Though the Toyota Hilux is the undisputable king of pick-ups in Malaysia, it is not the segment's game changer. While Japanese pick-ups like the Hilux, Mitsubishi Triton, and Isuzu D-Max dominate the market, part of its popularity among buyers is largely thanks to the Ford Ranger.

It was the Ranger that helped transform the image of pick-up trucks from commercial workhorses to lifestyle vehicles thanks to memorable slogans, unique special edition models, and an automotive experience that would pave the way for the wide acceptance of car clubs today.

When the first Ranger broke into the market 25 years ago, the Blue Oval promoted the pick-up truck as a recreational vehicle through its iconic “Built Ford Tough” slogan as well as forming Lanun Darat, one of the first official pick-up truck owners’ clubs in Malaysia.

All of these helped to cement the Ford Ranger as the pick-up truck everyone (secretly) wants and that is further established with the launch of the Wildtrak and the Raptor variants. The Wildtrak exuded a macho attitude for the urban landscape while the Raptor, well, I don’t think that needs an explanation, right?

However, as strong an image projected onto the higher variants of the Ranger, let’s not forget the unsung heroes of the Blue Oval’s lineup, the more honest XL and XLT variants. Once upon a time, the XLT was the highest variant of the Ranger before Ford introduced iconic special editions along the way with epic names like Hurricane, Scorpion, and Splash.

Even with the more premium variants offered in the current generation Ranger, would it be less macho for buyers to go for the mid-spec variant? Well, hang on to your hats as we sampled the latest limited-edition Ranger for a few days.

A simple special edition

Priced at RM 143,888 (OTR Peninsular Malaysia, without insurance), Sime Darby Auto ConneXion is only offering 300 units of the Ranger XLT Plus Special Edition (SE) which is RM 1,000 extra from the standard XLT Plus variant.

Only two colours are available for the XLT Plus SE, Absolute Black and Meteor Grey with our review unit being the former. The extra grand gives you a more accessorised Ranger with riveted matte black fender flares, a matte black sports bar, and silver stripe graphics adorning the front bonnet and lower doors.

While the fender flares helped to elevate the Ranger’s already macho look, when combined with the 17-inch six-spoke alloy wheels carried over from the standard XLT Plus, the SE looks like a bodybuilder that completely skipped leg day.

Those ‘tiny’ wheels are akin to chicken legs off a Mat Sado that just seems completely off when viewed from certain angles. Maybe owners are ‘encouraged’ to swap it out with chunkier wheels but it’s best to leave out the fenders and go for the regular XLT Plus if you don’t want to spend some money on swapping out the rubbers.

Inside, the SE gains ‘Ranger’ illuminated side scuff plates and a pair of pull-out cupholders below the side air-cond vents.

Aside from those, the interior is carried over from the XLT Plus which includes manual fabric seats, an 8-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch portrait infotainment touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as a wireless charger. I wouldn’t call these features the bare minimum for a modern vehicle but they are sufficient enough.

Mercifully, the Ranger’s HVAC controls can be operated by physical buttons and knobs if one wishes to forgo the ones on the massive screen. Still, the touchscreen is angled towards the driver which makes it easy to switch between navigational and music apps from your desired smartphone connectivity.

Ergonomically, the Ranger feels excellent with the switches and buttons all placed rather naturally. The start-stop button, for instance, is placed where you would insert the ignition key and the hidden door handles are so well positioned that you would admire the ingenuity rather than cursing at your foolishness in finding them.

The Ranger is also packed with practical features and a host of charging ports. There is a large storage space in the centre console and under the rear seats, plenty of bottle holders, USB type-C ports, along with a traditional 3-pin outlet.

The rear bed also features other niceties that would make an outdoors or tradesperson beam with excitement including a pair of sockets (12V cigarette lighter socket and a 3-pin socket), an easy-lift tailgate with a pair of built-in C-clamp mounts, and a little step behind the wheels to easily climb into the bed.

Range-topping ride

With it being essentially a pick-up truck with the added macho appeal of an American brand (developed by Australians and built in Thailand), one might think the Ranger would behave like any other pick-up truck. However, in my experience with it, the Ranger sets the bar very high in terms of ride and comfort.

The doors slam with a hardy thunk and the interior plastics all feel as sturdy as one designed to be utilitarian would. Yet, bring the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel 4-cylinder (210 PS/500 Nm) to life and you don’t exactly hear the loud thrumming clatter of a diesel unit in the cabin. In fact, it feels like many modern cars - quiet.

At stationary, our trusty decibel meter recorded 52 dB and at 110 km/h, it recorded 66 dB which is not just impressive for a pick-up truck but for any car regardless of segment. The sound insulation itself feels on par with a premium SUV though you are still reminded that you’re in a mid-range pick-up truck with the fabric seats and hardy plastic.

As for the ride itself, the Ranger XLT Plus SE is very comfortable. Over the bumps and undulations of the road, the pick-up absorbs them very well and going over a massive pothole feels like nothing. Maybe there are some benefits to having those ‘small’ 17-inch wheels fitted.

Where the Ranger XLT Plus SE would perform well is through the rough terrain where the lifestyle pick-up becomes a dependable off-roader. Switching through the Electronic Shift-On-The-Fly 4WD system is easy even for beginners like me though I only did so in a rather novice-friendly trail.

On the highways where most Ranger owners would feel more comfortable, the pick-up also performs smoothly. The 10-speed automatic transmission shifts ever so seamlessly that you would get to cruising speeds quite effortlessly. Our 0-100 km/h acceleration test recorded a time of 9.96 seconds which while it might not sound sprightly, is adequate for a mid-spec pick-up.

As for fuel consumption, we returned around 9.65 L/100 km after travelling for around 103 km in a good mix of highway and city traffic.

An everyman’s pick-up

While it is not the most agile around tight city roads as the wide girth takes some getting used to initially, the Ranger has good visibility thanks to the large side mirrors and the tall height. The electric-assist steering is also light to operate making most U-turns feel as if you’re in a large SUV.

Its huge length and lack of a 360-degree camera – the reverse camera being your only visual guidance – seems intimidating at first but you would get accustomed to the size upgrade quickly. Even if you’re coming from a small city car like I do.

In other words, the Ranger even in the mid-spec XLT Plus variant feels just as comfortable as an SUV. It is also easily the most accomplished pick-up on sale even without the desired Wildtrak, Platinum, or Raptor badges.

Credit to the development team behind the current Ranger generation then for making the pre-eminent lifestyle pick-up an accomplished urban warrior. Still, for many pick-up buyers, reliability and dependability is their main requirement which still leans more in favour towards the Japanese rivals.

In terms of features, the rivals from the Land of the Rising Sun present more for around the same price as this mid-range XLT Plus SE. Not only does it lack a 360-degree camera but most ADAS features as well. It comes standard with 6 airbags, stability control, and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

Its rivals offer so much more for around the same price, especially on the safety front but even in mid-spec form, the Ranger XLT Plus SE presents the highest power output at 210 PS. It also feels more SUV-like which is a familiar territory for most novice buyers compared to the leading Japanese trio.

Perhaps it is not so straightforward to compare the Ranger to the rest. After all, even in its mid-spec XLT Plus form, Ford has proven that the Ranger isn’t built tough but as we have seen in the 25 years since it is launched in Malaysia, it has carved its own revolution.

Also read: Data: Toyota Hilux is Malaysia's No.1 seller but the Ford Ranger is what many owners secretly want