The Wildtrak X will no longer feature as a standalone model, folded into the Ranger lineup as a package instead. Driving the current Wildtrak X as a long-term test vehicle, we are reminded of the qualities of this package, which will still serve as an astute offering for the 4×4 enthusiast.
The standard Wildtrak offered comfort, tech, and styling distinction, while the Raptor delivered performance, drama and wow-factor. But much of South Africa’s off-road market favours durability and practicality over performance, and most 4x4s and bakkies are modified after-market by their buyers. Ford wanted to provide customers witth a modified package off the showroom floor, ultimately to give customers value and to mitigate issues that sometimes arise with aftermarket upgrades. The Wildtrak X arrived with the suspension, tyres, geometry and features that would normally require a host of aftermarket upgrades and a fair amount of time and money.
Related: Ford Ranger Wildtrak X – Long Termer introduction: Leisure Wheels
Driving it as a long-termer has reinforced how well that original brief was executed. The X was all about preparation—giving buyers a Wildtrak with the extra 26 mm ride height, the 30 mm wider track, the Bilstein position-sensitive dampers, the 17-inch wheels with General Grabber AT3 all-terrains, and the low-speed off-road tools (Trail Control and Trail Turn Assist) that made technical terrain feel less like a workshop project and more like part of a weekend away.
So Ford’s decision to fold the Wildtrak X into the Wildtrak lineup as an optional package doesn’t undermine what the X model is. Now that it becomes a package, the Wildtrak becomes the platform; the X becomes the set of enhancements designed specifically for the 4×4-oriented customer.
Read our first review of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak X
And importantly, the package still includes everything that defined the X when it was first launched:
• Bilstein Position-Sensitive Dampers
Engineered specifically for this model, and still the biggest contributor to its composure on gravel and broken surfaces.
• 26 mm suspension lift & 30 mm wider track
The stance and stability that set the X apart from the standard Wildtrak remain unchanged.
• 17-inch alloys with General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres
A properly off-road-ready tyre from the showroom floor, not a styling decision.
• Trail Control & Trail Turn Assist
Two tools that make slow, technical driving meaningfully easier—and still rare to find at this spec level.
• Steel bash plate & black exterior detailing
Subtle visual identifiers, but functional first.
In other words: if you order a Wildtrak with the Wildtrak X package, you are getting the Wildtrak X exactly as it was intended.
The notable difference—and for many buyers, an important one—is that the package can now be paired with the V6 turbodiesel. This has been a debate since launch. The Bi-Turbo has proved its worth again during this test, providing more than enough grunt on longer trips and managing to average at 12l/100km even with extensive inner-city driving, which includes lots of hills and short trips.
The X’s off-road capability, however, always felt like a natural match for the low-down torque and long-distance ease of the V6. As of 2026, that pairing becomes possible for the first time.
It means the Wildtrak X finally aligns fully with the customer it was originally built for: someone who wants a Wildtrak’s comfort and tech, an off-road package that doesn’t require immediate upgrades, and the option of the most effortless engine in the Ranger lineup.
Spending more time with the long-termer in and around Cape Town, from shoulder season into the throes of summer, the heavy-duty double cab consistently hammers home its practicality. Updates to follow on a road trip to Citrusdal, and the ferry duties of the Wildtrak X over the festive season.
