The Ford Ranger Platinum combines the capability and versatility of Australia’s number one selling vehicle with unique styling and premium features. After seeing the growth in high-end variants in this segment over recent years, Ford Australia challenged themselves to create a vehicle that provides all of their customer’s wants and needs with an added sense of indulgence when you get behind the wheel.
The result is a ute with refined, responsive, confident performance regardless of conditions, and a generous maximum braked towing weight of 3,500kg, like the whole Ranger line-up. The Ranger Platinum is focused on owners who want both premium luxury for the family, and the flexibility of a work truck for their business, and on that Ford have definitely delivered. The V6 diesel-powered Ford Ranger utes are the best leaf-sprung utes that I have driven to date.
Ranger Platinum is available exclusively in five-seat, double cab specification, and is powered by Ford’s 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine, producing 184kW and 600 Nm of torque. Power is delivered through the Ranger’s electronically controlled full-time four-wheel drive system, combined with Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission. The official combined fuel consumption is 8.4L/100km and for my week with the Ranger Platinum I used 10.8L/100km of diesel.
The Ranger can be switched between 2H, 4H, 4L and 4A and I spent the week in 4A mode as I like the security of all-wheel drive. Drive modes available include Tow/Haul, Eco, Normal, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, and Sand. One of the camera settings available on the central screen has an off-road view option so you can avoid obstacles in front of the vehicle and you can lock and unlock rear diff from this screen as well.
Key exterior enhancements on the Platinum include a unique grille, 20-inch alloy wheels with All Season Tyres, ‘Platinum’ hood badging, Silk Chrome trims, Matrix LED headlamps, a damped tailgate which makes lowering the tailgate effortless, a power roller shutter over the tub, and Ford’s ingenious Flexible Rack System.
Ford’s Flexible Rack System consists of Folding Roof Racks and a first-to-market patent-pending Sliding Load Rack. The roof racks feature crossbars that swing across the roof when needed, can be adjusted to two different lengths, and then stored away in the roof rails when not being used. The clever Sliding Load Rack can be operated by one person and locks into five different positions along the length of the load box. A pop-up crossbar increases the height of the loading platform to match the Folding Roof Racks.
The only options available on Ranger Platinum are premium paint colours for $700 and the no-cost option of a body-coloured roof in lieu of the standard black painted roof. This Equinox Bronze paint colour is a Platinum-only paint colour and was previously available only on the Ford Everest.
On the interior the Ranger Platinum sets itself apart from other Ranger variants with its Everest-inspired dashboard which features a closed shelf and upper glovebox. The Platinum also gets the 12.4-inch colour digital instrument cluster, a heated steering wheel, B&O Premium Audio System, and a roof-mounted auxiliary switch bank with six switches.
Premium quilted, perforated leather accented trim is used throughout the Platinum Ranger and both front seats are heated and cooled with power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height adjustment front and rear, and 2-way lumbar support, with the driver’s seat having three memory positions. Distinctive ‘Platinum’ badging on front seats and premium floor mats front and rear round out the interior enhancements.
My phone connected very easily to the wireless Android Auto to display apps on the 12-inch central touch screen, although the screen does get bad finger marks on it. One feature I don’t like about Ford’s new infotainment system is I have to press the home button on the main screen to access Android Auto and I would prefer this option to be a button on the main screen. The voice control activation worked well for me for making phone calls, changing the radio station, and setting a destination on the sat nav.
A wireless charge pad for compatible devices is located at the front of the centre console with one USB-A and one USB-C port also located here with one 12V socket located under the arm rest. In addition to the two cup holders in centre console, which have grippy sides and a removable rubber base for the easier clean-up of spills, there is also a cup holder on each side of the dash below the air vents and my favourite feature, a chip holder at the front of the centre console. While the drink bottle storage in front door cubbies is a little awkwardly shaped, they can fit good-sized drink bottles in them.
