Ford Ranger Platinum is 'luxury' pick-up for £44k
The 2023 Ranger Platinum will start from £44,400
Plush new model aims to mix truck-grade capability with a more premium appeal
A high-specification, luxury edition of the Ford Ranger has been unveiled with the aim of pushing the popular pick-up at premium customers.
With prices starting at £44,400 (£17,400 more than the standard Ranger double-cab), the new luxury pick-up has arrived following the success of the Ranger Wildtrak – another on-road variant mainly used for leisure and towing – which alone accounted for 80% of Ranger sales in the UK last year.
Ford anticipate the Platinum will take on around 7% of Ranger sales, almost exclusively from potential Wildtrak customers, in a bid to keep both on sale for as long as possible.
The Platinum gets a silk chrome-finished front grille, 20in alloy wheels, daytime running lights and roof rails. Inside, the model gains luxury finishes such as leather-clad, 10-way electric seats, two 12.0in screens (one for infotainment, one for the instrument cluster) and a Bang & Olufsen sound system.
Powering this Volkswagen Amarok rival is Ford’s 236bhp, 442lb ft 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine. It comes mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, which has been reconfigured to reduce noise and vibration in a bid to improve refinement. The luxury pick-up can also tow a 3500kg payload and carry over a tonne.
Alongside safety features introduced by the Wildtrak, the Platinum comes with active park assist, a blindspot warning system and a 360deg camera with trailer coverage.
Ford is angling the Platinum edition as an alternative, premium offering for business owners who want a Ranger for its usable benefits - such as an ability to go off road, a low-range gearbox and high towing capacity – but will spend 90% of the time driving it on Tarmac, working professionally or using the car for leisure purposes.
Other members of the Ranger line-up includes the rugged XL and XLT, which are priced from £24,750 and £27,350 respectively, and the range-topping, £58,900 288bhp Raptor performance pick-up.