I love taking a test bakkie to the stable yard. It’s always such a refreshing way to get instant feedback on whether a bakkie has appeal in the equestrian world or not…
I mean, we’re talking serious owners here who use their vehicles to tow, to transport feed, to drive mixed roads, and who really like to make extensive use of their vehicles; and not just for the odd camping trip or school run.
Pitching up with our dark grey and Lightning Blue Ford Tremor test car the other day, certainly didn’t disappoint. It was immediately mobbed by several curious horse owners poking around inside of it, asking questions related to towing capacity, drive comfort, fuel consumption and more. So here are all the answers…
Our test model boasted a 2-litre bi-turbo diesel engine with a 10-speed automatic transmission… automatic diesels are much loved by equestrians for towing so this got a big tick! It’s a return to Ford’s more utilitarian off-road style vehicles and boasts all-wheel drive with serious ground clearance, perfect for navigating flooded and donga-filled roads en-route to the yard.
“…capture the outdoor enthusiast market…”
Its intended purpose is to capture the outdoor enthusiast market and it certainly attracted all the right interest from the notoriously fussy horsey girls; who instantly started envisaging trips with and without their four-legged treasures.
The new Ranger Tremor offers a roomy and comfortable double cab cabin with stylish vinyl seat coverings which are practical and hard wearing, plus super easy to clean and wipe off. Again, this received a nod of approval from the ladies as they envisaged all the endless mud, sand, horse slobber, bits of hay and teff that the seats of their vehicles are normally smothered in.
Included is a 12-inch infotainment centre, where it was simple enough to pair and operate Bluetooth while navigating all the necessary features one would need as an owner.
The real kicker as far as this discerning bunch of equestrians was concerned, was the 3,500kg braked towing capacity – perfect for towing a large horsebox with two heavy warmbloods in it. The showjumping and eventing peeps were most impressed by the towing capacity but slightly less so once they found out that Ford’s claimed 7.5l/100km fuel consumption on the Tremor was not so easily attained.
I only managed at best some 9.8l/ 100km with mixed driving and no towing. So not quite as economical as claimed. It would be interesting to check this again on a long road test.
While we didn’t test the Tremor’s off-roading ability beyond the relatively benign farm roads to the stable yard each day, it offers a reasonable wade depth of 800mm and a ground clearance of 261mm – well suited to the lifestyle of a 4×4 enthusiast as well.
I found driving the Tremor to be more comfortable than expected. It was roomy enough both front and back for my 5’11’’ frame and it didn’t have the harsh leaf-spring feedback that you can expect from most bakkies when travelling empty.
It moved smoothly through all 10 gears without delays and turbo lag, which I could appreciate as someone used to driving a naturally-aspirated 5l V8. So it definitely packed enough punch and responsiveness to keep me happy.
“Every equestrian should sit up and take note…”
To conclude, this is a very noteworthy bakkie with rugged good looks, spacious interior, practical and perfectly suited to the lifestyle of an outdoor enthusiast. Every equestrian should sit up and take note of this option when considering their next bakkie purchase.
And at a retail price of R978,600 (at time of writing), it offers great value at a lower cost than a Wildtrak with a fair bit more practicality.
