Ford Ranger 2020 review: XLS dual cab

We put in 750kg using a Crown forklift – well, we didn’t do it; the friendly team at Crown did it for us! – and the Ranger dealt with the mass without issue.

The suspension drooped at the rear by about six per cent, and rose at the front by about 1 per cent, but there was actually not a lot to complain about.

The steering is marginally affected by the addition of that much weight, though it is still light, accurate and direct, if lacking a bit of feel.

The suspension drooped at the rear by about six per cent, and rose at the front by about 1 per cent.

The ride is mostly very good with so much weight in the back, though it can take two rebounds at the rear to settle after a sharp-edge bump – a speed hump, for example, will see the back dip down twice before eventually levelling itself out.

And the powertrain? There’s only a slightly noticeable affect on the grunt – up a steep hill near our testing site we noticed that the engine seemed a little more eager to hold on to a gear and rev out, where when it wasn’t loaded it, the transmission upshifted earlier. That’s good for usability, but can have an affect on fuel use.

Now, some of the specs you want to know: the gross vehicle mass (GVM) s 3200kg, and the payload of this variant is 991kg, meaning a kerb weight of 2209kg. Keep in mind that the gross combination mass (GCM) is 6000kg, so if you plan to tow at maximum, you can’t also have the maximum payload.

The ride is mostly very good with so much weight in the back.