Ford Ranger Takes On Mercedes X-Class, VW Amarok, Toyota Hilux in Australia - How'd It Do?

Have you ever wondered how a new Ford Ranger might compare to the international trucks available in other markets? VW has its Amarok, Toyota the legendary Hilux, and Mercedes a new X-Class pickup. Well, 4x4 Australia just compared the old, outgoing Ranger to the best of the rest and the Ranger came out the winner. Just imagine how much better the updated one coming in just a few months might have done? A proper stomping may be the term.

The comparison pitted top-spec trucks with diesel engines against one another in the Australian market. The test was run in the town of Blinman in the Flinders Ranges. We will admit that means nothing to us here in the Eastern U.S., but the area can safely be called "the boonies."

The publication did a very very thorough comparison of all aspects of the trucks. In the end, it was the Ranger and one other that was the best two by far. The Ranger came out ahead. Here are a few things the publication liked about the Ranger:
- "The Ranger looks tough, something that’s important out here."
- "Comfortable front seats support in the right areas, and even those in the rear get a spacious, well-proportioned cabin; of this quartet it’s the best for backseat comfort, with decent legroom and enough headroom for taller folk."
- "Once the roads get rougher the Wildtrak reasserts itself as a terrific all-rounder."
- "...it’s the all-round nature of the Ranger that made it the car we were happy to slip back behind the wheel of, whatever the surface and whatever the challenge."
The publication also liked the seat trim, adaptive cruise control, and infotainment controls of the Ranger.

The Ranger is the top-selling midsized truck in Australia, even outselling the Hilux. IN a few months we get to find out if that success will be duplicated in the U.S. market.

Image Note: Ranger shown above is the new 2019 Ranger for the U.S. market.