airbags positioned between the front seats.

Verdict

A luxury bakkie is not a common thing. It’s almost a clash of desire against practicality. Ford felt that there were customers who wanted both and that are willing to pay top dollar to have it. The outcome is the Platinum version of its new-gen Ranger. Does it do a good job blending the two together? I think it does. What you get is a capable, snazzy-looking, feature-packed double cab bakkie, and who doesn’t want that?

Pricing

Ranger Platinum Double Cab 3.0L V6 4WD 10AT - R1,119,000

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

Customers have the option of purchasing a service or maintenance plans up to eight years or 135,000 km. 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.