2023 Ford Ranger XLS review

This is my second drive of the new-generation 2023 Ford Ranger, after spending a week in the top-of-the-line V6 Wildtrak not too long ago.

I must say, I really wish I drove this lower-spec XLS first, as the Wildtrak is a work of art – well, for a ute – and that makes it hard to not feel somewhat disappointed climbing into a variant with cloth seats and no V6 engine. Spoiled much?

You see, I have a genuine love affair with base-model four-wheel-drives, and actively encourage people to look at them and use the savings from purchasing a lower-spec model for four-wheel drive accessories and diesel.

Not this time around, folks. I absolutely feel the V6-powered Wildtrak is the one to buy in the next-gen Ranger line-up; it just does everything well.

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You aren’t here to read a Wildtrak review though. You’re here to take a closer look at the Ranger XLS, which is the second lowest grade offered. We’re talking cloth seats as mentioned, a smaller 10.1-inch touch screen infotainment unit, and a four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine with a part-time four-wheel drive system.

We need to determine who the XLS is made for. Can it offer more than just being a cheaper Ranger for tradies, mine sites and four-wheel-drivers to beat up on?

With my initial emotional response out of the way, it must be said the XLS is a good thing, and certainly isn’t left behind when looking at the competition. You can feel this platform is an evolution of the previous Ford Ranger, and you can tell it has been designed and engineered for Australian conditions. These are my thoughts on the XLS Ford Ranger, after living with it on-road, off-road and on long highway stretches.

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Powertrain

I really liked the V6 engine found in the Wildtrak, not just because of output but the overall smoothness experienced in operation. When you start up the four-banger Ford Ranger though, that smoothness is gone and replaced with a familiar diesel rumble.

In terms of engine specs, this four-cylinder diesel engine produces a claimed 154kW @ 3750rpm and 500Nm between 1750-2000rpm. Those specs are fairly impressive from such a small capacity engine, thanks to the inclusion of two turbochargers which would no doubt be pushing serious levels of boost into the motor.

Performance-wise, the twin-turbo engine offers more than enough grunt, and delivers power quickly without much lag, but you definitely notice it’s not as refined as the V6 however.

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With a 10-speed auto to play with, there’s a gear for every occasion. Off-road, this means snail’s pace like crawling ability when in low-range four-wheel-drive. 

On-road, having so many options for gearing makes the most out of the smaller capacity 2.0-litre engine, propelling the vehicle from a standing start with gusto.

Highway cruising is effortless with this combo, the Ranger barely breaking a sweat when cruising at the posted speed limit of 110km/h, sitting at around 1800rpm – which certainly helps fuel economy figures.

Speaking of, our 2023 Ford Ranger XLS returned a combined fuel use figure of 9.1L/100km after a week of off-road, highway and urban use.

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On-road

With drum brakes on the rear of the XLS Ranger, and smaller disc brakes on the front compared to the Wildtrak, it’s not surprising that braking feel and performance in the XLS wasn’t as good as the V6 Wildtrak.

It felt as though there was physically more play in the pedal before the brakes bit, which is to be expected. This is the joy of back-to-back testing; you pick up on quirks immediately.

Braking performance was still more than adequate, especially on dirt roads where the ABS calibration worked well. It’s times like these you really appreciate the Australian design and engineering input, as I’ve driven some vehicles on dirt that just don’t want to pull up due to poor ABS calibration.

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Ride and handling on-road is remarkable for a ute, although I did miss the full-time four-wheel drive system I experienced in the Wildtrak, namely as we’ve been dealing with massive amounts of rain in NSW of late.

At no stage however did the XLS Ranger feel sketchy in wet conditions when in rear-wheel-drive, and even in this base trim, daily driving proved to be a comfortable and relaxing driving experience.

I feel the strong on-road performance can be attributed to the combination of an excellent suspension tune and the bigger dimensions.

The 2023 Ford Ranger is 50mm wider than its predecessor, as well as being longer in wheelbase (3220 to 3270mm). This gives the Ranger a more planted feeling through corners and over bumps at speed.

Overall, the XLS is an easy ute to live with day-to-day, even when you take into consideration it is a lower-spec model in the Ranger line-up. If you don’t need heated seats, wireless phone charging and are happy with a more basic interior with cloth seats, the XLS could be for you.

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Off-road

I still believe the HiLux is the most capable four-wheel-drive in this category when it comes to technical four-wheel driving – but, in saying that, the Ranger is a better overall vehicle in terms of features, comfort and liveability.

While traction control remains active on the front end of the Ranger when in low-range 4x4 with the rear diff lock engaged, it is slower to react compared to the HiLux if we take the diff lock out of the equation.

