Ford Ranger Tremor proves its towing prowess

One of the many positives of running a sophisticated 4x4 double-cab bakkie such as our long-term Ford Ranger Tremor is that you’re never short of things to do with it.

Many kilometres are covered in the line of duty, touring or ferrying children. Safety and comfort are paramount, then. 

The Ranger Tremor boasts a wide range of safety systems, including seven airbags, a tyre pressure monitor, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist and stability control. Off-road driving prowess is helped by the large knobby tyres, an adjustable 4x4 system, and diff-locks.

You can add entrepreneurship to the agenda. Though not near the loading capabilities of a single-cab cousin, the 966l cargo box accommodates a euro pallet while the range of available accessories, including bed dividers, carry bars, a roof rack and even utility rails can support a small enterprise.

As a neighbour and friend with a bakkie, my phone also never stops ringing with favours being asked. I recently agreed to tow a large trailer for a friend, opening the Ranger Tremor’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist with Trailer reverse guidance system, standard fitments along with a tow bar.

The rear camera that’s integrated into the tailgate helps the driver to position the bakkie close to the trailer. Once hooked up, latching the trailer cable link into the Tremor’s digital brain awakens seven cameras from which you can view the sides and rear through the touchscreen display and a towing program that prompts the entering of a few measurements to calibrate the trailer weight, width and length.

Up to 10 trailers can be stored in the system, which also carries out pre-drive checks of the trailer lights. The cameras also track the trailer sides on the move to ensure you don’t take out street lights when cornering, while the trailer reverse guidance system uses graphics to recommend the direction to turn the wheel to keep the trailer straight.

Once all the parameters have been set and you are ready to go, the next step is selecting the “Tow” mode on the drive mode controller in the centre console. This automatically selects 4-high in the 4x4 system for better traction. You can select rear-wheel drive mode, if only to save fuel when the trailer is unladen, but the standard setting is recommended for safe and effortless hauling.

The Tremor has a braked towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes.

The Biturbo 2.0l four-cylinder engine with 157kW and 500Nm on tap provides plenty of pulling power, and the 10-speed automatic gearbox is always in sync. The towing fuel economy figure was 9.5l/100km — just shy of my current 9.1l/100km average — I didn’t complain too much. 

It offers everything, and a bit more, that I could want in a double-cab bakkie right now, save perhaps for the lack of a cargo protector in the form of a rollback cover.

With the rainy season upon us, getting caught up in a highveld storm with luggage in the back would be unwelcome.

There haven’t been any electronic or technical niggles in our time with the Tremor over the last few months, and the cabin integrity is holding up well, with no chafing of the leatherette seat covers or squeaks and rattles.

The off-road focused Tremor is positioned between the Ranger XLT 4x4 and the Wildtrak X. While equipped with the essential luxuries, it has fewer frills than the more expensive Wildtrak X and has vinyl flooring instead of carpets to make the cabin easier to clean after muddy adventures.

Priced at R978,600, it comes with a four-year/120,000km warranty and optional service plan of up to eight years.