The Ranger is Australia’s favourite new vehicle and to keep it that way Ford needs to keep it fresh.
Enter the Ford Ranger Tremor.
While Ford has an expansive line-up of Rangers for buyers to choose from already – from the working-class XL through to the luxury Platinum and play-focused Raptor – any car company will tell you a special edition helps to drive interest and lure in new buyers.
The Tremor nameplate is new for Australia, but has a legacy in the USA where it has been used on both the full-size F-150 and the compact Maverick ute. For the Ranger, the Tremor slots between the Sport and Wildtrak X variants, while taking elements of both.
The Ranger Tremor is exclusively powered by the 150kW/500Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It’s also equipped with full-time four-wheel drive, as well as Ford’s Trail Turn Assist, Rock Crawl and Trail Control modes for better off-road performance.
Ford has also given the Tremor a suspension overhaul, adding Bilstein position-sensitive dampers with external reservoirs, heavy-duty electronic power steering and new springs that help add a further 26mm of ground clearance. To complete the package the Tremor comes fitted with new 17-inch Asphalt Black alloy wheels fitted with General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres and new wheel arch mouldings, adding 30mm of track width.
Other extras include Tremor badging and styling elements, a honeycomb grille with auxiliary LED lights, a front steel bash plate, cast aluminium side steps and a sports bar.
All up the Ranger Tremor combines some more rugged, off-road features into the line-up, while retaining the everyday usability that has helped make the Ranger as a whole so popular. It’s priced from $69,690 (plus on-road costs), which puts it just above the $66,140 Sport 2.0 and just below the Wildtrak 2.0, which starts at $69,640.
Only 1150 examples of the Ranger Tremor will be offered to Australian customers, and having spent a week behind the wheel it’s unlikely those will remain in showrooms for very long. Ford has managed to tailor the Tremor to a specific audience, those who are concerned about genuinely heading for adventure, rather than those who just like the idea of it.
With its redesigned suspension and new wheel and tyre package, the Tremor elevates the Ranger’s already impressive off-road prowess above the Sport and XLT. While not quite on the same level as the Raptor, it does feel more capable across a variety of conditions.
The other area that reminds of the Raptor is its daily driving character, with the Tremor’s new suspension helping to absorb the bumps and imperfections that blight Australia’s urban roads too. The steering is nicely weight and accurate for a big ute, feeling more like an SUV, but that is a trademark strength of the entire Ranger range.
Another area where the Tremor impresses is its visual appeal, with the honeycomb grille, black alloy wheels, sports bar and Tremor graphics helping it to stand out and look a bit special.
While the other members of the Ranger line-up, such as the Sport and Wildtrak offer similar capabilities and appeal, for those looking for something a bit more special and with the attraction that comes from exclusivity, you’ll want to act fast to get your hands on this particular Ranger.
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