The new Ranger has been the dual-cab ute benchmark since launch, và even the one-up-from-base XLS proves that a workhorse can be polished.

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Priced in line with mid- lớn high-spec rivals
Handy features reserved for higher grades
Tech Pack should be standard

At Car
Expert we’ve covered the launch of the new-generation Ranger in plenty of detail, given it’s been one of the most anticipated new vehicle launches of the past year and remains one of Australia’s most popular vehicles.

But now it’s time to filter through as many versions và variants lớn find which one is the pick of the range.

We’ve reviewed the high-spec trims – i.e. The Sport, Wildtrak và XLT as well as the twin-turbo V6 Raptor – so here we’re looking a little further down. In fact, one up from the base level.

WATCH: Paul’s clip review of the Ranger Wildtrak Bi-Turbo

Is the 2023 Ford Ranger XLS 4×4 Double Cab Pick-up as capable as its higher-spec siblings?

How does the Ford Ranger xeotoford.compare?
View a detailed breakdown of the Ford Ranger against similarly sized vehicles.

Ford
Ranger

Toyota
Hi
Lux

Isuzu
D-Max

Volkswagen
Amarok
Mazda
BT-50
Nissan
Navara
See more...
See more...
How much does the Ford Ranger XLS 4×4 cost?
On kiểm tra we have the Ranger XLS 4×4 Double Cab Pick-up, which lists for $54,730 before on-road costs after a recent price bump.

You can get a 4×2 version in the same High-Rider Double Cab body style for nearly $8000 less, at $46,730 before on-roads.

The XLS is one step above the XL in the Ranger family tree, và is exclusively available with the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo four-cylinder diesel engine.

For a full rundown of the 2023 Ford Ranger line-up và the differences between variants, kiểm tra out our pricing and specs article here.

2023 Ford Ranger XLS pricing:

Ranger XLS

4×2 dual-cab pickup, 2.0 Bi-Turbo diesel, 10AT: $47,130 (+$400)4×4 dual-cab pickup, 2.0 Bi-Turbo diesel, 10AT: $54,730 (+$400)

Prices exclude on-road costs

What is the Ford Ranger XLS 4×4 lượt thích on the inside?
Being an entry-level xeotoford.commercial vehicle, I was expecting aspects like the cloth seat trim and urethane plastic steering wheel – but even still, the Ranger XLS feels more upmarket than most rivals.

Ford should be xeotoford.commended for fitting its full infotainment suite from the base level – the portrait 10.1-inch Sync 4 system is easily the benchmark, và won’t be challenged until Volkswagen releases its version of the same display in the upxeotoford.coming new Amarok.

More on the touchscreen in a bit, but there’s also an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster as standard. It’s quite basic in form and function, but it’s impressive Ford has an entirely digital interface up front even from the base level.

xeotoford.comfort up front is up there with the class leaders too, with a wide range of adjustment in the driver’s seat & steering wheel. The Ranger gets reach và rake adjustment for the tiller, something that a number of rivals still don’t offer.

Material chất lượng in the XLS isn’t quite as plush as you’ll find higher up in the range, but while the bulk of surfaces are harder plastic, everything feels pretty durable and the build feels tightly screwed together.

The front seats are basic & not super bolstered, but they’re xeotoford.comfortable & trimmed in a hard-wearing cloth that feels lượt thích it’s made to handle the tradie life.

The wide range of adjustment, as mentioned earlier, is a win và in keeping with the Ranger’s SUV-like feel. It is basically an Everest with a tray, after all.

Ergonomically it’s pretty sound, with well laid-out, chunky controls on the steering wheel, & stuff lượt thích the portrait-oriented touchscreen và climate controls are all within easy reach. It’s just a shame the steering wheel has a bare urethane rim & isn’t wrapped in leather or leatherette.

A key highlight of the Ranger cabin is the infotainment & the display tech, headlined by the 10.1-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen in lower grades running Ford’s latest Sync 4 operating system.

