The words ‘luxury’ and ‘pickup’ may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s been that way for quite some time in other parts of the world. With trucks becoming becoming primary transport for more people, perhaps it was inevitable that these workhorses were bound to get a few more upmarket touches.
Ford wants to be one of the world’s biggest pickup manufacturer, if not be the number one brand for the truck class. The American automaker plans to do that by making a Ranger variant for just about, well, everyone. There’s the work-oriented XL and XLS variants, along with the ‘lifestyle’ models such as the Raptor and Platinum.
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We’ve covered the Platinum before and it serves as the luxury version of the Ford Ranger. Initially a Europe-only model, it has also made its way to Australia and some parts of Africa. Now, it has landed in Southeast Asia for the first time.
However, it’s not the Philippines that gets first dibs on the model. Instead, it’s our neighbors from Malaysia that get this plush pickup. But given the Ranger’s popularity in the region, we wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes available in other countries, ours included.
In the Ford Ranger hierarchy, the Platinum sits above the Wildtrak and below the Raptor. So, what differentiates it from the rest of the Ranger, er, range?
Well, there’s the unique grille that’s exclusive to this variant, and the word Platinum is spelled out on the edge of the hood. It also has the swinging roof bars and flexible rack system that was first seen in the Storm model. Wrapping up those exterior differences are Platinum badges on the doors and a set of 20-inch alloy wheels. Not even the Wildtrak or Raptor has those.
Inside, it comes with quilted leather seats with, you guessed it, more Platinum badging. The truck also gains seat heating and ventilation, along with a memory function for the driver’s side. There’s yet another Platinum badge on the dashboard, and there’s a stitch pattern to go along with it. But the main highlight is the upgraded audio system. It’s care of Bang & Olufsen, and the hi-fi system brings the speaker count to eight.
Moving to the engine, we’re afraid there’s some bad news. The ASEAN version of the Platinum does not come equipped with the punchy 3.0-liter V6 Powerstroke turbodiesel. Still, there’s nothing wrong with the now-familiar 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel as it leads the class in terms of power and torque. But the thought of a six-cylinder turbodiesel engine in that segment would’ve made for cool headline figures. For reference, that’s 247hp and 600Nm of torque.
The Ford Ranger Platinum in positioned in between the Wildtrak and the Raptor. With that, we can expect pricing to be in the middle of the two, but that’s if Ford Philippines decides to bring it in.
