Credit where it’s due: in the new Ranger, Ford has created a class-leading vehicle that not only betters its rivals on pick-up considerations such as carrying, towing and wading, but could also present a dilemma to many who run a big family car on their employer’s fleet.
The Ranger isn’t well mannered or well appointed enough to quite measure up to big passenger car standards, but it gets amazingly close.
A lot closer than any other flatbed on the market, and close enough to make you think long and hard about whether that Freelander, Santa Fe or X3 really is worth an extra £200 a month.
Most are likely to conclude that the size, economy and slightly trying refinement represent a bridge too far.
But for practical people who could put its ruggedness and utility to good use, and who care more about value and dependability than aspirational allure, it’s a genuine contender.