Equipped as standard with wireless táo bị cắn dở Car
Play & Android Auto, as well as Ford
Pass Connect with embedded modem, our demo car’s optional Tech Pack ($750) adds a slew of items including embedded satellite navigation, DAB+ digital radio, dual-zone climate control with second-row vents, as well as keyless entry & start.

It’s a small price lớn pay for the full giải pháp công nghệ suite – ticking this box is a no brainer for us.

While on-paper specs can often translate to lớn underwhelming operation in the real-world use, the Ranger’s infotainment unit – particularly with the option pack – is a benchmark.

We imagine the strongest xeotoford.competition xeotoford.coming in the near future is be the new Amarok, which incidentally is the same car underneath và will base its infotainment tech off the Ranger’s – if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em… right?

There’s a good amount of storage up front, too.

Big cubbies và shelves live ahead of the shifter for keys, phones, wallets – though there’s no wireless phone charger here – and the cupholders between the front seats will be more than enough to handle your Maccas latté at 5:30 in the morning.

The door bins are deep for larger bottles too, and the cubby underneath the front-centre armrest is likewise pretty deep và acxeotoford.commodating.

Overall it’s quite nice relative khổng lồ its peers, proving workmanlike utes don’t have to xeotoford.come at the cost of refinement.

The second row hasn’t quite got the same amount of ‘wow’ factor (not that we were expecting it to), but like the front covers all the basics và them some lớn lend an SUV or passenger-car like experience for those in the back.

Leg- and headroom are good for the class, though the middle seat might be too skinny if you’re wanting to lớn go five-up. The rear air vents included as part of the Tech Pack are welxeotoford.come, as are the 12V power socket and maps pocket behind the front passenger seat.

If your workhorse doubles up as a family runaround, there are ISOFIX anchors on the window seats and top-tether points across all three rear pews.

The seats also fold forward và the seat bases up, the latter revealing under-seat storage if you want to hide things away from prying eyes.

Dual-cab Ranger variants have a wider tub than before, sufficient lớn flat-stow a 1200mm x 800mm pallet. It’s also simpler to lớn access, with sturdy box steps fitted just behind the rear tyres.

The counterbalanced tailgate – with mounting points for vices & even a pre-drawn ruler – is super light to operate.

There are six tie-down hoops in the bed, & the box sides have attachment points for canopies. The spray-in bed liner seen here is a $400 option, và feels sturdier than the standard tub whilst also looking more rugged.

What’s under the bonnet?
Ranger XLS models are powered exclusively by a 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo four-cylinder diesel, mated khổng lồ a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard. Rear-wheel drive is standard, with selectable 4×4 xeotoford.commanding a $7600 premium.

Outputs are quoted at 154k
W (3750rpm) & 500Nm (1750-2000rpm), 3k
W down on the outgoing generation but the same amount of torque.

Xem thêm: Bóng Đèn Xe Ford Ecosport 2018/2019, Bóng Đèn Ford Ecosport

Ford claims xeotoford.combined fuel economy of 7.6L per 100km, giving a theoretical driving range of over 1000 kilometres from the Ranger’s 80-litre fuel tank. CO2 emissions, meanwhile, are quoted at 201g/km.

Unlike the V6 diesel available further up in the range, the Bi-Turbo version of the Ford Ranger doesn’t have idle stop/start. Australian models are also triệu euro 5-certified, meaning there’s a diesel particulate filter (DPF) but no Ad
Blue.

The Ranger XLS 4×4 Double Cab Pick-up quotes a kerb weight of 2272kg, with a payload of 958kg. GVM and GCM are rated at 3230kg and 6350kg respectively, while towing capacity is a maximum 3500kg when fitted with the optional tow bar & trailer brake controller.

How does the Ford Ranger XLS 4×4 drive?
I’ve never been fond of driving lower-grade utes – utes in general for that matter – but the Ranger XLS breaks the mould.

We’ve praised various Ranger models in the past for their SUV-like driving experience, & this trait is reflected at the lower end of the range.

The 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel has a bit of clatter on start and at idle, but it’s otherwise a pretty refined unit with ample grunt khổng lồ get this truck up khổng lồ speed without the loud, rattly soundtrack that’s still present in a range of rivals.

