eBusiness Weekly
If you want to walk on the wild side like you’re in a Wildtrak X, but you don’t want to part with more than a million rand, the Ford Ranger Tremor could soon answer your prayers.
Set to launch in South Africa during the first half of 2024, the Tremor was first shown to South Africans at Ford’s centenary event in November alongside a slew of upcoming products including the Territory, Mustang and Ranger Platinum.
Ford South Africa has released more information on the local specification of the Ranger Tremor, although pricing remains under wraps until launch.
But we do know it will slot beneath the Wildtrak X, while offering much of its off-road capability as Ford SA’s marketing GM Doreen Mashinini confirms:
“Although the Tremor has all of the enhanced off-road capabilities shared with the Wildtrak X, it is based on the XLT series which makes it a more affordable option that is ideally suited to the most adventurous exploits and hard-working environments”.
The Tremor has already been launched in the UK, where it costs 20 percent less than the Wildtrak X, although it’s not known whether the local positioning and spec mix will be similar.
Built for “hard working” adventures, the Ranger Tremor comes with water-resistant black vinyl seat upholstery with grey contrast stitching and instead of carpets you get vinyl flooring for easy cleaning after muddy adventures.
It also comes with a roof-mounted auxiliary switch pack for the easy fitment of powered accessories.
The Tremor comes with the same modified suspension system as the Wildtrak X, which includes Bilstein position-sensitive shock absorbers. Thus is also boasts a 30mm wider track than regular Rangers while the ground clearance has been raised by 24mm.
Its adventurous owners can also look forward to 17-inch Asphalt Black machine-faced alloy wheels fitted with General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres.
It also becomes the second four-cylinder model to receive Ford’s full-time four-wheel drive system with 4A mode, while also inheriting thee Trail Turn Assist feature from the aforementioned Wildtrak X.
The Tremor also ushers in a new driver assist feature called Pro Trailer Backup Assist with Trailer Reverse Guidance, which will subsequently also become standard on the WIldtrak X, Platinum and Raptor models.
On the design front, the Ranger Tremor can be told apart by its black honeycomb off-road grille, LED auxiliary driving lights and a Bolder Grey colour scheme for the lower bumper trimmings as well as the mirror caps, door handles, fender vents and rear bumper.
Tremor badges and decals are in place too, in case anybody forgets which Ranger edition you bought, and like the Wildtrak X the Ford badges are in black.
Functional exterior features come in the form of a tubular sports bar, aluminium side steps and a steel bash plate as well as steel underbody protection for the engine, transfer case and fuel tank.
Customers can also opt for an exterior colour that was previously only available on the Raptor, Conquer Grey. Other choices include Blue Lightning, Iconic Silver, Frozen White, Carbonised Grey and Agate Black.
Obviously it’s not as luxurious inside as the Wildtrak models, but the Tremor does still come with a 12.0-inch Off-road SYNC infotainment screen with a 360-degree camera system and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto.
Driver assist features are plentiful, with features such as Trailer Sway Control, Lane Keeping System with Road Edge Detection, Blind Spot Monitoring, Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection.
Stay tuned for more information and pricing when the new Ford Ranger Tremor is officially launched in 2024. — IOL Motoring
