UP SPECCI

STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE OR BUILT FOR THE JOB? WE CHOOSE A WINNER WHEN PUTTING FORD’S RANGER FX4 MAX ALONGSIDE THE ISUZU D-MAX X-TERRAIN.

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

AS THE double-cab midsize ute market continues to flourish, vehicle manufacturers are rushing to introduce models at the upper end of the price range, as that is not only where the most money is to be made, but it's also where the models are that buyers are wanting. It’s no longer the case that a simple Ranger Wildtrak or Hilux SR5 will feed the greed, buyers’ want more and they are prepared to pay for it – $60K and up is where the 4x4 ute market booms and where the manufacturers like to be selling their utes.

Now these manufacturers are only too keen to load their product up with faux-leather seats, larger diameter alloy wheels, plastic bolt-on accessories, gaudy stickers and a swathe of other goods that allow the car companies to charge more for the cars; but they don’t really do anything to improve the driving experience of the vehicle. Buyers are still flocking to aftermarket accessory manufacturers to get gear that actually makes the cars better, and the OEMs are missing out on their dollars.

One OEM that has got it right is Ford Australia, its Ranger Raptor a hit with its bespoke suspension and extra kit, but those features made it a standalone model and a pricey one at that. Still, the price hasn’t stopped buyers from snapping it up.

Now Ford is taking some of that technology developed by Ford Performance for the Raptor and trickling it down to lower-priced variants, to make it more accessible to more buyers.

Welcome to the Ford Ranger FX4 MAX, a new variant to the Ranger line-up that borrows from the Raptor’s styling and employs some of its suspension technology, while also addressing some of the limitations that kept the Raptor off the shopping lists of some buyers.