Sure, it’s not quite as effortless as the 3.0-litre V6 available further up the range, but even if the bent six has phối a new benchmark for the segment, Ford’s 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo remains a favourite amongst the four-cylinder set.

The 10-speed automatic is far more intuitive than the previous generation, with more decisive shifts and a tendency to lớn better lean on the diesel engine’s 500Nm of torque rather than busily shuffling through ratios – which used lớn give the impression the old Ranger had more ratios than it could handle.

The effortless acceleration makes peak-hour xeotoford.commutes in traffic a doddle, & same goes for cruising on the highway between work sites, or wherever you’re headed.

Ford has done a great job making the Ranger xeotoford.comfortable and refined all round, with one of the best ride phối ups in the segment for all-round use, even if there’s a slight jar in the rear over over harder hits when unladen.

As mentioned earlier, the Ranger really xeotoford.comes close lớn riding và handling lượt thích an SUV. If anything, the difference in ride xeotoford.compliance due lớn the leaf-sprung rear end is the key differentiating factor between the Ranger & its wagon-bodied Everest twin.

We didn’t load this particular Ranger up with weight in the rear end, but previous tests has old us the rear kết thúc settles a bit if you carry a couple of hundred kegs-worth of gear in the back.

Where the old Ranger felt a tad vague through the steering wheel, the new one feels much more connected if still with a very light và assisted feel for better ease of use.

Despite its kích cỡ (5370mm long, 1918mm wide), the Ranger is actually pretty easy to place in oto parks & tight streets, helped by a clear reversing camera, big side mirrors and windows, as well as front and rear parking sensors.

It’s hefty dimensions & large footprint do, however, give the ute a sure-footed stance on the road even in adverse weather conditions.

Given Bi-Turbo versions of the Ranger get a selectable 4×4 system instead of the full-time operation of V6 models with 4A mode, the XLS 4×4 rarely xeotoford.comes unstuck unless you really hoof it on a slippery or loose surface. But, it definitely feels more tied down than a lot of other utes in 2H when driving the rear wheels only.

Unlike a lot of utes at the lower kết thúc of their respective line-ups, the Ranger xeotoford.comes fully equipped with driver assistance systems that you’d expect of a modern vehicle.

Standard adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist are great inclusions and work the same as in any other Ford passenger car, while blind-spot assist và rear cross-traffic alert are handy given the ute’s huge length.

A clear reversing camera, as well as front and rear parking sensors are also very handy, and as mentioned earlier make the new Ranger fairly easy lớn park all things considered.

It’s a shame a 360-degree camera system isn’t included in the optional Tech Pack for XLS models, while stop/go functionality for the adaptive cruise control và lane centring assist are reserved for XLT variants and above.

What do you get?
Ranger XL highlights:

16-inch steel wheels16-inch steel spare wheel
All-season tyres
Front disc, rear drum brakes
Black grille
Halogen headlights
Halogen daytime running lights
LED central high-mounted stop light
Halogen tail lights (Cab-Chassis)LED tail lights (Pick-Up)Tailgate with lift assist (Pick-Up)Integrated tailgate step (Pick-Up)8.0-inch digital instrument cluster10.1-inch Sync 4 touchscreen infotainment system
Wireless apple Car
Play, game android Auto
Embedded modem
Remote start via Ford
Pass app
Tilt, telescopic steering column
Ebony cloth upholstery8-way manual driver seat4-way manual front passenger seat
Vinyl floor covering
Power rear windows (Double Cab)Single-zone climate control
Electronic-locking rear differential (4×4)Conventional gear selector

Ranger XLS adds:

16-inch Dark Sparkle Silver alloy wheels
Black side steps
Halogen front fog lights
Black grille with silver accents
Carpet flooring
Driver floor mat6-speaker sound system
Front parking sensors

Is the Ford Ranger XLS 4×4 safe?
The Ford Ranger line-up (excluding Raptor) wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating with 2022 date stamp.

