Just when we thought there wouldn’t be any more new Ford Ranger variants, here we are again with yet another one. Barely a two weeks have passed since Ford rolled out the Stormtrak and Wildtrak X, the company has unveiled another off-road oriented variant of the pickup.
Dubbed the Tremor, it gets some of the Wildtrak X’s bits, along with a more hard-wearing interior. Ford adds that the Tremor is based on the XLT, so you can think of this variant as a more budget-friendly alternative to Raptor.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
The MMDA will once again implement a 30-minute ‘heat stroke break’ for its field staff
Macoy Dubs goes viral over new driver’s license photo
As it’s based on a lower-spec model, the Tremor doesn’t get a lot of exterior bling. There’s not a hint of chrome outside, and it doesn’t even get the Wildtrak’s LED headlights. At first glance, it’s easy to mistake it for a base model Ranger with its basic lights, black grille, and unpainted door handles. But it seems that Ford wants that impressions since it calls the look ‘function-led styling’. It does get aluminum stepboards, wider fenders, and chunky all-terrain tires to make it look a tad beefier compared to the XLT.
But it’s the suspension upgrades that are the main highlight of the Ranger Tremor. It gets a similar arrangement to the Wildtrak X, meaning a 30mm wider track, and ground clearance of 261mm, up by 26mm. The Tremor also gets the Wildtrak X’s Bilstein Position-Sensitive Dampers that help handling on and off the road, as well as Raptor’s Trail Control system (off-road cruise control) and Trail Turn Assist that helps drivers negotiate tight bends on narrow tracks by applying the brake on the inside rear wheel.
As for the interior, Ford chucked out all the leather trims and carpeting in favor of water-resistant (and easy to wipe) vinyl trims.
There’s also a pre-wired overhead switch pack offers six inputs for winches, LED light bars and other equipment. In some ways, it’s a bit like the FX4 Max variant from the previous generation.
And here’s something you don’t get in the local-spec Ranger XLT: The 2.0-liter biturbo diesel. Yup, this basic-looking Ranger packs 208hp and 500Nm of torque and shifts with a ten-speed automatic. That said, we can’t help but wonder if Ford will shove the Powerstroke 3.0 V6 diesel under the hood down the line.
So, what are the odds of the Tremor coming here? An interesting trademark filing from 2022 suggests a good chance. The report from last year revealed a document at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines showing a trademark filing for ‘Tremor’ by the brand. It’s either that or it could be called the FX4 Max (again) should Ford Philippines sell this version of the Ranger here.
