Ford Ranger FX4 2020 review

Ford is arguably in a tough spot when it comes to trying to make its Ranger models stand out, given the huge number of styling accessories and design extras you can buy for this ute. A drive through the suburbs of any major city in Australia will highlight just how much black plastic cladding, oversized wheels and tyres, stickers and stick-on elements are available.

So the FX4 needed to be acceptable to the mainstream buyer, but also offer something a bit more eye-catching than what you get in the standard Ranger XLT. And to my eye, the company has nailed it.

The additional exterior design bits you get on the FX4 over the XLT include ebony black mirrors, door handles an fender features, plus an ebony black grille, a matte black extended sports bar, 18-inch black alloys specific to the FX4 model, side decals and rear badging, plus a number of changes to the interior - check out our interior pics to see what I mean. A lot of those bits replace the chrome elements of the XLT. 

The FX4 comes with 18-inch black alloys.

While our test vehicle is finished in Arctic White, you can also choose Aluminium Silver, True Red, Meteor Grey and Shadow Black. Think you can pick the two colours that don’t cost you extra? It’s the red and white hues, as the others add $650 to the price. You can’t get it in blue, orange, green or yellow. 

The body shape of the FX4 is limited to the dual cab model, and I really think the new LED headlights look a lot more modern than the HID headlights of the old model - much sharper than projectors or xenons, too. Chuck a set of driving lights or a light bar on, and it’d look even better. 

The new LED headlights look a lot more modern than the HID headlights of the old model.

There’s no hardcore underbody protection beyond the standard level of stuff you get underneath, and just like the other Ford utes, you get a rear step bumper for easy utility body access.

How much is a Ford Ranger FX4 2020 model? That depends which version you choose, and this price list should help you figure out which might be the right model in the FX4 mix. 

The cost of the entry-level FX4 - with the 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel and a six-speed manual, which is the one tested here - is $59,140 plus on-road costs. That’s a neat $2500 more than the equivalent XLT, but bear in mind that’s the RRP or MSRP, not a drive away price. Check Autotrader.com.au to see what deals are being done, as we know times are tough and this could offer you more of a price guide.

Next up the price range is the 3.2-litre with the six-speed automatic, at $61,340 (MSRP). But promotional pricing at the time of writing for the 3.2L auto is advertised at $59,990 driveaway. 

And at the top of the price range is the version of the FX4 fitted with the company’s impressive 2.0-litre bi-turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. It lists $1500 above the 3.2 auto, at $62,840 before on-roads. Or, according to the Ford Australia site at the time of writing, $61,490 drive-away.

The FX4 features a semi-digital dashboard.

It’ll be a while before we know the price second hand of this version of the FX4, and while it’s hardly an exact art, Glass’s Guide’s depreciation calculator indicates 56.5 per cent retained resale value for the 3.2-litre models, and 57.5 per cent for the 2.0-litre.  

Wondering about specs? Well there’s not much of a model comparison to be done, because the engine is the big differentiator. But there is a difference between FX4 models and the XLT, for instance.

If we compare this model against the XLT, it still has all the good standard equipment specifications: Bi-LED headlights and daytime running lights, dual-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry central locking and push button start, tyre pressure monitoring, power windows, power mirrors, a tub liner with tailgate liner, towing kit (tow bar and wiring, but not electric brake controller), a cooled centre console box, privacy glass (rear window tint), semi-digital dashboard, heated and auto-folding rear vision mirrors.

Multimedia is controlled by an 8.0-inch touch screen, and there is GPS navigation system (sat nav), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a sound system with six speakers (no subwoofer), dab digital radio, radio CD player with MP3 playback (no CD changer or DVD player), Bluetooth phone and audio streaming. The screen also shows temperature for the climate control air conditioning.

And FX4 gets 18-inch wheels (17s on XLT) with a full size spare tyre under the tray floor and there’s tyre pressure monitoring on this spec, plus the FX4 has all the detailed highlights mentioned in the design section, though the flared guards and wheel arch extensions of the Wildtrak and Raptor models still have that “off road pack” advantage, especially with the two tone paint finishes. 

This is more of a sport edition, I guess, even though it doesn’t have a body kit, side skirts, a hardtop or soft top tonneau, a front spoiler or even bonnet stripes. There’s still no sunroof, either. 

There are plenty of accessories in the Ford catalogue - we’re not just talking rims and floor mats. You could spec up a bull bar, nudge bar, snorkel, ute canopy, ladder rack, roof rack, roof rails, a hard tonneau cover - or you could remove the tub and get a steel tray, aluminium tray, flat tray… there are plenty of other features available, too. 

This model is initially limited to 1000 units, but there could be more - though waiting times may be encountered.

The Ford Ranger is arguably the most liveable ute in the segment. It’s comfortable, easy to drive, refined and enjoyable. 

The case remains the same with the FX4, which is more enjoyable than many of its rival utes when it comes to day-to-day duties. Admittedly, it still has a ladder frame chassis - with double wishbone front suspension and leaf spring rear suspension - that doesn’t feel like you’re riding on air suspension, but is still a very sophisticated setup in the way it behaves across a mix of surfaces.

It is rather softly sprung, making it feel cushier than, say, a HiLux. And it has the terrific Ford electronic power steering, which means you don’t need to work hard at the tiller after a hard day at work, because the steering is light, accurate and very easy to turn - even if the turning circle itself is rather large.

The Ford Ranger is arguably the most liveable ute in the segment.

The 3.2-litre five-cylinder engine with the six-speed manual in our FX4 was a treat to use. There’s a lot of torque from around 2000rpm, and it pulls decently without any weight in the tray. There’s a bit of five-cylinder noise to contend with, but with the manual ‘box it’s easy to exploit the engine / exhaust brake capabilities of the engine.

There’s no sport mode here, however, and I found that - while I wasn’t doing a performance test - the 0-100 acceleration speed results came down to the driver’s command of the six-speed manual gearbox. It can take some learning, as first gear is very short, and second gear is shorter than you might think, too. 

You might want to check out our ute comparison tests for detailed off road review testing on the Ford Ranger’s capability, because while it’s always fun to go off road, we didn’t in this test.

Even so, here are the off-road performance figures you’ll no doubt want to know: ground clearance mm - 237; wading depth mm - 800; turning circle - 12.7m; approach angle - 29 degrees; departure angle - 21 degrees (to tow bar); break-over/ramp-over angle: 25 degrees. 

It’s a heavy duty 4x4, but you might think it needs smaller rims (16 inch alloy or steelies?) and a set of off road all terrain tyres. 

The Ford Ranger still has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, even though it was tested way back in 2015.

But the safety features list is lengthy across the range. All models have auto emergency braking (AEB), lane assist, auto high-beam lights, a reverse camera, load adaptive control, hill descent control and hill start assist. Of course there’s electronic stability program (ESP) and anti lock brakes (ABS).

The FX4 has front and rear parking sensors, and has the option of the $800 Tech Pack with technical gadgets like park assist (semi-autonomous self parking) and adaptive cruise control… provided you buy the automatic model.

The airbag count is six (dual front, front side and full-length curtain airbags). There are dual outboard ISOFIX child seat anchor points, but only two top-tether points.

Where is the Ford Ranger built? Like almost every other mainstream ute out there, it’s made in Thailand.