Category scores included 84 per cent for adult occupant protection, 93 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road user protection & 83 per cent for safety assist.

Vehicles built before August trăng tròn 2022, however, will need a software update lớn their lane-keeping software khổng lồ mirror the specifications of five-star vehicles. Ford says dealers will carry out the update at an owner’s next service.

Standard safety equipment includes:

9 airbagsincl. Driver, passenger knee airbagsincl. Front-centre airbag
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)Car, Pedestrian, Cyclist detection
Junction assist
Adaptive cruise control
Blind-spot assist
Rear cross-traffic alert (Pick-up)Lane departure warning
Lane keep assist
Road edge detection
Reversing camera (Pick-up)Rear parking sensors (Pick-up)

Ranger XLT adds:

Adaptive cruise control incl. Stop/go
Blind-spot monitoring incl. Trailer Coverage
Lane centring assist
Traffic sign recognition
Tyre pressure monitoring

How much does the Ford Ranger XLS 4×4 cost to run?
The Ranger line-up is covered by Ford Australia’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, bolstered by Ford National Roadside Assistance and tự động hóa Club Lifestyle membership for up lớn seven years after purchase.

Scheduled maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres – whichever xeotoford.comes first.

Ford offers capped-price servicing for up to lớn four years or 60,000km. The Ranger will cost $329 per visit khổng lồ service for the first four visits. Keep in mind rivals lượt thích the Hi
Lux still require servicing every six months.

In terms of real-world fuel consumption, we saw an indicated 10.2L/100km with mixed driving including daily xeotoford.commuting to and from the Car
Expert Melbourne office in peak-hour traffic.

Quite a bit up on Ford’s claim, và no doubt would be reduced if idle stop/start was fitted khổng lồ Australian models.

Car
Expert’s Take on the Ford Ranger XLS 4×4The Ranger XLS shows off the very solid foundations underneath flashier high-spec variants.

Unlike many other manufacturers, Ford has done an excellent job at including plenty of the good stuff right from the bottom of the range, meaning you don’t have to spend large lớn get a great all-round dual-cab.

Yes, the XLS’s halogen lights, cloth seats and lack of sports bar are very Ranger ‘Basic’, but if you’re working with a strict $60,000 budget you can have everything you need và then some – especially with the Tech Pack optioned.

Whether you’re headed lớn the work site or the school run, the Ranger XLS 4×4 is a xeotoford.comfortable, refined và well-featured dual-cab ute that betters similarly-priced rivals that are positioned at the higher kết thúc of their line-ups both in terms of on-road prowess but also the critical areas of tech và safety.

The Ranger is powered by one of the best four-cylinder diesel engines in the class, và isn’t laborious khổng lồ drive day-to-day lượt thích some xeotoford.competitors still are. Plus, it’ll tow up lớn 3500kg và is very capable off the beaten track as we’ve found out previously.

Does the more affordable second-lowest trim grade in the 2023 Ford Ranger line-up make perfect sense for four-wheel-drivers, or should you keep saving for a Wildtrak?

Things we like

Solid balance between on-and-off road ability xeotoford.comfortable enough for daily use, practical enough for work use Massive tub to lớn store gear for work or play

Not so much

Drum brakes on the rear aren’t as effective as disc brakes No bonnet gas struts Could vày with more ground clearance
This is my second drive of the new-generation 2023 Ford Ranger, after spending a week in the top-of-the-line V6 Wildtrak not too long ago.

I must say, I really wish I drove this lower-spec XLS first, as the Wildtrak is a work of art – well, for a ute – and that makes it hard to lớn not feel somewhat disappointed climbing into a variant with cloth seats and no V6 engine. Spoiled much?

You see, I have a genuine love affair with base-model four-wheel-drives, and actively encourage people to lớn look at them and use the savings from purchasing a lower-spec mã sản phẩm for four-wheel drive accessories và diesel.

Not this time around, folks. I absolutely feel the V6-powered Wildtrak is the one khổng lồ buy in the next-gen Ranger line-up; it just does everything well.