Chris Riley tests the 2025 Ford Ranger Tremor crew cab ute with pricing, specs, ride and handling, safety, verdict and everything the over-50 driver needs to know.
Summary: The new Ford Ranger Tremor is aimed at the serious off-roader, so be sure it meets your needs before you commit to it. There are plenty of Ranger alternatives if you need something else.
2025 Ford Ranger Tremor crew cab ute
Pricing: $69,690 (plus on road costs)
Options: any colour other than white $700
Warranty: Five-years, unlimited km, five-years roadside assist (if serviced by Ford)
Safety: Five ANCAP stars (2022)
Engine: 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel
Service intervals: 12 months or 15,000km (pre-paid service plan $1200 for the first four services)
Power: 154kW @ 3750rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1750-2000rpm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Body: 5370mm (long); 1918mm (wide); 1886mm (high)
Tub: 1464mm (long), 1520mm (wide) 525mm deep
Build country: Thailand
Kerb weight: 2400kg
Towing capacity: 3500kg
Payload: 937kg
Wheels: 17-inch alloy
Tyres: 265/70R17 General Grabber AT3
Spare wheel: full size alloy
Ground clearance: 260mm
Turning circle: 12.9m
Wading depth: 800mm
Fuel tank: 80 litres
Consumption: 8.4L/100km (diesel)
Consumption on test: 9.8L/100km (400km)
seniordriveraus consumption on test: not tested
[review]
Ranger has been kind to Ford.
Released in 2022, clever marketing has seen the current model become Australia’s best-selling ute.
Along with plenty of eye candy, that strategy includes a seemingly endless stream of grades and special editions, of which Tremor is one.
As we speak, there are nine different grades from which to choose and a warehouse full of options to make it yours.
Even the Ranger’s SUV counterpart, Ford Everest, is starting to gain traction in a highly competitive section of the market.
In a nutshell, Tremor (nice name by the way) is a cut-price version of the Ranger Wildtrak X and like the Wildtrak X it is targeted at the off-road enthusiast.
Competitors include the Nissan Navara Warrior and Mazda BT-50 Thunder.
What’s it cost?
Prices for Ranger start from $36,880 plus on-roads for the barebones 4×2 XL single cab chassis with a 2.0-litre turbo diesel and an auto.
But it’s the so-called 4×4 sport utilities that attract the most attention, starting with Sport, XLT and Wildtrak – at $66,140, $63,640 and $69,640.
Then there’s the petrol-powered Raptor (yes, petrol-powered!) which sits well above them all, with a breathtaking price tag of $90,440 – plus on-roads of course.
While Wildtrak X was based on the Wildtrak, the Tremor is based on the lower echelon Sport, but both offer the same enhanced capabilities.
Up to 1150 Tremors will be built, priced from $69,690 plus on-roads – hardly budget-friendly.
To give this some perspective, when it was released in early 2023, Wildtrak X was priced at $75,990.
Working out exactly what you get for your hard-earned dough is no easy task.
The ability to put it all in a spreadsheet could be an advantage. Maybe the marketing guys can help?
Tremor has all the features of the Sport Double-Cab 2.0L Bi-Turbo 4×4 model, with the following additions:
- Full-time 4WD
- 17-inch Asphalt Black alloys
- General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres
- Wheel arch flares
- 30mm increase in track
- Bilstein position-sensitive dampers with external reservoirs
- New springs that, in conjunction with the tyres, deliver another 26mm of ground clearance
- Shielded heavy duty power steering
- Trail Turn Assist: Reduces the turning radius by applying brakes to the inside rear wheel
- Trail Control: Controls acceleration and braking automatically off road
- Rock Crawl Drive Mode: Provides optimal slow-speed traction and momentum on loose and rocky surfaces
- Tremor badging and styling, including 3D tailgate badging, Tremor-embossed vinyl seats, front and rear black Ford oval badges and option of Conquer Grey paint
- Tremor branded all-weather front and rear floor mats
- Overhead auxiliary switch bank for aftermarket accessories
- Honeycomb grille with auxiliary grille LED lights
- 3mm steel front bash plate
- Cast aluminium side steps
- Extended sports bar
The Ranger Tremor is available in a range of six exterior colours. White is standard, the other five are a $700 option.
