4WD ute of the year: Ford Ranger Tremor

News and General

This is good, very good. The Tremor is based on the mid-spec 2.0-litre Ranger Sport but has the line-up’s full-time selectable 4WD system, which is standard on V6 Rangers. It’s not the part-time system used by other four-cylinder Rangers.

That alone makes the Tremor a desirable ute, because it means 4WD can be used on tarmac.

The Tremor also gets heavy-duty off-road suspension and steering tune, Bilstein external-reservoir shock absorbers, more ground clearance than a standard Ranger, as well as 17-inch alloy wheels, General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres, and off-road driver-assist tech including Rock Crawl mode and Trail Turn Assist, which is a button-based version of a ‘cutting brake’. Tremor has 261mm ground clearance which means, in the Ranger line-up, only the Raptor has more with a claimed 272mm.

The Tremor is a sensible upgrade over regular Rangers, providing a bridge between them and the Raptor. Full-time 4WD, heavy-duty suspension, more ground clearance, and decent all-terrain tyres make a meaningful difference. This has become our pick of the bunch, our all-time favourite Ranger.

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