Overall rating:

Fifth, that's where the Ranger used to sit in the UK pickup sales charts. With the new car Ford aims to change that; the F-150 Raptor aping looks of this range-topping model can't hurt that goal.

Key Facts

Model tested: Ford Ranger Double Cab Wildtrak 3.2 Auto
Pricing: £25,040
Engine: 3.2-litre turbodiesel
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Body style: Double cab pickup truck
Rivals: Mitsubishi L200, Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux
CO₂ emissions: 274g/km
Combined economy: 26.7mpg
Power: 200hp at 3,000rpm
Torque: 470Nm at 1,700- to 3,500rpm

In the Metal:

Finally, a Ford Ranger that cuts it against its extrovertly styled rivals. The old car was distinctly old-school workmanlike in its style compared to the bold and brash look favoured by its key rivals from Japan. That's changed, Ford's stylists adding some much needed visual appeal to the Ranger, which in metallic orange with contrasting black trim has more than a hint of Ford America's brutish F-150 Raptor about it. No bad thing then, though for all is sharper looks the Ranger retains its talent, with class-leading load, towing (3,350kg) and wading ability - a Ford after all should be good in a ford...

Inside, that more design-led approach is apparent too. The plastics feel tough but look good, and the switchgear all feels like it could be operated easily in thick gloves or work-weary hands. That's useful in a vehicle that's effectively a tool. It's spacious too, with room in the back of the double-cab for even the biggest site labourer and smart enough up front for the foreman. There are masses of cubby storage areas too for losing your tape measure in.

Driving it:

Forget the veneer of car niceties, as this is a working vehicle and should be judged as such. So it's pretty noisy, the 3.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel's rattle noticeable at virtually any engine speed, with 3,000rpm on the dial it becoming particularly percussive. Silence it with Moyles or Evans on the radio and banter among your workmates as you nip to the builders' merchant or café. It's no noisier than anything else in its class though, and at motorway speeds it feels stable and hushes up decently enough to allow your weary workmates in the back to catch some zeds or read their redtop.

Noisy or not it's got plenty of grunt, the Ranger able to out-haul every one of its rivals. The stability system comes as standard with a trailer stability setting to prevent it swaying around. The steering is surprisingly accurate given you're turning the wheel at what feels like metres above the road, and the six-speed auto shifts relatively quickly and with no perceptible jerkiness (the manual version delivers a crisp shift too). As with all pickups the suspension is on the bouncy side when it's empty, but fire a tonne or more of hardcore in the pickup bed and it'll settle down a good bit.

Off-road it's as capable as it ever was, which means you'll not be bothering the JCB driver for an embarrassing tow out of the building site when it's mid-winter and the mud is knee deep.

What you get for your Money:

Gone are the days of lowly specification working vehicles. Indeed, this range-topping Wildtrak comes fully loaded with kit, including electrically adjusted seats, Bluetooth, alloy wheels and parking sensors so you don't reverse it into the bricks you're loading.

Worth Noting

On that standard list of equipment are more airbags than some cars, Ford's Ranger the only pickup truck to have a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.

Summary

Ford's Ranger has long been the also-ran in a Japanese dominated pickup marketplace. Sharper looks, a neat interior, plentiful equipment and safety may change that. Just make sure you get it in orange for the full-on Raptor looks...