Our test vehicle was finished in Conquer Grey.
You are probably aware that Ranger and the Volkswagen Amarok are twins under the skin, so it might be worth having a look at dual cab Amarok prices; $55,490 for the 2.0 TDI405 Core through to the petrol or diesel Adventura for $82,990.
Amarok might look a bit different, but is very similar inside.
Hilux, now in its eighth generation, dates back to 2015 and is starting to look a little dated.
Standard kit includes 17-inch alloys, vinyl seat trim, two-zone climate, power-adjust driver seat, side steps, LED head, tail and daytime running lights, electric parking brake, keyless entry and start, auto lights and wipers, auto high beam, speed sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, auto dimming rear view mirror and front and rear parking sensors.
The tub comes with a light, tie-downs, drop-in tray liner and 400W power outlet.
Tremor scores a smaller 10.1-inch portrait touchscreen and 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, with Bluetooth, voice control, built-in satnav with 12-month connected navigation services, DAB+ digital radio, both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six-speaker audio plus wireless phone charging.
There’s USB A + C ports front, a 12-volt outlet in the console box and another 400W AC outlet at the rear of the console.
FordPass app allows you to view vehicle status.
Tremor scores a five-star safety rating with a rear-view camera and nine airbags, including driver and passenger knee airbags along with the latest centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes.
There’s also Autonomous Emergency Braking with Junction Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross Traffic Alert and Trailer Coverage, Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Traffic Sign Recognition and Lane Centring, Lane Keeping System with Road Edge Detection and Driver Alert System.
There are two top tether and two ISOFix child seat anchors.
Tremor is covered by a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, roadside assistance if you get it serviced by Ford and a pre-paid service plan is available at a cost of $1200 for the first four general services for up to four years or 60,000km.
Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km.
What’s it go like?
Ranger is large, at just over 5.4 metres long, 2.2 metres wide and 1.9 metres high, with a 3270mm wheelbase and 12.9-metre turning circle.
Its sheer size can be a problem when it comes to parking and negotiating city streets, not to mention turning around and threading the ute between trees and so forth off road.
Suspension is independent at front with traditional leaf springs at the rear, but the shocks are mounted outside the chassis rails, which helps to reduce sideways movement.
Brakes are ventilated discs front and rear, which is great news, while this model is fitted with chunky off-road rubber.
A full-size alloy spare is provided.
Tremor is powered by a 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel that delivers 154kW of power at 3750 rpm and 500Nm of torque between 1750-2000 rpm.
With a 10-speed automatic transmission, it comes with a so-called ‘full-time’ four-wheel drive, but in fact most of the time drive is directed to the rear wheels.
Only if you select the 4H Auto setting will drive be directed to all four wheels, but only if and when required – until then it remains two-wheel drive.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing because two-wheel drive produces better fuel consumption. Turning four wheels requires more effort.
The all-important tub measures 1464mm in length, 1520mm wide and 525mm deep, with 1217mm between wheel arches.
A step is cleverly located either side of the rear bumper to facilitate access, but simply reaching in is not feasible.
This particular grade is rated to carry a 937kg payload and of course it can tow a 3500kg braked trailer.
Upgrades include shielded heavy duty power steering.
New springs and dampers, together with 17-inch wheels and chunky General Grabber AT3 265/70 series rubber boost ground clearance 26mm to 260mm.
That’s 12mm shy of range-topping Raptor.
Wading depth is 800mm.
The setup includes premium heavy duty Bilstein shocks and increases the track front and rear by 30mm, contributing to better stability – both on and off the road.
A locking rear diff is standard.
Tremor’s off-road credentials are also bolstered by three electronic aids: Trail Turn Assist, Trail Control and Rock Crawl.
Trail Turn Assist reduces the turning radius by applying brakes to the inside rear wheel in tight situations (but it’s not available with the diff locked).
Off-road capability is further enhanced with the inclusion of a Rock Crawl drive mode and Trail Control.
