What’s so special about the new Ford Ranger Platinum? And is it worth the money over a Wildtrak? Glenn Butler goes looking for answers.
2023 Ford Ranger Platinum V6 Dual-Cab 4×4
If you’re into utes, no introduction is necessary, so feel free to jump right to the pricing section below. If you’re new to utes, a bit of background will help set the scene.
Dual-cab utes are enjoying incredible popularity right now. In fact, the top two new vehicles bought by Australians in 2022 and so far in 2023 are the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger in dual-cab 4×4 configuration.
The 2023 Ford Ranger is also the 2023 Drive Car of the Year, so not only is it popular with consumers, it’s critically acclaimed.
Ford is cashing in on that popularity – or maybe responding to consumer demand? – by adding a new variant to the Ranger lineup: the Ranger Platinum. The Ford Ranger Platinum sits at the very top of the Ranger range – if you don’t include the crazy Raptor performance ute that is a very different beast to other Rangers.
How much does the Ford Ranger Platinum cost in Australia?
This Ford Ranger Platinum dual-cab 4×4 ute is $78,190 plus on-road costs, which makes it $5800 more than the previous king, the Ranger Wildtrak V6, and $2200 above the ‘special edition’ four-cylinder Wildtrak X.
For perspective, the Ranger Raptor, which has a different engine, different suspension, different bodywork and sports interior is priced at $87,990 plus on-road costs. So the Ranger Platinum still has a ways to go to topple the true price king – prices quoted here include the latest round of price rises.
But the Ranger Raptor is a sports-focused ute, whereas the Platinum is a more highly equipped mainstream variant, so they’re really not comparable.
So, what’s so special about the Ranger Platinum? And is it worth the money over a V6 Wildtrak?
First, let’s look at what a Ranger Platinum shares with the Ranger Wildtrak, and how it builds on that already well-equipped base.
Like the Wildtrak, the Platinum is a four-door dual-cab with a 184kW and 600Nm 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 up the front. It’s got a 10-speed auto transmission and selectable four-wheel drive.
Like the Wildtrak it measures 5.37m tip to tip and 2.2m wide including mirrors, so it’s big.
It’s actually taller than a Wildtrak, by 34mm because of the flexible rack system which we will get to shortly, so bear that in mind if you’re entering any low-roofed car parks.
Visually, the front end shares a lot with the Platinum spec of the Everest Large SUV, including standard matrix LED headlights which can shape the beam for better night penetration.
Compared to the Wildtrak, there is a lot more chrome going on in the grille, around the fog-lights and around the windows.
The Platinum wears 20-inch silver alloys that look like they’ve been stolen from the Everest Platinum, but they’re actually a different design. Plus the Everest Platinum rides on 21s not 20s.
Where the Wildtrak gets Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres, the Platinum gets Wranglers as well, but they’re a less aggressive all-seasons tread which should make them a little quieter – and grippier – on the blacktop.
| Key details | 2023 Ford Ranger Platinum V6 |
| Price | $76,990 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Meteor Grey |
| Options | Premium paint – $700 |
| Price as tested | $77,690 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | $84,554 (Melbourne) |
| Rivals | Isuzu D-Max | Toyota HiLux | Mazda BT-50 |
How much space does the Ford Ranger Platinum have inside?
Moving inside and again I’ll focus on what the Ranger Platinum has compared to a Wildtrak, but it will come as no surprise that some of the Ranger’s “Platinum” bits are stolen from the Everest SUV Platinum.
I’ll start in the back seats so we can work our way forward. And back here the differences are… well… bugger all. That’s probably because if you’re sitting in the back seat, you didn’t pay for the Ranger so you don’t deserve anything better than what you already get in a Wildtrak.
Of the few changes to the rear seats, the most obvious is the inclusion of quilted leather seat material. Floor mats have also been included so work boots don’t dirty the carpet.
Beyond that there’s nothing new, but then there really didn’t need to be. There were already air vents, seat-back pockets and USB charging ports.
The Platinum’s rear seats offer loads of headroom for full-size adults, plus a decent amount of knee room, head room, and under-seat foot room. The seat-bases provide good thigh support.
Cupholders hide in the hard-to-open centre armrest and there are bottle holders in the doors.
Moving up to the front seats and from here it’s obvious that the Ranger Platinum is a beautiful place to be. We’ve got all the Wildtrak’s goodies, and some of the Ranger Raptor’s too.
The Platinum has a 12-inch multi-function touchscreen which I’ll go into below. It also steals the Raptor’s 10-speaker premium Bang & Olufsen sound system and its 12.4-inch digital driver display.
