Mako goes after Raptor
With Ford holding the reins of the ute market since about 2014, it was always going to be a case of when – not if – Toyota NZ would deliver a model to compete.
The FX4 now comes with the Bi-Turbo powertrain as standard, bringing customers a unique Ranger that combines upgrades with a more striking, instantly identifiable special edition model
The 2020 Ranger FX4 Bi-Turbo features include a unique Ebony Black finish mesh grille, darkened Bi-LED High Performance Lighting System, exclusive 18-inch mesh alloy wheels and FX4-specific extended sports bar for greater visual presence.
Specific FX4 leather-accented seating sees Race Red stitching that’s also carried over to the FX4’s steering wheel, gear selector and padded, premium soft-touch instrument panel, providing an impactful contrast with the cabin’s darker interior finishes.
The Ranger FX4 Bi-Turbo sits between the Ranger XLT and highly equipped Ranger Wildtrak models, featuring FX4-specific 18-inch alloy wheels, an inch larger than the Ranger XLT’s 17-inch alloys, continuing the black detailing, with black DLO, door handles and front guard fender feature contrasting the striking red ‘FX4’ lower front door and tailgate decals, all with a 3D effect.
Completing the look, the FX4’s tray hosts a protective bed liner and an extended black-finish sports bar, adding a stand-out visual attribute to the Ranger FX4’s load area. The extensive black treatment applied to the outside is designed to impress with the five exterior colour choices for Ranger FX4 Bi-Turbo, which consist of Shadow Black, Arctic White, True Red, Meteor Grey and Aluminium Metallic.
In addition to the FX4-specifics, standard cabin features include SYNC 3 with voice-activated sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto[i] smartphone compatibility, a full-colour reversing camera and digital instrumentation. Driver assist technology includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, lane keeping aid (LKA) with lane departure warning and driver alert, traffic sign recognition and automatic high-beam headlights. The current Ford Ranger line-up has been rated at five-stars by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
For the first time, Ranger FX4 Bi-Turbo is offered with the latest generation 2.0 litre Bi-Turbo, 10-speed powertrain as standard on either the 4WD or 2WD.
With 157kW/500Nm, first seen on the Ranger Raptor, the FX4 and is fitted with the new generation 10-speed paddle shift automatic, that includes a lock-out feature to hold specific gears when towing.
Towing capacity is rated at 3500Kg braked, while the backing of Ford’s five-year or 150,000-kilometre factory warranty should give peace of mind.
