New Ford Ranger Platinum adds LUXURY to Ford’s Ranger Pick-Up offerings

Ford’s Ranger pick-up offerings expand with the arrival of the new luxury Ranger Platinum, aimed at ‘Premium’ buyers with prices from £44,000.

Do most buyers of pick-ups buy them for their load-lugging capacity and workhorse abilities, or do they buy them for the BIK tax breaks compared to a comparable SUV?

Certainly, at the top end of pick-up offerings, buyers are probably more interested in slashing their tax bill than lugging bags of sand, and that’s the ‘Premium’ market Ford is aiming at with its latest offering – the new Ford Ranger Platinum.

At £44,000 (plus VAT), the Ranger Platinum is far from cheap, but Ford has thrown plenty of glitz and kit in to the mix to justify the price.

At the front, there’s a new silk chrome grille with ‘Platinum’ spelt out above, 20″ alloys, roof rails for the double cab, daytime running lights, soft-close tailgate, Privacy Glass, Matrix LED headlights, leather upholstery, 10-way electric seats, posh B&O Sound, a pair of 12″ screens, Active Park Assist, Blind Spot Cross Traffic and Trailer coverage.

Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre V6 diesel good for 236bhp and 442lb/ft of torque mated to a 10-speed auto ‘box, with payload still the same ‘over a tonne’ as the regular Ranger (so the BIK benefits remain) and towing capacity of 3500kg.

Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe, said:

The Ford Ranger has set the standard for performance, versatility and capability in the pickup segment, and now it’s setting the standard for luxury. The stunning new Platinum will suit customers who appreciate the level of comfort and technology from high-end road cars, but who rely on the toughness.

Production of the Ranger Platinum starts in March with deliveries shortly after. Ford says order books are now open.