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When Volkswagen dropped its mighty 3.0l V6 turbocharged diesel unit into the 2017 Amarok, we were stunned.
Hustling the bakkie through deserted roads near Lesotho, it pulled like a real coal train and invoked the spirit of a GTI bakkie.
This was the same engine that saw use in various Audi and Porsche models. So to have it under the hood of a double-cab was a serious novelty.
These days the Volkswagen Amarok shares its identity with the Ford Ranger. And there is still an oil-burning V6, which operates in creamy fashion, but it lacks the sheer potency of the old Teutonic motor.
Earlier this year a 2.3l turbocharged petrol was added to the mix. But Volkswagen might have shot themselves in the foot with their approach, because the derivative carries a significant premium over the Ford equivalent with the same unit.
How big a premium? Well, the Ford starts at R844,900 and the Volkswagen goes for R1,099,000. Granted, the Amarok does have slightly higher specifications and is sold exclusively in 4Motion all-wheel drive form. The 2.3l Ranger is sold specifically as a 4x2 in Sport trim by default. But even if you went for broke and got the Wildtrak version, the bill of R904,700 still undercuts the Volkswagen’s asking price.
Testing the Ford over the customary week-long period recently, there was very little to miss, in contrast to the Volkswagen. So the Ford goes without niceties like heated seats and Harmon Kardon audio — but those omissions were forgotten after a while. As for the 4x2 format, if you plan to spend most of your time on tarmac (like most urban-based leisure double-cab owners will), this is no problem.
Of course, if towing and off-roading are on the agenda, one of the diesels is going to serve better.
This is the first time a petrol motor has been offered in the current generation Ranger chassis. Fun fact: this is the same power source that was offered in the previous Mustang.
Accustomed to a burly diesel acoustic character on start-up, the quieter, smoother operation of the EcoBoost takes one by surprise at first. The last bakkie to offer such a hushed cabin was the electrified Changan Hunter REEV tested earlier this year.
Output in the petrol Ranger is 222kW/452Nm, transmitted via the now familiar 10-speed automatic. As part of revisions made to the 2026 Ranger, the gearbox was enhanced for smoother, more decisive shifts. The pairing is agreeable with the 2.3l motor, and acceleration on kick-down feels brisk.
Oddly, Ford does not offer a quoted 0-100km/h time for the model, but Volkswagen does: 7.6 seconds. This is quick in bakkie terms — and the Ford might even be quicker given that it is unburdened by an all-wheel drive system.
Going back to our archives from 2019, that old Amarok with the lauded 3.0 V6 mustered a 7.9-second 0-100km/h dash when tested at Gerotek. The claimed figure was eight seconds. That is progress for you.
The Sport model trim is positioned a tier above the mainstream XLT but a notch below the Wildtrak.
It definitely makes a statement over the more pragmatic, work-angled XLT, thanks to black-painted 18-inch alloys, a glossy grille (also black) and a rear styling bar over the loading bin. Subtle Sport motifs seem to have been noticed by curious observers.
The cabin is not as distinguished as the exterior. Here it is matched closely to the XLT, with standard black leatherette, the SYNC4 infotainment system and digital instrument cluster. Perhaps one is a little blasé now, but when the Ranger was new, its cabin layout and quality improvements were game-changing. This was one of the factors that helped it clinch the SA Car of the Year title in 2023.
Ride quality remains a cut above, as does the overall composure in corners — Ranger still impresses with its “car-like” road manners. And that virtue has been bolstered with the fitment of this 2.3l petrol engine.
Only on seeing the bin in the rearview mirror do you remember that this is a ladder-frame pick-up and not an SUV.
Driving the 2.3 EcoBoost at launch earlier this year, my concern was that it would be quite thirsty in real-world, urban usage cycles. The average consumption after my time with the vehicle was 11.7l/100km. Not too bad, though not as frugal as the 2.0 SiT 4x4 automatic we ran as a long-termer, which averaged 8.8l/100km over six months. It goes without saying, but you pay the price for performance and responsiveness. Still, if a Raptor is out of budget, this EcoBoost could be rationalised as a relative bargain.
Ford’s warranty is of a four-year/120,000km duration. The standard-issue service plan offering is six years/90,000km.
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