The XLT is the gold standard dual cab ($57,600 plus on-roads) in this mob; the only thing better in the range is the top-spec Wildtrak (from $60,090 for the auto, excluding on-roads) but we reckon its hyper-stylised interior, which looks great, would cop an absolute hammering in day-to-day life and its extras over the XLT, including heated front seats and puddle lamps, simply aren't worth the cash in practical terms.
From opening the doors – which gape nice and wide for ease of entry and exit – and onwards, life in the Ranger is easy. The cabin is roomy – plenty of headroom and legroom – and very comfortable inside; the front leather-accented seats are nicely cushioned and supportive.
Back-row seats are very much in the straight-up-and-down mould of dual-cab utes' second-row accommodation, but the Ranger's are comfier than most.
Cabin storage includes a cavernous glove box, centre console and coin storage, two cupholders, bottle holder and door storage in every door, seat-back pockets, and more.
There are two front auxiliary 12 volt power outlets, one rear auxiliary 12 volt power outlet, and a 230 volt inverter in the rear console. There is a USB port up front.
From a driver's point of view, instrumentation – dual-colour 4.2-inch screens – is easy to read and operate, as is the 8.0-inch full-colour 'SYNC3' touchscreen media unit.
The XLT has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating but the 'Tech Pack' adds even more to the existing suite of safety features.
Other standard features of note include dual-zone aircon, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system, and more.
This Ranger has a 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (147kW/470Nm) and six-speed auto.
Fuel consumption is a claimed 9.0L/100km, and it has an 80-litre fuel tank.
The tray is 1549mm long, 1139mm wide (between the wheelarches), 511mm deep and has four tie-down points. Load height (floor height to ground) is 840mm. It can tow up to 3500kg (braked).
The XLT has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating but the 'Tech Pack' option ($800) adds adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam, lane-departure warning and more to the existing suite of safety features.
There are two child seat upper anchorage points in the XLT, and two ISOFIX anchor points.
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