ROCK 'N' ROLL RANGER

LIMITED-EDITION TREMOR TAKES THE 4-CYLINDER RANGER UP THE RICHTER SCALE WITH MORE PURPOSE.

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

Ford Australia has released another limited-edition Ranger variant, this time taking the Tremor nameplate from the USA F-150 range The 2024 Ranger Tremor utilises the same wheel, tyre and suspension package that was previously used in the Wildtrak X model from last year, but where the X was based on the top-of-the-range Wildtrak, the Tremor adapts the added hardware to the lower-spec Ranger Sport and, as a result, it is priced $4000 lower at $69,690 (+ORC).

As was the case with Wildtrak X, the Tremor is powered exclusively by the 150kw-500Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel engine backed by a 10-speed automatic transmission and full-time, dual-range 4x4 system.

Also like the Wildtrak X, the Tremor's suspension package includes Bilstein remote-reservoir position-sensitive dampers with upgraded springs, and rolls on a set of LT265/70R17 General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres to give a 26mm boost in ground clearance.

In addition, the model-specific alloy wheels have a more negative offset to give the Tremor a 30mm wider wheel track over a standard Ranger.

The stiffer light-truck construction all-terrain tyres and the suspension give the Tremor a firmer ride than a regular Ranger and it can feel a bit choppy over high-frequency bumps in rough terrain. The Ford boffins tell us that the suspension was tuned to work best with a load and that it was set up at close to half GVM, which suggests it would ride best with around 400 to 450kg on board.

Our test vehicle was unladen with just two passengers in the cab.

The Tremor's off-road chops are further boosted by systems borrowed from the Ranger Raptor that include Trail Turn Assist, Rock Crawl mode, and Trail Control, however, the Tremor still only has an open differential in the front axle so Rock Crawl mode won't be as effective as that in the Raptor, which has locking diffs front and rear.