The XLT is XLNT. XLNT As in ‘excellent’. Because it just is, let Calvin Fisher explain
We recently had the good company of Ford’s finer offroad siblings, the Ranger and Everest. Both cars are produced locally, are absolutely burgeoning with curbside presence and have all the grunt you could hope for to match their snarling aesthetics. In the Ranger, you have an excellent double cab pickup to rival the likes of the Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max, whilst the Everest has the job of taking the fight to gnarly seven-seater SUVs such as the Fortuner and MUX. Both Fords (and their aforementioned rivals) can easily inch their way close to a million Rand sticker price if you’re not careful, which makes choosing the correct derivative so tricky.
Indeed, Ford loves a special edition and a limited edition, which makes choosing the right badge even more tricky. From Raptors to Wildtraks and previously Stormtraks and more, it’s easy to appreciate the challenge on top of an already extensive list of model grades. But we reckon we’ve identified the Goldilocks model. Not too pricey, and not poverty spec either. Enter the excellent XLT.
The XLT sits above the XL and that sits above the base model. It is essentially only outclassed by the Wildtrak and Wildtrak X models, and of course the Raptor which if we’re being honest, is a very different kind of retail therapy. So what earns it that badge? Well, in terms of visuals the XLT Ranger gains the chrome bar that lives between those C-Clamp LED lamps upfront. Then there’s the 17” inch Dark Spackle Silver matt hoops in each massive arch contributing to its menace. Hop aboard and you’ll encounter a 10” inch touchscreen, squared off and American in its styling, much like the exterior. Naturally, Apple Carplay and Android Auto are standard, and surfaces are finished in a ‘satin’ aluminium finish. It feels upmarket, has a commanding view of the road and crucially, feels like a premium lifestyle truck, and not a mere workhorse. It’s much the same in the Everest, which comes with only one motor variant, that’s the 2.0l Bi-Turbo Diesel at R848,300. Here the wheels are machined 18” inch alloys, the LCD centre screen is a whopping 12 inches and the carbon surfacing gets the Ebony Black treatment.
Above it in the Everest lineup is the Sport, Wildtrak and Platinum models but those are priced at R946k, R1.15mil and R1,18mil respectively – but those make Goldilocks quite upset. Back in the Ranger XLT well, things are much more affordable if for no other reason than you have more options. You can choose from Super Car to Double Cab, and have a choice of 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel (154kW/500Nm) or the traditional 2.0l diesel engines (125kW/405Nm), in 2- or 4WD, with a six or ten-speed automatic transmission. That means a price range from R632,000 to R748,800 for an incredibly well-appointed, and well-desired ‘truck that will turn heads and roll over almost any kind of surface.
To quote a classic car salesman line, “Hey, it’s your money.” But at R748,800 (a full R100,000 less than the Everest XLT), the Ford Ranger 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel 10AT 4WD apes it for performance and spec and is our personal favourite Ford product on the market. There are few simpler pleasures in life than throwing one’s mountain bike into the back of a capable machine, heading deep into the hills accompanied by your favourite playlist and losing yourself for a few hours. This for me, is that capable machine. If however I needed the extra row of seats, an Everest with an XLT badge would probably take its place.
