Test drive Ford Ranger 2 doors since 2010 pickup

Ford Ranger at. Ranger weapons

Ford Ranger at. Start of sales: December 2010. Price: 1,200,000 rubles.

Automatic transmission gradually displaces the mechanics on most cars. This fate and frame pickup Ford Ranger suffered. We will try to understand how successfully the assignment of the machine into the design of this model occurred

In late autumn, Ford Ranger sales with an automatic transmission started in Russia. This model was first represented by the Russian public at the Moscow Motor Show. Let's say right away that the appearance of the machine gun in no way reflected on the appearance of the car. Ranger underwent the last change in appearance two years ago. At the end of 2011, a new Ranger will appear on the Russian market. This will be a completely different car in the concept and design, created on a platform that is different from the modern model, but this is in the future, and now we will return to the modification with an automaton.

The appearance of Ranger in the Russian model line with automatic transmission occurred after communicating with dealers and market analysis. About 6.5 thousand pickups are sold annually in Russia. The lion's share of this amount belongs to the competitor Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi L200, which is explained quite simply. Mitsubishi pickup in the simplest version is cheaper than Ranger, and in addition, it has a version with an automaton in its line. Representatives of Ford Russia do not believe that the emergence of the Ranger modification with the automatic transmission will turn the market upside down. The predicted share of the Ranger with an automatic transmission is 15-20% of the total number of sales of the model. In addition, at the beginning of this year, Ranger will replenish the version with Single Cab (a single cab), which should also strengthen the position of the model on the market. By the way, competitors of Ford in the Russian market do not have this performance.

The test drive route consisted of a sufficiently large road section with a length of about 400 km and a small off-rock laid on the coast of the Rybinsk reservoir. We can say that the optimal conditions for the complete assessment of the beginner. Settling comfortably while driving a pickupa, we note that the purchase of a version with a machine gun cannot be called a budget decision. Such a Ranger is initially more expensive than a mechanical one by 80 thousand rubles. In addition, in the Russian market it will be offered only in top-end configuration, and these are seats with combined upholstery from textiles and leather, air conditioning, an audio system, four electric windows (since only a 5-seater Double CAB), 16-inch cast discs, parquetonics will be sold. , plastic coating and chrome arcs in the back and much more. As a result, the price will begin at 1,200,000 rubles. The appearance in the bowels of the Ranger automatic five -speed KP slightly changed the interior of the cabin. Clearly, the place of the mechanics lever was taken by the machine gun selector. The leverage also disappeared. To connect all -wheel drive and a reduced row of gears, a steeper is used here, similar to microclimate control regulators on the panel. In addition, in a combination of devices there was an indication indicating the position of the automatic transmission selector.

The behavior of the pickup on the road has practically not changed. If you believe passport data, Ranger AT loses versions with a manual transmission in the dynamics of acceleration to 100 km/h about 2 seconds. It is quite difficult to notice this difference. A diesel engine with a 2.5 -liter working volume is quite confidently accelerating. The automatic transmission fully makes it possible to show the declared engine power of 143 hp. This complements this quite well -chosen transmission algorithm. It is worth noting that Ford engineers did not have to develop a new automatic transmission for Ranger. If rangers with an automaton have appeared in Russia only now, then in Australia such cars have been sold for a long time, only in the right -handed performance. And by the way, in addition to Ranger, the 5R55S automatic transmission is installed on Explorer.

You can’t call the Ranger on the Ranger comfortable on asphalt, and this is not surprising, since the car still has spring suspension of the rear axle and torsiones in the front. Taking into account that he, albeit a small, but still truck, wanted to load 100150 kg of ballast into the body to give the suspension softness. But the noise insulation of the salon fully justifies its name: it not only absorbs the roar of a working motor well, but also copes with the noise from the wheels.

This SUV should be evaluated outside the roads with asphalt. And here Ranger proved himself in all its glory. Automatic transmission did not exclude from its equipment either a rigidly connected front -wheel drive, or a differential of increased friction in the rear bridge. The route for checking the off -road qualities of the pickup was replete with ferries and deep potholes, which the energy -intensive suspension easily swallowed. There were highways on the pickup, but it also confidently moved on them and on wet sand along the coast of the Rybinsk reservoir, and along the forest clearing, jumping on the roots of trees.

The appearance of an automatic transmission in the Arsenal Ford Ranger did not affect its off -road characteristics negatively. He remained a frame SUV with an energy -intensive and reliable suspension necessary for machines of this class. The only open questions remain a rather high price and availability only with a five -seater cabin.


Advantages and disadvantages
+ Reliable suspension, diesel engine, four -wheel drive, good off -road indicators.

- High basic value of the version with a machine gun, lack of differential locks.


Technical science characteristics
Mark and model - Ford Ranger AT
Dimensions - 5175/1805/1795 mm
Engine-diesel, Duratorg TDCI, 2499 cm3, 143 hp/3500 min-1, 330 nm/1800 min-1
Transmission - automatic, 5 -speed
Dynamics - 158 km/h
Competitors - Mazda BT50, Mitsubishi L200, Nissan NP300




Author: Sergey Moiseev
 

Source: Magazine 5 wheel [February 2011]