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While there is an additional cost with the FX4, you actually get a lot for the little extra. The FX4 comes with a handful of accents and aesthetic add-ons, such as the black mesh grille (same as that on the Thunder), black side-mirror caps, black door handles, black 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels, red internal stitching on the leather seats, dashboard, and steering wheel, and, of course, red “FX4” decals on the front doors and badge on the tailgate.
One of the standout features on the FX4 is the extended tubular sports bar in the bed of the bakkie, and an included drop-in bedliner to protect the bed from the get-go, which is a really nice touch. This really helps with sliding any goods, such as that trusty cooler-box or ladder, in and out of your FX4 without fuss or concern.
So, the FX4 has the looks (that’s for sure), but does it deliver in the performance department? The 2L, four-cylinder turbodiesel engine does not sound like a diesel at all, and driving is actually incredibly quiet, which is a good thing. However, you do get the powerful grunt of a sizable diesel engine, allowing you to safely pull off on an incline, easily hit cruising speeds on highways, and tackle some gravel roads when needed. The FX4 is an incredibly simple car to drive given its size, and doesn’t compromise on the comfort department, with a cushy leather interior, and all the bells and whistles (lane-keeping notifications, cruise control, and more) helping you along the way.
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Another of the FX4’s proudest features is making sure you get the full digital experience, and the FX4, now including FordPass, ensures that. The FordPass app essentially makes your tough-and-ready bakkie a ‘smart’ car, of sorts. You can lock and unlock using the app, find your vehicle, check your petrol and engine status, and even start the car, all with the touch of a button on your smartphone. It adds an element of new-age tech to a vehicle-type that has often been seen as a little basic — and Ford’s Ranger line is anything but that.
If you’ve been dying for a Ranger for quite some time, and want a little extra in terms of functional and edgy aesthetic add-ons, the FX4 is the option to go for. Not to mention the fact that you’re getting one of the best vehicles on the market beneath all the spiffy bonuses.
Colour-wise, the FX4 is available in five exterior colour choices: Sea Grey, Frozen White, Race Red, Agate Black and Moondust Silver, and, once again, retails for R687,900, with the 4×2 variant coming in at R618,900.
As with other Ranger variants, the new FX4 derivatives ship standard with a four-year/120 000 km warranty and a six-year/90 000 km service plan (with 15 000 km intervals).
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It seems like Ford has a bakkie option for every type of car-lover — between the Wildtrack, Raptor, Thunder, and even standard Ranger, there’s a lot to choose from and a lot of variety. However, another model has slipped into the line, namely the Ranger FX4, to provide something a little different to fans of Ford’s rugged range. We got our hands on the new entry to find out what makes the FX4 stand out among its similar siblings.
So, what is the FX4? Well, the Ranger FX4 is not necessarily lesser or more than its other Ranger counterparts, but instead something different. However, price-wise, it lands below the Wildtrak and Thunder models but just above the base XLT. The Ranger 2-litre SiT XLT FX4 4×4 model starts at R687,900, which is about a R30,000 bump-up from the standard XLT of the same configuration.