Trail Control is a kind off-road cruise control that can take control of acceleration and braking at low speed.
Rock Crawl drive mode provides optimal slow-speed traction and momentum on loose and rocky surfaces.
There’s no doubting Ranger is an impressive ute, but we can’t understand the family attraction when an SUV would be more comfortable and even better off road.
To get the best out of a ute you really need to jack them up and that creates problems when it comes to getting in and out, not to mention the effect it has on handling and steering geometry.
Tremor rides a bit higher, but in the end its length and long overhanging tail are limiting factors, together with things like the side steps and rigid plastic mudflaps which are easily damaged.
Sand and moderately rough fire trails should present no problems, but after that you might want to exercise some caution.
Even the 26mm lift makes getting in and out of the ute more difficult and this becomes apparent stretching with your foot to find the ground.
The ride is also noticeably firmer thanks to the suspension changes and all-terrain tyres compared to the Platinum version we drove previously.
It becomes jiggly over smaller bumps in the road and occupants may find themselves reaching for something to hold onto when it comes to corners.
Throttle response from the 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel is strong, with very little turbo lag, but tends to become a little jerky, lifting off and on the accelerator.
Out on the open road, however, the ute cruises smoothly and easily.
Steering is light around town but weights up nicely at speed, with plenty of communication for the driver.
The cabin is trimmed in vinyl water-resistant upholstery, with all weather mats which might be practical but are also cheap.
The start button occupies what was the key barrel on the steering column and takes some getting used to.
The stubby transmission lever is a pain the butt.
You need to release the transmission with your middle finger and changing between drive and reverse requires some precision.
Small thumb switches on the side of the lever are provided to change gears manually.
They work okay, but again some accuracy is required.
We found ourselves mistakenly clicking the thumb switches to move the car into drive or reverse.
Change paddles would be a lot easier. The Raptor gets paddles.
A round four-wheel drive selector is located at the rear of the centre console, with 2H, 4H, 4H Auto and 4L settings.
There are also settings for Normal, Eco, tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts and Sand and Rock Crawl.
The big touchscreen has plenty of room for Android Auto, but the smaller width reduces the size of the map.
We guess the boffins had to put something at the bottom of the screen, but the air con controls simply replicate the physical controls right below them. That makes no kind of sense.
With an 80-litre tank, fuel consumption is rated at 8.4L/100km.
We were getting 9.8L after close to 400km of mixed driving including a bit of off-roading.
The trip computer showed a long-term average of 10.2L/100km after more than 1000km.
What we like
- Looks good
- Turbo-diesel
- Plenty of power
- Remarkably quiet inside
What we don’t like
- Awkward e-Shifter
- Rear legroom tight
- Uses too much fuel
What over-50s need to know
Close on the heels of last year’s Wildtrak X, comes another special edition Ranger – the off-road focused Tremor.
Ford says it’s targeted at those who couldn’t afford the X, but comes with the X essentials.
But if you couldn’t afford the X, it’s unlikely you’ll have the funds for the Tremor either – not when it’s $70K plus by the time it hits the road.
Apart from the cost, the off-road focus means harder, jacked up suspension and chunkier, noisier rubber which means the on-road experience where it will spend 95 percent of its time won’t be as pleasant.
The increased height also makes it harder to get in and out of.
Forewarned is forearmed.
seniordriver comments
Ford is really going to town on the Ranger and selling as many of them as it can get its hands on. Little wonder the company is jokingly referred to as the Mustang/Ranger/Everest company.This special edition is aimed more tightly and best suited to serious off-roaders. If you want a Ranger but aren’t that focused on off-road, there are plenty of alternatives. And plenty of options to make it exactly what you’re looking for.
As usual, buyers are stung for choosing any colour other than white – it’s a modern-day fact of life.
The Ranger, in all its iterations, is a large vehicle. Keep this in mind if you want to use it around town. And because it’s been jacked up, it’s even harder to get in and out of than the standard version.
The inclusion of a full-size spare wheel is to be commended. You wouldn’t want to be caught far off the beaten track with a flat tyre and nothing but a space saver, or, even worse, a can of tyre repair goo. Well done, Ford.