Ford Ranger now top of the tow tugs

Ford Australia has lifted the braked towing capacity of its Ranger workhorse by 150kg to 3500kg, making it equal class-leading with Holden’s Colorado and the new 79 Series dual cab Toyota LandCruiser in the fiercely competitive Australian ute market.

The Ranger is now capable of towing more than its twin-under-the-skin Mazda BT-50, which has a 3350kg towing capacity, not to mention the Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Navara and Volkswagen Amarok (3000kg) and top-selling Toyota HiLux (2500kg).

However, the 3.5 tonne maximum is only available on Ranger 4x2 Hi-Rider and 4x4 models powered by the more powerful 3.2-litre turbodiesel engine. It’s also applicable only on vehicles produced from November 1, 2012 onwards, and fitted with a Genuine Ford towpack and towball.

Other Ranger variants come with 2200kg and 2500kg towing limits.

Gross Combination Mass for the Ranger has also increased by 50kg, up to a maximum of 6000kg on 4x4 Hi Rider and 4x4 models.

“Our customers love the Ranger and it’s proven incredibly popular among both city and rural buyers,” said Ford General Marketing Manager, David Katic. “However, we wanted to give customers an even tougher truck that they can truly rely on for some of their more demanding towing needs.”

Currently the fourth biggest-selling 4x4 ute Down Under, the two-year old Ranger was the first-ever pickup to achieve a maximum five-star rating under the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash test protocol.

Ford says the Ranger 4x4 and 4x2 Hi-Rider models are also capable of wading through up to 800mm of water even when fully laden. Payload capacity tops out at 1528kg on the entry-level 2.2 diesel-powered 4x2 single cab chassis Hi-Rider.

With 21 variants available in total, the Ranger comes in three body styles – single cab, super cab and double cab –with a choice of 2.5-litre petrol, 2.2 or 3.2-litre diesel engine, and 4x2 or 4x4 drivetrains.