Ford ups the ante with the limited-edition Wildtrak X

WHILE manufacturers continue the scramble to land a piece of the high-end dual-cab pie, Ford has built on what it already has by sprinkling a number of exclusive features over its Ranger Wildtrak to create the Wildtrak X.

This is the first time we’ve seen the Wildtrak X, which will sit between the Wildtrak and Raptor in the Ranger model line-up.

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Features exclusive to Wildtrak X include new matte-black 18-inch alloy wheels (with +35 offset), bolstered black fender flares, a black nudge bar up front that houses an LED light bar, and a snorkel mounted on the A-pillar.

“Ranger owners are telling us that they want more personalisation, specialised gear and more kit for weekends away and family trips,” said Kay Hart, President and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand. “The Wildtrak X brings the high equipment levels, rugged good looks and tools to take things up to the next level.”

Like its Wildtrak stablemates, the Wildtrak X comes with two powertrain options: the 157kW/500Nm bi-turbo-diesel introduced with the Ranger Raptor, and the proven 147kW/470Nm 3.2-litre turbo-diesel. The bi-turbo is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission; the 3.2L utilises a six-speed auto. Unlike the Wildtrak, however, there won’t be a manual transmission offered. The Wildtrak X maintains a 3500kg towing capacity, an on-the-fly 4x4 system and an 800mm wading depth.

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In the cabin it’s business as usual for the X, with plenty of leather upholstery, SYNC 3 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.0-inch screen (with the satnav breadcrumb feature) and keyless entry.

As with the rest of the range, Driver Assist Technology includes AEB with pedestrian detection, Adaptive Cruise Control, Hill Descent Control, Hill Launch Assist and an electronic rear differential lock.

Have a mate that can’t parallel park? Tell them the Wildtrak X has Active Park Assist, which uses sensors to scan for a spot and then navigates into said spot.

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According to Ford, the Wildtrak X adds $6000 worth of value to the regular Wildtrak but only costs $2000 more. This puts the 3.2L Wildtrak X at $65,290 and the bi-turbo Wildtrak X at $66,790. Still, spend another $10K and you can get yourself a Ranger Raptor.

The Wildtrak X, limited to around 1000 units, will appear in Ford dealerships this month.