The quilted leather trim covers the front seats, as you’d expect, both of which are now 10-way electrically adjustable and ventilated for cooling as well as heated. The Platinum’s driver’s seat has a memory function that neither the Raptor nor the Wildtrak has.
In other creature comforts, the Platinum has dual-zone climate control as per Wildtrak, a phone charging mat and the signature McDonald’s fries holder.
On the roof behind the rearview mirror, the Platinum gets the Wildtrak’s optional auxiliary switch bank which looks and feels like an airplane’s switchgear but doesn’t do landing gear or reverse thrust. Instead it will get work operating lightbars, winches and the like.
I forgot to mention the heated steering wheel. Just quietly, being a resident of Australia’s southernmost mainland state, I’m a fan of heated tillers.
What does the Ford Ranger Platinum offer in the tray?
Jumping into the tray now, and the big news is the new adjustable rear spoiler which really gives you that extra downforce when you’re attacking corners on a racetrack. Not. But it does look a bit like a rear spoiler.
It’s actually a flexible rack system that can be slid fore and aft for carrying longer loads like ladders and lumbar or maybe surfing longboards and kayaks.
There’s more to this system than just the five-stop adjustable rear support. The ride rails on the roof have swing-out crossbars, which are a clever addition. Check out the video above to see them in action.
The tub itself gets the Wildtrak’s drop-in bedliner, cargo rails, various tie-down points, a couple of bed lights and a 12V power socket. The ruler built into the tailgate is still optional, even on Platinum.
The Ranger Platinum has the Wildtrak’s powered roller cover and the tailgate is keyed into the central locking, but it goes one better with a gas strut which damps the tailgate’s opening action.
Okay, now all these modifications and additions change the Ranger Platinum’s kerb weight and carrying capacity compared to the Wildtrak. If you’re planning on pushing the limits, you should be aware of this:
- Gross Combined Mass is 6400kg (same as Wildtrak)
- Gross Vehicle Mass is 3300kg (50kg down)
- Front Gross Axle Weight Rating is the same
- Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating is 1900kg (59kg down)
- Minimum Kerb Weight is 2388kg (48kg heavier)
- Payload is 912kg (97kg less)
| 2023 Ford Ranger Platinum V6 | |
| Seats | Five |
| Payload | 912kg |
| Length | 5370mm |
| Width | 2208mm |
| Height | 1920mm |
| Wheelbase | 3270mm |
Does the Ford Ranger Platinum have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The Ford Ranger Platinum has a big 12-inch multi-function display with satellite navigation, AM/FM and DAB+ radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and access to settings for the car’s active safety systems. It can also play media from your phone and facilitate phone calls via Bluetooth connection.
The Ranger Platinum has the Raptor’s impressive 10-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system, which is a big step up over the six-speaker system in lesser variants.
In addition, the Ranger Platinum has USB ports front and rear, plus there’s a charging mat at the base of the centre stack.
All Rangers have access to Ford’s FordPass mobile phone app which allows owners to connect to and interact with their car, including preloading drive routes, search the digital driver’s manual, and watch vehicle how-tos or check on on fuel levels, location or remotely lock the vehicle.
Is the Ford Ranger Platinum a safe car?
The Ford Ranger dual-cab ute range has been crash tested by interdependent safety organisation ANCAP in 2022 and awarded five stars.
The Ford Ranger Platinum has dual front and front-side airbags, curtain airbags (for both rows of seating), a front centre airbag and a driver’s knee airbag.
| 2023 Ford Ranger Platinum V6 | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2022) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Ford Ranger Platinum have?
The Ford Ranger Platinum has everything Ford can throw at it in terms of driver-assist safety systems. These features include autonomous emergency braking with cyclist, pedestrian and intersection intervention, adaptive cruise control and speed sign recognition that are linked so you can match the cruise or the speed limiter to the current speed zone.
A more advanced lane keep system can nudge the car back into its lane via the steering, plus there’s blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, tyre pressure monitoring, a 360-degree camera, nine airbags, including one between front seat occupants, and even a trailer light test function so you can get out and check trailer lighting without another person to help.
The Ranger Platinum, like the Wildtrak, has Active Park Assist, but I’m not sure if that’s a safety aid or a bandaid for less skilled drivers.
How much does the Ford Ranger Platinum cost to maintain?
The new Ranger is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is one year less than Isuzu’s six-year D-Max warranty, and five years short of Mitsubishi’s conditional 10-year coverage of the Triton. But the Mitsubishi’s second five years is only valid if the vehicle continues to be serviced at Mitsubishi dealers.