This is being really picky though, and not something that will be a cause for concern off-road, especially once you find the sweet spot for throttle input to keep power going to the wheels with traction.

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Ground clearance is the biggest limitation of the 2023 Ford Ranger, in-part due to the larger physical dimensions. A set of bigger tyres and a suspension lift would really transform this platform. For general four-wheel-drive touring though, I see the additional width and wheelbase is a benefit.

One item I found a bit strange, was the positioning of the exhaust exit point. It points down at the tip and looks to be in a vulnerable spot that could cop a whack off-road. We didn’t hit it on test, but it was a concern.

I’d prefer to see it dumped at the diff like the Amarok, or extended further and raised higher. Again, I’m being picky, but it is worth mentioning.

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Interior

The first thing you’ll notice climbing inside the XLS Ranger, is the comfortable cloth seats, followed by the 10.1-inch centrally mounted infotainment screen that features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s nice to see physical dials and buttons for essentials like volume control and heating/cooling, with the infotainment screen left to control things such as navigation.

I much prefer the older-style gear selector found in the XLS, compared to the complicated Wildtrak unit, which I found difficult to operate the first few times. When you are stuck in mud and need rapid movements from forward-to-reverse to get out, a simple gear shifter is much appreciated.

The same can be said for a traditional manual handbrake lever instead of the increasingly-popular electronic handbrake selector found in most modern vehicles. As the old saying goes: if it ain't broke, don’t fix it…

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Our photographer extraordinaire, Adam from Offroad Images, summed the interior of the XLS Ranger up perfectly while photographing it. “Geez it’s dark in there.”

And it is, thanks to the dark cloth-covered seats, black carpet and black plastics used throughout the dash. Thankfully a lighter colour headliner has been included, which brightens the mood somewhat.

Otherwise, there is a sea of black plastic which certainly reminds you this is a lower-spec vehicle. While it might not be as visually exciting as the Wildtrak, this is an interior designed for work, perfect for four-wheel-drivers and tradies who will be getting these things dirty.

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Practicalities

Eureka, there’s space to easily fit a second battery in the engine bay of the 2023 Ford Ranger. This can be a real battle with modern vehicles, with engine bays becoming more and more cramped. Not the case with the Ranger.

I personally would fit a slimline lithium battery behind the backseat, as lithium battery technology is so good these days, but the fact there is a dedicated spot for a second battery should be celebrated.

Speaking of the backseat, there is plenty of space behind it to store longer items, or mount a slimline battery as mentioned. That isn’t the only party trick however, as the seat base can be lifted up, giving access to additional under-seat storage.

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Maximising space is key for touring four-wheel-drivers, and it’s neat that Ford has put the thought into providing additional dedicated storage in the vehicle.

When you think of practicality and utes, you really have to look to the tub area. This 2023 Ford Ranger’s tub is 1584mm wide, 529mm deep and 1547mm long with 1224mm between the wheel arches.

This is an impressive amount of space, which can comfortably accommodate a Euro-spec pallet for those who need to transport building supplies. This might sound like a pub trivia fact, but if you need to load heavy items regularly with a forklift, it’s quite a handy addition.

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Cost of ownership

Service schedules for the 2023 Ford Ranger are every 12 months or 15,000km, with the first four services capped at $329.

These capped price services cover the first four years of ownership, or up to 60,000km. The warranty period for the Ranger is five years, with unlimited kilometres. It’s also worth mentioning the new Ford Ranger has a five-star ANCAP rating.

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VERDICT

The XLS Ford Ranger doesn’t really do anything wrong – it’s an extremely easy ute to live with, especially when you consider where it sits on the pecking order.

Sure, the interior is fairly basic and you miss out on some tech, but as a vehicle to use for work or play, I think this is the one most fleet operators and serious off-roaders will go for.

At the time of publishing, Ford has the V6 Wildtrak Ranger listed at $75,990 driveaway, the XLS at the time of publishing is $59,653 driveaway. So, the $16,337 question is should you pocket that cash difference and spend that money on four-wheel drive accessories and fuel to get out there exploring?

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My head is saying yes, absolutely. You’d be mad not to. The XLS is comfortable, still has a decent list of inclusions and the performance of the twin-turbo four-cylinder is more than adequate.

My heart however, says keep saving and buy the Wildtrak with its V6 engine, all-wheel-drive ability and better specced interior.

I would, however, strongly recommend you drive them both to see if the V6 is worth the extra money for your needs – if you find yourself wanting a new dual-cab 4x4 ute. The new Ford Ranger should be at the top of your test drive list too, as I do strongly believe it is the best 4x4 ute platform on the market today, regardless of specification.

2022 Ford Ranger XLS 4X4 specifications