Page 2

Interior
Inside the double cab, the layout is similar to other Rangers but with more pronounced bucket designs for the seats which are in a 2-tone colour scheme. The dark/light colour scheme is also carried through to the dashboard while the steering wheel has leather wrapping. The metallic-finished audio system unit has a single-CD player built in but no cassette player.

Same platform, powertrain
Cosmetic differences aside, the platform and powertrain of the Extreme are the same as the other Rangers with the proven and powerful WLT 12-valve 2499 cc turbodiesel engine that produces 86 kW/117 ps at 3500 rpm and a hefty 280 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm. This is mated to a robust 5-speed manual gearbox which delivers power to the rear wheels and utilises a transfer case to get power to the front wheels when needed.

An automatic, which has been a major draw of the Ranger’s closest rival (the Storm) is still not available. Mr Chong agreed that it has been asked for but a study of the sales will show that automatic pick-ups account for only 17% of the sales so far.

“We believe that most of our customers in this segment prefer a manual transmission for the better capabilities in off-road conditions,” he said.

The front suspension has independent double wishbones with torsion bars while at the rear, the live axle has leafsprings on either side with damping provided by double-acting shock absorbers.

The brake system is a disc/drum set-up with brake balance adjusted by a load-sensing proportioning valve to minimise occurrences of lock-up on slippery roads when the load is light. Ford Malaysia is still studying the possibility of adding ABS in future, this feature being available in Rangers sold in some other markets.

As with the other Rangers too, the front hubs are auto-locking when 4WD is engaged and to disengage them, there is a convenient switch on the dashboard. Sure beats getting down to unlock them when they are all muddy!

In view of the Ranger being extremely popular with people who don’t want to pay money to buy one – meaning the thieves – Ford Malaysia has worked hard to come up with a more sophisticated security package. The new package in the Extreme has also been fitted to the other Rangers produced from November 2001.

This system includes an ‘armoured cover’ for the immobiliser unit and has sensors to detect opening of doors or bonnet (but not the tonneau cover) and an ultrasonic sensor in the cabin to detect movements. There is also another sensor which will activate the alarm if the vehicle is lifted up at an angle, usually when being towed, a major feature to prevent thieves from using their usual tactic of towing Rangers away. Finally, in an effort to prevent car-jacking, the doors lock automatically when a certain speed is exceeded. The new system is said to be so good that it has a Thatcham Category 1 classification, this being a classification of a leading insurance agency in UK.

Impressions from the back seat
At the press preview today, Ford Malaysia did not provide an opportunity for journalists to drive the Extreme and instead invited them to ride in it as passengers. The course laid out at the Shah Alam stadium was a very muddy one with some steep slopes prepared to demonstrate the hill-climbing ability. They need not have gone to all that trouble since the capabilities of the Ranger are already well proven and known. The only thing is that with the Extreme, there are a lot of nice cosmetic items which could well get damaged early in an off-road trip!

The comfort level in the back seat was pretty good even as the Extreme bumped and roared its way along the course. It traversed a 30-degree incline sideways and hardly skipped a beat forging through a deep mudhole.

Anyway, members of the public in the Klang Valley will have their own chance to test the Extreme (and other Ford models) at the Ford Concessionaires Test-Drive Fair which is being held in the Tropicana Golf & Country Club this Saturday (January 19th) from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Of course, the Extreme will also be in all Ford showrooms and an ‘Extreme Roadshow’ will be passing through Penang, Johor Bahru and KL from January 18th. Details will be given in the newspapers.