The Ford Ranger Platinum is covered by Ford’s very affordable capped pricing service plans, which guarantees that the first four services will not cost more than $329 each, and the fifth year is $400, for a total of $1716.
Ford also gives you the option of a five-year roadside assistance coverage plan, and capped-price servicing across four years or 60,000km. Services are required every 12 months or 15,000km.
An insurance quote for the Ranger Platinum was not available at the time of writing. For comparative purposes, the Wildtrak’s comprehensive insurance quote came in at $1845 for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. We’d expect the Platinum to be $100 dearer or thereabouts. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
| At a glance | 2023 Ford Ranger Platinum V6 |
| Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $987 (3 years) $1716 (5 years) |
Is the Ford Ranger Platinum fuel efficient?
Ford claims the Platinum will consume the same 8.4L/100km as the Wildtrak, despite the bigger wheels and extra weight. Hmmm.
Our four-day test returned an average fuel consumption of 10.4L/100km over 400km of driving which include a mix of freeway and urban usage. We did not tow anything or put anything in the tray, so if you do, expect your usage to be higher.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 8.4L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 10.4L/100km |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| Fuel tank size | 80L |
What is the Ford Ranger Platinum like to drive?
Do bigger 20-inch wheels and tyres unlock acres of extra grip compared to the Wildtrak? Do they change the ride in any way, or do they impact the Ranger’s in-cabin ambience with excessive tyre noise?
The short answer is no. The Ranger Platinum is not worlds different to the Wildtrak or indeed the Ranger Sport below that.
It remains one of the classiest and most dynamically accomplished Utes on sale today.
The ride has some typical ute traits like a firm and sometimes jouncy rear end but it is the most polished of all utes for compliance and comfort. And one of the sharpest in handling terms, though let’s never forget we’re driving a ute.
The Ranger Platinum is also one of the quieter utes I’ve driven in terms of tyre noise, which suggests that the milder all-season tread counteracts any extra noise kicked up by the bigger 20-inch tyres.
Steering effort doesn’t feel much different to lesser Rangers despite the bigger tyres. It’s still a very easy car to drive and to manoeuvre at low speeds, with just enough weight on the steering wheel to convey the size of the car without making life hard.
As for the brakes, there’s no real change here although we’d bet that the Platinum’s all-season tyres would help it stop a foot or two quicker than a Wildtrak on all-terrain tyres. In a world where centimetres can be important, we recommend that ute and SUV buyers strongly consider the right tyre for their expected usage and not fit inappropriate tyres for purely cosmetic reasons.
Now, the drivetrain. The Ranger Platinum only comes with Ford’s 184kW and 600Nm 3.0-litre engine, unlike the Wildtrak which can be paired with the less powerful but still strong 2.0-ltre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel.
The V6 is the pick of the two, and is a real sweetie to drive. It’s very strong and always willing. I’m not the biggest fan of Ford’s 10-speed transmission – it’s overkill and I can’t help thinking it was developed for marketing purposes and not driving reasons.
But if we have to have it, then it works best with this big V6 which has the torque to accelerate meaningfully without demanding shorter gears all the time. When paired with the smaller 2.0-litre engine on other Rangers it’s busier and more obtrusive which at times becomes annoying.
| Key details | 2023 Ford Ranger Platinum V6 |
| Engine | 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel |
| Power | 184kW @ 3250rpm |
| Torque | 600Nm @ 1750-2250rpm |
| Drive type | Selectable four-wheel drive |
| Transmission | 10-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 77kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2388kg |
| Spare tyre type | Full-size |
| Tow rating | 3500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 12.0m |
Should I buy a Ford Ranger Platinum?
Okay, so no great leap forward on the driving front. But then the Platinum didn’t need to be because the Ford Ranger Wildtrak is already at the forefront of the ute world dynamically.
But a fair bit has changed cosmetically on the outside and we’ve got added functionality and value on the inside.
Then there’s the added practicality of the adjustable rack system. How do we put a value on all of that? Let’s try.
Ford will option 20-inch alloys and all-season tyres onto a Wildtrak for $500. Add the auxiliary switch bank, Matrix LED headlights and B&O sound system for another $1850.
That still leaves $3300 of price difference for the exterior chromey bits, rear floor mats, a damped tailgate, upgraded front seats and interior trim, and a heated steering wheel. Plus that flexible rack system.
That feels about right to me. Not exactly a bargain, but not a rip-off either.
So, Ford’s done a good job raiding the parts bin of the Ranger Raptor and the Everest Platinum and added a few unique touches to give the Ranger dual-cab ute range a new luxury flagship.
Plus, spending time in the Platinum just feels special. And that’s really what it’s all about.
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