THE ALL NEW FORD RANGER THUNDER 2.0

The Ford Ranger Thunder is not a new model and has been on the streets for almost a year now. The internet already has hundreds of detailed reviews and information about the Ford Ranger Thunder with industry jargons, specs, and numbers. However, if you are looking for genuine reviews and feedback from a consumer’s perspective, then you are at the right place – So, fill up your glass or cup with your favourite beverage, relax and continue reading.

Ever since I saw amazing pictures of the locally produced Ford Ranger Thunder – Yes, The Thunder is a #ProudlySA product and manufactured right here at home! It looks tough but cool and fresh at the same time. My curiosity about the Thunder grew when it stopped next to me at the traffic lights one day. When the green lights turned on, this beast left me behind and wondering how it would feel driving it around the Karoo or on a long distance road trip to some of my favourite Western Cape’s small secluded villages and towns.

Imagine my excitement when Ford South Africa gave me the opportunity to test drive the Thunder for a week. This was my opportunity to find out why everyone who has test-driven the Thunder would not stop raving about it.

I made sure that my first trip is a 360-degree road trip from Cape Town to the popular Garden Route through the Klein Karoo. I knew this journey would put the Thunder to the real test because the route would be long and would include mountain passes, hills, tarred, gravel, sandy, and wet roads (because winter is our rainy season here in the Western Cape). I covered 1540 kilometres on this trip with the Thunder.

Thank goodness for the Thunder’s infotainment (full-colour 8-inch touchscreen radio with an integrated navigation system and voice recognition) that kept me entertained on the road and the deep centre compartment between the two front seats kept my water and energy drinks cold whenever I turned on the aircon. Ford South Africa claims fuel consumption is 7.8 litres per 100km, but I only managed to average 8.4 litres per 100km with an average speed of 120km/h on open roads and with Active Adaptive-Cruise (AAC) control when there were many trucks and slow moving vehicles on the road. The Active Adaptive-Cruise (AAC) control allowed the Thunder to safely slow itself down when there was another vehicle in front of it and accelerated itself when the road cleared and was safe to do so. This became very handy on this long journey.

Other standard features include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), and semi-automatic parallel park assist. In case you don’t know what Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) is – It’s an active safety system that activates a vehicle’s brakes when a potential collision is detected. It works automatically without you actually stepping on the brake pedal.

Even though I drove on some mountain passes, gravel, sandy, and wet roads, I didn’t have to engage the Thunder into 4H (Four high – all-wheel drive). The 2H (Two high – two-wheel drive) was capable and was a breeze driving through the rocky roads too.

THE THUNDER – A CONVERSATION STARTER

Besides the confidence you feel when driving or parking the Thunder, expect to receive a lot of compliments and sometimes finding strangers standing next to your Thunder – don’t worry! Most of the time they just want to have a closer look at your beast. Thunder’s stylish, rugged looks, and bold features made sure I get plenty of compliments every time I pulled in or out of the parking bay.

THE EXTERIOR

The black moulded side steps make the Thunder look aggressive but they are functional too, especially when you enter or get out of the vehicle due to its high ground clearance (230mm).

The Ford Ranger Thunder comes standard with a lockable roller shutter for the loading bay to keep your luggage or equipment safe and away from the prying eyes. The standard adjustable luggage divider in the loading bay allows you to comfortably load your bags and/or travelling equipment in the back and secure the partition in the right position by a quick turn on either side. This ensures that your items don’t move around in the back while driving. You see – the Ranger Thunder is not just a capable workhorse, but a practical and comfortable bakkie for a family too. Click here to see how the lockable roller shutter works.

The Thunder is easily distinguishable by the black mesh grille incorporating red accents (“nostrils”) for the side air intakes giving it a more aggressive and sporty look.

The distinctive Race Red 3D Thunder badging at the base of the front doors and on the rear tailgate, power-coded black functional roof rails, black 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, and black detailing for the side mirror housings help make the Thunder look aggressive and give it a sporty character.

The integrated sports bar features a Race Red detail that adds further stylistic flair. LED headlights with LED daytime running lights and front fog lamps are standard on the new Ranger Thunder.

THE INTERIOR

The Thunder screams quality, luxury, practicality, and comfort with its black leather seats and dashboard with red stitching and the words “THUNDER” embroidered on the seats, multi-functional power steering wheel, enough storage space, plenty of charging points – 2 x USB ports with 2 x 12V power outlet in the front and an AC converter 230V/150W power socket it the back, infotainment (full-colour 8-inch touchscreen radio with an integrated navigation system, reverse camera, and voice recognition), and one of my favourite features, a cooling compartment between the two front seats that keeps your beverages cool.

THE FORD RANGER THUNDER IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN FOUR COLOURS

Sea Grey
Absolute Black
Moondust Silver
Frozen White (Featured Thunder)

THE ENGINE

The Ford Ranger Thunder is powered by the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine which produces 157kW and 500Nm torque paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The 10-speed automatic transmission worked smoothly and effortlessly with 2H mode.

SAFETY FEATURES

If you are not used to driving bigger vehicles, the Ford Thunder is going to intimidate you at first but you will immediately feel at ease when you sit on the driver’s seat and realise that it comes standard with Semi-Automatic Parallel Park Assist (SAPPA), which automatically steers the vehicle into a bay with you only operating the throttle and brake. The Thunder also comes with front and back parking sensors, a rear-view camera, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Forward Collision Alert (FCA) fitted with emergency braking, and Lane Keeping Alert (LKA) and assistance which vibrates the steering wheel when you drift out of the lane.

Other exciting and safety features I like about the Ford Ranger Thunder are the smart keyless entry and lock, and push-button start technology. The Thunder is also fitted with seven airbags, roll-over mitigation, and trailer sway control for your safety to keep you safe during your journey.

VERDICT

The navigation system is not user-friendly and sometimes can be very unreliable and that made me use the GPS on my cellphone most of the time. Even though the 10-speed automatic transmission worked smoothly and effortlessly with 2H mode, sometimes it felt like it was taking too long to gain speed especially when I wanted to overtake, but it moved like a hot knife through butter as soon as it found itself.

The Ford Ranger Thunder proved to be everything I expected and more. This is definitely value for money considering all the extras fitted as standard. If you are in the market for a practical 4×4 workhorse with style and personality, I would suggest adding the Ford Ranger Thunder to your window shopping list and booking a test drive at your nearest Ford Dealership.

STARTING PRICE (JUNE 2021)

R751 000 – 3.2 TDCi Double Cab Thunder 6AT 4×2

R775 300 – 2.0 Bi Turbo Double Cab Thunder 10AT 4×2

R830 900 – 2.0 Bi Turbo Double Cab Thunder 10AT 4×4

For more information regarding Ford, its products, prices, and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit https://www.ford.co.za/ – or follow Ford South Africa on their social media platforms at https://www.facebook.com/FordSouthAfrica or https://twitter.com/FordSouthAfrica or https://www.instagram.com/FordSouthAfrica/ or https://www.youtube.com/FordSouthAfrica

All Thunder models come standard with a 6-year/90 000 km service plan with service intervals every 15 000 km. It is also offered with a 4-year/120 000 km warranty.

#FordSA #FordSouth Africa #Ford #FeelTheThunder #FordThunder #RangerThunder

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