Extra urge helps Ford Ranger Tremor carve its own bakkie niche

When the Ford Ranger Tremor was first introduced in 2024, it as seen as a bit of a “Raptor ultralight” in relation to the Wildtrak X being the original “Raptor light”.

While it lacked the Raptor’s state-of-the-art off-road performance hardware, the Tremor was the meanest-looking bakkie in the Ranger line-up apart from the Raptor. But it could not back up the show up with the go as its 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine produced 154kW of power and 500Nm compared to the real McCoy’s beastly 292kW/583Nm 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol mill.

Fast forward to 2026 and the gulf in power between the two has decreased somewhat. The Blue Oval’s discontinuation of the 2.0-litre bi-turbo oil-burner and subsequent model line-up restructure has seen the Tremor adopt the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel powertrain as its sole choice of engine. The powertrain is the most significant enhancement to the bakkie which now costs R1 039 000, R60 400 more than its predecessor did in 2024.

Giddy up

The off-road focussed bakkie now boasts a much more respectable 184kW/600Nm, which is still routed to all four wheels via 10-speed automatic transmission. Incidentally, these outputs make it not only much more powerful than its predecessor, but also more powerful than the first-generation Raptor, which 2.0-litre bi-turbo mill made 157kW/500Nm.

The Ford Ranger Tremor comes standard with all-terrain tyres. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe

While engine power isn’t what this bakkie is all about, the extra urge from this supersmooth machine comes in very handy. Whether you are climbing a mountain or overtaking on the open road, a few additional horses are always welcome.

The Citizen Motoring recently sampled the Ford Ranger Tremor and must admit that the extra power goes down well with its brash looks. We did not take it bundu-bashing, but we believe the V6 mill will also complement its already proven off-road prowess.

Ford Ranger Tremor geared for rough stuff

As before, the Tremor comes standard with Bilstein mono-tube position-sensitive dampers which debuted on the Wildtrak X. Its front and rear tracks have been widened by 30mm from the standard Ranger, while the General Grabber AT3 rubberware wrapped around 17-inch black machined alloy wheels ensure ground clearance of 261mm.

The Ford Ranger Tremor also feature a bashplate that extends to the fuel tanks and transfer case, cast aluminium side steps and a spray-on binliner.

It retains Trail Turn Assist, Trail Control and the Rock Crawl functions. Its Terrain Management System gives a choice of six modes; Eco, Normal, Slippery, Tow/Haul, Mud/Ruts and Sand.

Inside, the Tremor features orange Tremor embroidery on the front seatbacks and water-resistant vinyl instead of floor mats.
The Tremor boasts off-road readouts on the 12-inch infotainment system and digital instrument cluster, while a 360-degree camera system allows the driver to negotiate terrain underneath the vehicle.

The Tremor’s seats are clad in black artificial leather. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe

More drag

While we did not put the Tremor through a high-performance test, it is bound to be slightly slower than less bulky 3.0-litre Ford Ranger models which were clocked at around 9.4 seconds in going from 0 to 100km/h. Its wider track and bulkier tyres create more drag, which will naturally slow it down compared to its sleeker siblings. If we had to guess, we’d say it should just dip under 10 seconds on the drag strip, making it faster than any four-cylinder diesel bakkie out there.

As expected, the downside to the additional power is a mightier thirst. Our fuel economy worked out to 12.9 litres per 100km compared to the 10.6L/100km we achieved in the 2.0-litre model two years ago.

The Ford Ranger Tremor doesn’t only look tough, it is tough. It’s bush-ready exterior, souped-up suspension and additional underbody armour will ensure endless fun for those looking to clear obstacles and hoof it over long gravel stretches. Back in the civilisation, it is as comfortable as a bakkie can get regardless of the size of the pothole it has to negotiate.

The powertrain upgrade has not only made the Tremor faster. It has helped it move out of the Raptor’s shadow to differentiate itself as a badge in its own right.