After 3 days of solid testing in Sweden, the eventual winner in this bakkie competition was announced as the Ford Ranger. It went up against the Mitsubishi L200 (Trition), updated Nissan Navara, Renault Alaskan and Toyota Hilux.
It was not a clear-cut victory as the difference between first and second place was just 6 points, with the Triton right behind the Ranger.“Indeed it was, with just six points separating the top two contenders in the final tally. The Ford Ranger scored 78 points to the 72 gained by the Mitsubishi L200, with the Toyota Hilux coming in third,” saidJarlath Sweeney, Chairman, International Van of the Year Jury.“Jury members adjudged the Ranger to be the best all-rounder and noted that it’s a best seller too, as the previous version together with this revised model dominate the European marketplace with almost 30% share of the IPUA 1-tonne segment. So the public recognize its merits also! Marks were allocated on each vehicle based on powertrain efficiencies, load volume and capability, driver and passenger comfort and safety aspects, as well as low total cost of operation from a business point of view,” added Jarlath.
Why did the Ford Ranger win? Well, it features upgraded engines like the 2.0 Biturbo, which are more efficient and there's considerable advancement when it comes to safety and tech. The Ranger also won this competition back in 2013. Locally, the Ford Ranger is a finalist in our #CarsAwards – Powered by WesBank.
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