Ford Ranger Wildtrak: part one

Picked up our Ford Ranger Wildtrak pickup last week. She’s massive, blue and bestowed with a three-litre turbo diesel engine that’s so torquey you can set off in first gear with no throttle at all. Going to be perfect for humping bikes and people and gear around, that’s fo’ sho’.

It turned up just in time, actually. Day two coincided with the biggest dump of snow I’ve seen for decades. Our roads were covered with a at least a foot of hard packed snow and the dual carriageway home was a single lane of 3mph wheel-spinning traffic.

I was already prepared for this. With the four-wheel drive selected and the diff-lock in, the snowy roads were more entertainment than inconvenience. In the outside lane (2ft of deep virgin snow) I cruised home at a steady 50mph tracking a rock-steady path. I think the extra weight of a Triumph Speed Triple in the back actually improved my grip levels.

Oh, and more importantly, the heater is monster powerful. Takes ten minutes for it to get up to temp in these freezing conditions but, boy, does it kick some tootsies toasting heat out when it’s warmed up.

By mark forsyth