Ford Australia has been filling in the gaps of its wildly popular ute line-up. Recently we brought you news of the FX4 which slots itself between the XLT and Wildtrak trims. Now however we’ve a new variant for the sort of bloke that fancies a Raptor and its go-anywhere ability but not its price. Welcome to the Wildtrak X.
Right off the bat, this variant comes packed with delicious off-roading bits that’s exclusive to the Wildtrak X. Upfront you’ll notice the nudge bar, on which sits an LED light strip for when headlights just aren’t enough for roaming the outback after the sun dips.
The X is capable also of wading waters some 800mm deep thanks to its A-pillar mounted snorkel which also allows it to breathe easy even on dusty tracks, making it one of the most capable in its segment.
Amplifying its already aggressive stance are the flared wheel arches that house a set of 18-inch alloys with +35mm offsets licked in matte black. Sporting the same shade too are the grille, lower bumper and door handles which differentiate this from the run-of-the-mill Wildtrak.
The interior on the other hand, isn’t much altered from its base. You still get the characteristic orange stitched leather that’s applied to the seats, steering wheel, gear selector and handbrake. Infotainment is served up on an 8-inch screen via SYNC 3 with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Powering the X along are the couple of engine options just like the ones found on the FX4 ute. The biturbo 2.0-litre EcoBlue block packs 157kW and 500Nm of torque fired through its 10-speed automatic transmission capable of towing up to 3.5 tonnes. The 147kW five-cylinder 3.2-litre option is equally capable but uses 1.5 litres/100km more fuel than the 7.4l/100km claimed by Ford for the EcoBlue.
Just like the standard Wildtrak, the X comes with the entire driver-assist and safety suite including the likes of Tyre Pressure Monitoring, Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control, Hill Descent Control, Hill Launch Assist and Active Park Assist. Not bad since it comes with almost $6,000 worth of added value for a mere $2,000 over sticker for a standard Wildtrak. The X hits the shelves this month and is purportedly limited to around 1,000 units nationally.
Wildtrak X – 3.2-litre Duratorq - $65,290 (MLP)
Wildtrak X – 2.0-litre EcoBlue - $66,790 (MLP)
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