Ford South Africa offers a host of various derivatives and in recent years has also introduced some special editions. The latest is the
Stormtrak and our correspondent got behind the wheel to fully experience the newcomer in the picturesque
Karoo.
When
Ford South Africa introduced the limited edition
Thunder model last year the plan was to build 1000 units however demand exceeded supply and
Ford had to commission 1033 more units. Now, the
Thunder has officially run its course and a new option has rolled in, the
Stormtrak. This newcomer offers a host of styling enhancements as well as unique features. To better experience the
Stormtrak,
Ford flew us down to
Gqeberha where we would head out on an amazing trip into the
Karoo, chasing storms along the way.
From a styling perspective the new
Stormtrak gets a few eye-catching elements which include a striking black mesh grille with red inserts, a black insert in the lower section of the front bumper, black decals for the bonnet and doors, black roof rails and 18-inch alloy wheels finished in gloss black. The
Stormtrak also features bespoke
Stormtrak logos on the lower sections of the front doors, as well as on the rear tailgate. There is even a bespoke colour for the
Stormtrak called
Lucid Red.
One of the biggest and most convenient features on offer is the powered rear
Roller Shutter which can be operated via the key-fob, a button inside the cabin and even via a button at the rear of the vehicle. It proved to be relatively dust proof and kept our luggage dry during the rain.
The interior of the
Stormtrak is a familiar affair as it features the same look and feel as that offered by the luxury focused
Wildtrak. Some highlights for this author include the illuminated front scuff plates. The
Stormtrak logo takes pride of place on the front seat backrests and red stitching is used throughout the leather-trimmed cabin, including on the soft-touch dashboard, steering wheel and gear lever, further enhancing the sporty ambience.
For the tech junkies out there the
Ranger Stormtrak offers enough to satisfy your desires.
Ford’s impressive
SYNC 3 infotainment system features embedded navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a nifty USB charging port located in the rearview mirror makes for easy fitment of a dash cam. The
Stormtrak is also equipped with
Ford’s innovative
FordPass functionality that allows owners to remotely access numerous vehicle features from their phone – such as remote and scheduled starts to either cool or heat the cabin. Other features include the ability to monitor various aspects of the vehicle such as service requirements, oil level and even tyre pressure on vehicles with said ability.
Other useful features include a vehicle locator courtesy of a map and location tracker in the
FordPass app,
Vehicle Health Alerts, which can be sent directly to a smart device pre-empting service needs, and
Roadside Assistance, allowing customers instant access to
Ford’s 24-hour emergency
Roadside Assistance which is valid for a period of three years/unlimited distance.
So what’s it like to drive? Our near 1000km adventure saw us meander across the
Karoo, traverse the Baviaanskloof nature reserve as we made our way to the Storms River Mouth. The long gravel roads found in the
Karoo provided the perfect opportunity to sample the Rangers handling characteristics. The roads we travelled on were smooth and thus we were able to increase our overall speed. The
Stormtrak handles high speed gravel travel well and the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel makes light work of getting a move on thanks to its 157kW and 500Nm of torque. The 10-speed automatic also swaps cogs with little notice and the active cruise control is a benefit in dusty situations where visibility is poor. The system will automatically slow the vehicle down when it detects another vehicle ahead of it.
What was really impressive is how the
Ranger was able to tackle the Baviaanskloof pass. Using the rotary dial to select H4 is easy and can be done on the move. The low-down torque made the climb effortless and the use of
Down Hill Descent Control keeps everything tidy when doing down hill. The system can brake individual wheels for a controlled off-road experience.
On road the
Ranger provides a comfortable driving experience and thanks to safety items such as
Lane-Keep Assist and the
Active Cruise Control there is a sense of confidence when driving in the rain for example, which is what we did as we made our way to the Storms River Village, our final stop before the our journey's end. Once again
Ford South Africa has taken us to places many only hear about in conversation. Taking the locally built
Ford Ranger through these areas is special as Ford contributes to around 2% of our GDP. Further investments at the
Silverton Plant have increased jobs not only at the plant but throughout the supply chain.
The
Ford Ranger is a part of this country just as much as the Stormberg and the Stormsriver mouth. The
Stormtrak offers a unique spin on an already winning formula.
Credit: Justin Jacobs
