Built in Mzansi for adventure and more, Calvin Fisher unpacks these very similar siblings
When it comes to rugged performance and off-road prowess, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak and the VW Amarok Pan Americana are two heavyweights that hail from the same manufacturing hub in Silverton, South Africa. They each have loyal followings here, both command a premium and if I’m honest, manage to hit the same high notes and tick the same boxes. Both benefit from huge curbside presence, and share the same robust and dynamic underpinnings. For the sake of our comparison, both cars boast the doubly-boosted V six-cylinder diesel with 184kW and 600Nm. Similarly, they’ve both been paired with a slippery ten-speed auto and the result is sufficiently creamy. And the result is as far from the diesel-bakkie stigma of a decade ago as you could possibly imagine – make no mistake, these are luxury cars.
The shared engine’s refined power delivery, coupled with its robust torque ensures that the Pan Americana and Wildtrak can conquer most challenging landscapes with ease. Crucially, they’re also equally comfortable on asphalt, which is useful since the life of a South African bakkie generally includes school runs, trips to the mall, work commutes and if you’re lucky – the odd trip to the hiking and biking trails. In my case, the latter – with constant lugging of bicycles and gear to the mountains and back again. Since both have lockable, roller-top load bins, your gear is as safe and sound, if not more so, than in a hatchback or SUV. So, a lifestyle vehicle minus any compromises you might normally have to make when piloting something that can double as a workhorse.
Both vehicles are similarly appointed, that is, loaded to the gills with toys and features. Most notably a high-tech cabin dominated by a massive widescreen infotainment unit, brimming with media connectivity options and more. In terms of comfort and just a premium feel overall, the Wildtrak and Pan Americana are both flagships so you get the finest tactile and leathery surfaces. As a point of distinction however (finally), we enjoyed the heated seats in the Amarok (during a truly freezing Cape Winter) but found the Ford user interface was a bit more intuitive and responsive than the VW. The Amarok had a few buttons too many so required a bit more concentration to navigate. Curiously, when it came to refinement we noticed that the VW rode marginally smoother, as you come to expect from the German brand.
Verdict
This verdict has no teeth ultimately – if you’re a Volkswagen fan, in the Amarok you’ve got a wonderful candidate. If you’re a Ford subscriber, the new Ranger, especially in Wildtrak trim is a fantastic prospect. The Ranger is marginally more affordable though, and then there are the bragging rights that come with being a Ford fan, knowing that one of its biggest rivals is fundamentally identical. Win, win.