UK Drive: Ford’s Ranger is still a very polished pick-up

However, the Ford Ranger still stands tall in this category, and it was first introduced in its current form in 2021. While it’s the mad-hat Raptor which often commands the limelight, more ‘regular’ versions of the Ranger are far better suited to tough, demanding jobs. We’re testing it here in snazzy Platinum specification, which gets a few extra toys without diminishing this pick-up’s real-world abilities.

But Ford also worked to improve how the Ranger handled on-road, too, tweaking the suspension to help make this truck a little comfier to live with when you’re not tackling the rough stuff. It comes with a 1,200kg maximum gross payload, too.

Ford claims that you should get up to 27.4mpg combined from the V6, too, alongside CO2 emissions of 270g/km.

On the motorway, the Ranger is composed enough to tackle those longer journeys without being too noisy or bouncy. While Ford has reworked the Ranger’s suspension to help when it isn’t loaded up, like most pick-ups it feels at its best when there’s something in the back. The V6 engine under the bonnet makes light work of getting the Ranger up to speed, too, and Ford’s on-paper claim of 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds seems right on the money. The only snag is the 10-speed automatic gearbox; as in other Ford models, it just has too many ratios to ever feel ‘happy’ and seems to be ever-changing as a result.

There are loads of eye-catching colours to choose from on the Ranger, too, though ‘Frozen White’ is the only no-cost one – the rest will set you back £600 excluding VAT.

There’s a good level of storage for odds and ends, too, and space in the rear of this double-cab pick-truck isn’t too bad either.

As with other Ford models, the Ranger also gets a massive central touchscreen. On Platinum-grade trucks is a 12-inch unit – lower specifications have a 10-inch one instead – and it’s packed with features. It’s easy to use, too, but the inclusion of physical controls for the heating and ventilation is a bonus and makes them much easier to use when you’re on the move than having to delve into the screen.

The days of rough-and-ready pick-up trucks appear to be well behind us. It is when you’re driving the Ford Ranger, anyway, which delivers a more upmarket and premium-feeling experience than you’d ever expect to get from something this capable.

At close to £50,000 this is one expensive truck, mind you. But as an all-rounder and something that could easily fill the space of a traditional SUV, the Ranger is well worth checking out.