But what about that traditional ute stuff?
the brilliant transmission’s abilities that it all becomes even more deeply impressive.
Nailing the throttle on the move has none of the noise or shift-shock of the 3.2, instead it is just a slick and instant increase in speed. The transmission slips quickly and quietly down however many gears it needs to (and even has the ability to skip a gear altogether for added smoothness) and is remarkably good at keeping the engine right in the meat of its torque band.
Throw in the suspension tweaks Ford made at the most recent facelift and you have a large ladder chassis vehicle that can belt along a back road at deceptively high speeds – enough to get you in legal trouble if you aren’t paying close attention. drivetrain does make you wish for a little more love and understanding from the rear suspension, particularly in comparison with the other vehicle that currently runs the biturbo and 10-speeder – the Ranger Raptor.
But the Raptor, with its plush ride and fantastic handling coming at the expense of ultimate towing and load carrying ability, is a glaring exception to the ute rule – and one that you pay a lot more for – while the Wildtrak, despite its extra shiny bits, is still expected to function as a traditional ute should.
And as far as that goes, it is possibly the best compromise in the segment today. While the bi-turbo boasts more torque and power than the 3.2, the power peaks slightly higher (3750rpm versus 3000rpm for the 3.2), but the torque peaks at exactly the same point for both – 1750rpm.
The 3.2 does have a slightly broader range at that peak, however, with the maximum torque range stretching from the 1750rpm to 2500rpm, while the bi-turbo starts dropping off at just 2000rpm.
However, the 10-speed transmission keeps the bi-turbo perfectly in the fat part of that torque curve in everyday and off-road driving, but while we didn’t have a chance to test its towing abilities Australian tests suggest it is every bit as capable as the 3.2 (both have the same rating), apart from engine braking, where the bigger engine still has an advantage.
And in terms of tray payload the biturbo’s lighter overall kerb weight actually gives it a slight advantage, with a 961kg maximum payload compared to the 3.2 Wildtrak’s 929kg.