I found that the rear seats had ample head and leg room for myself, but taller individuals may find the leg room tight, and I would have liked a bit more under thigh support. For younger passengers there are two ISOfix/two rear tether child seat restraint points with proper metal attachment points behind the rear seats. ANCAP notes that the installation of child restraints in the centre seating position of the second row in dual cab variants is not recommended as there is no top tether anchorage.
The centre seat folds down as an arm rest, but it is hard to pull down and it has been like this on all of the Rangers I have driven. At the front of the arm rest are two rigid cup holders and the drink bottle storage in the rear doors is on the slimmer side. Rear passengers get two central air vents with individual direction and on/off controls and below the air vents there is one USB-C and one USB-A port. The Ranger has three pockets stitched in front of centre rear seat for placing you smart phone when not in use. There’s no mat over transmission tunnel and annoyingly the mats on the rear floor do not stay in place and keep moving forward.
The powered tub cover can be opened/closed from a button just inside the tub, on the key fob, or in the cabin. This combined with the soft open tailgate with manual close and the step on each side of the Ranger just behind the rear wheels are a great edition in my opinion. Inside the tub there is one 12V socket at the rear on the passenger side and there is a light on each side. But to make it a bit more family friendly the tub needs to have moveable dividers so that you can put your groceries in the tub and they don’t become unpacked while you are driving home from the supermarket otherwise you will need to put them on the rear seat like I did.
The tub is 1.2 metres wide between the wheel arches and overall, the tub depth is 1.4 metres with the tub cover mechanism protruding out over the tub by around 0.25 metres. There are six substantial tie down points in the tub with two of these located under the roller cover mechanism at the front of tub and this may cause issues if you are securing taller items.
All models in the Next-Gen Ranger line-up (excluding the Raptor) have a 5-star ANCAP (2022) safety rating with an Adult Occupant Protection score of 84% (32.24 out of 38) and a Child Occupant Protection score of 93% (46.00 out of 49). In a first for Ranger, there are now nine airbags standard including dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags, and driver and passenger knee airbags. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.
Active safety features on the Ranger Platinum include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping System with Road Edge Detection and Driver Alert System, Pre-Collision Assist with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Evasive Steer Assist, Reverse Brake Assist and Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross Traffic Alert and Trailer Coverage. ANCAP tests of the AEB (Car-to-Car) system showed a mix of ADEQUATE and GOOD performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in most test scenarios, including AEB Junction Assist where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle. ANCAP tests of LSS functionality showed GOOD performance, including in the more critical emergency lane keeping test scenarios. Overall, the ANCAP Safety Assist score for the Next-Gen Ranger is 83%.
Plus, the Platinum has auto lights, auto wipers and a 360-Degree Camera, with front and rear parking sensors, that allows you to use the large centre display to choose from multiple camera views. Under the infotainment trailer menu, you can name, configure and store the details of multiple trailers and Rangers also come with a trailer connection setup checklist and a trailer light check function.
All new Ford models come with a five Years/Unlimited Kilometres warranty and Ford National Roadside Assistance & Auto Club Lifestyle Membership for up to seven years if an eligible General Service is undertaken at a participating Ford Dealer. The service interval for the Ranger is one year or 15,000kms, whichever occurs first, and the most an eligible customer will pay for MY2024 vehicles is $379 for the first four general services for up to 4 years or 60,000kms.
The Ford Ranger Platinum impressively combines high-end family needs with its workhorse pedigree. The Ranger Platinum starts at $76,990 excluding on-road costs and as tested with the Platinum exclusive colour, Equinox Bronze ($700) this ute was $77,690 plus on-road costs. You can Build and Price your Ranger online or visit your preferred Ford dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| Good ride quality for a ute | Android Auto button should be on the front screen of infotainment system |
| Proper rear tether points | Centre rear seat arm rest is hard to pull down |
| The Flexible Rack System and covered tub | I would like the tub to have movable dividers |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.