New Ford Ranger Stormtrak is a fancier Wildtrak

The new and limited Ford Ranger Stormtrak is now on sale in SA. Like the 2020 Ranger Thunder, the new model is based on the luxuriously appointed Wildtrak model, but it brings its own distinctive styling and convenience features.

These include LED headlamps with daytime driving lights, a 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 also identify the newcomer, along with a model-specific Lucid Red paint colour option. The Stormtrak can also be ordered in Sea Grey, Frozen White and Blue Lightning.

Considered convenience features include an adjustable load-bed divider kit for creating compartments in the cargo area with a drop-in bed liner, the latter providing a 12-volt socket for powering accessories.

An electronically operated power roller shutter covers the load compartment. It can be securely locked in any position and has an anti-pinch feature to prevent injury or damage when contact is made with an object. The roller shutter can be operated by bespoke buttons on the key fob, instrument panel and inside the load box.

The tailgate locking mechanism is also integrated into the vehicle’s central locking system.

The cabin has illuminated front scuff plates, leather seats with red stitching that extends to the upper section of the soft-touch dashboard, steering wheel with multifunction buttons and gear lever. Further luxuries include the Sync 3 infotainment system with embedded navigation, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and a USB charging port located in the rear-view mirror for the powering of dash cams or other electronic devices.

FordPass functionality allows owners to remotely access numerous vehicle features from their phone, such as remote and scheduled starts to either cool or heat the cabin. The FordPass app’s Vehicle Status feature allows owners to check the vehicle’s fuel level, oil life status, and tyre pressures (on models fitted with a tyre pressure monitoring system).

The Stormtrak uses a 2.0l bi-turbo engine which produces 157kW and 500Nm. It is paired exclusively with a 10-speed automatic transmission that can be had in either road-biased 4x2 or terrain-taming 4x4 guise.

The Stormtrack stands 230mm off the ground and is rated with a towing capacity of 3,500kg and an 800mm water wading depth.

Safety features include adaptive cruise control, forward collision alert, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping alert and lane keeping aid, driver alert system and semi-automatic parallel park assist. The latter system scans the road for parking spaces and once a suitable gap is discovered, the Stormtrak autonomously swings the vehicle inside, the driver responsible for only throttle inputs to complete the task.

The new Ford Ranger Stormtrak comes standard with a four-year/120,000km warranty and a six-year/90,000km service plan

The Ranger Stormtrak is priced at R790,300 for the 4x2 model and R846,500 for the 4x4.