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The Ford Ranger remains the top-selling model in Australia’s ute market.
The mid-spec Sport variant offers an appealing value-for-money pick in a busy Ranger line-up, but should you opt for the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel or the more expensive 3.0-litre V6?
I’ve driven Ranger and Everest variants with those engines and they’ve consistently impressed on- and off-road, so your choice will hinge on a few pertinent factors.
Read on.
Some people just want to save money.
They might know they could spend a little extra to get a brand that has a different reputation, or something that has been reviewed more favourably. Just think about the last time you thought about going to a restaurant for the first time - did you check its reviews? See what people thought? Roll the dice and head there anyway?
That’s the sort of equation you might be considering if you’re thinking about a Great Wall Steed. There are better utes from bigger brands that are available, but none come as cheap as this one if you just want something brand new and with lots of features.
The question is - should you consider it? Should you roll the dice? We’ll have to leave that call to you.
There’s a lot to like about the Ford Ranger Sport, especially with the V6 engine. It's nice to drive, comfortable and packed full of features and tech.
Sure, it’s better suited to towing and open-road/track recreational duties than being used as a rock-crawling 4WD, but that doesn’t matter one iota to the Ranger’s core market.
One thing though: the bi-turbo is just as good as the V6, I reckon. And it’s cheaper.
However, if you plan on repeatedly towing large boats or horse floats over long distances, then perhaps the V6 is the better option, especially if you’re concerned about the smaller engine’s ability to withstand the stresses and strains of lugging loads over an extended period of time.
If you simply want a new ute at a low price, the Great Wall Steed could offer a bit of appeal - it’s not terrible, but it’s also far from great…
My advice would be to see what sort of second-hand HiLux or Triton you could get for similar money.
The Ranger Sport is the same look (inoffensive) and size (big) as other dual-cab variants in the line-up but it has those few aforementioned styling differences – black grille, machined alloy wheels etc – to set it apart from its stablemates.
Lower-spec Rangers look good, and the Sport is essentially a mildly jazzed-up version of a standard Ranger – not quite reaching the stylistic levels of Wildtrak, Platinum, or the Raptor – and so its appearance lands it squarely on the correct side of inoffensive.
The Great Wall’s exterior styling is reasonably contemporary, even if the proportions are somewhat ungainly. Consider this - the Steed is one of the longest, lowest utes out there.
The dimensions are 5345mm long on a huge 3200mm wheelbase, with a width of 1800mm and a height of 1760mm. There’s just 171mm of ground clearance for this one, which is the 4x2 model.
The wheelbase looks enormous, and the back doors are quite small considering the length of the vehicle (plus the door handles are huge!). The B-pillars are set back further than they should be, and that makes it hard to get into and out of the second row seats.
The interior design is pretty smart, though — compared with some of the other older utes out there, the Steed has reasonable ergonomics and the controls and materials are of a passable quality, too.
But our car - which had just a couple of thousand kilometres on the clock - had a missing piece of exterior trim, along with a few loose bits and pieces inside. The quality is better than the first-gen Great Wall utes, but we hope the next-generation global ute from the brand will be better again. It’ll need to be.
The Ranger cabin does pretty well in terms of practicality and comfort – for the ute segment anyway.
The multimedia system is easy enough to navigate and operate and that screen is big enough and crisp enough so even my old bloke eyes could cope with it.
Driver and front passenger have easy access to plenty of storage options – centre console, cupholders, big door pockets, a pocket-dump shelf etc – and charging points – wireless charger, USB and USB-C sockets – in this ute’s control room.
There’s also plenty of space inside for the driver and the passengers, front and back. The seats are supportive and comfortable upfront and only marginally less so in the back row. There’s enough room back there for a three-person party – I sat behind my driving position and had loads of space.
Second-row passengers get a fold-down centre arm-rest, door pockets, and map pockets as well as air-con vents and controls.
The business end of this ute, the tub, has a sturdy-looking liner, four tie-down points, a 12-volt outlet, and LED lighting.
But beyond all that it has a handy built-in step at the rear right-hand side of the vehicle. I can attest to the usefulness of something like this because a few years ago while loading a ute – not a Ranger – I injured myself trying to get into the tub by standing on top of one of the tyres. It was raining at the time, the tyre was wet, and the soles of my old boots unfortunately didn’t provide the requisite amount of traction required to prevent me from slipping. I sustained a deep haematoma to my upper right thigh, which calcified and still troubles me to this day. Boo-hoo, I hear you say. Well, my point is this: well done, Ford, because that step is a worthwhile addition, not at all a novelty.
For measurement nerds, such as myself, the tub measures 1464mm long (at the floor; a pallet-swallowing 1217mm between the wheel-arches), 1520mm wide and 525mm deep. Opening width at the tailgate is 1393mm.
If you’re keen to build your Ranger as an adventure vehicle then you’re in luck. When you order a new Ranger you can order an ARB ‘Build’ to suit your lifestyle. That chosen build will be fitted to your Ranger prior to you taking delivery of it.
There are three builds – Family Adventurer, Tourer, and Serious Off-roader – and each one includes a specific set of aftermarket accessories (covering protection, suspension, lighting and more) and, when you’ve specified which build you want at Ranger-ordering time, those will have already been fitted to it when it comes time for you to collect it. The builds are covered by Ford’s five-year/unlimited km warranty.
As mentioned above, the interior of the Steed is acceptable for a budget ute, but that’s as faint praise as saying “you look fine” to the reflection of yourself in the mirror after a big night out.
The cabin has a few elements to it that are decent - the dashboard design is decent, and the controls are pretty logically placed. If you’re stepping up from a first-gen Great Wall ute, you’ll be blown away.
Things like the big media screen and leather-lined steering wheel, as well as electric front seat adjustment and leather seat trim that feels more like cowhide than repurposed garbage bags this time around will all count toward some positive first impressions.
That said, the screen is one of the most confusing ones I’ve encountered - you have to pair your phone by hitting the icon that looks like a PC tower linked to a phone. Why? Also, the load times on the screen are terrible, and when you put it in reverse the screen simply goes black. There is no reversing camera as standard, which is poor form. You can option it if you want, likewise the sat nav is optional - and it looks a lot like a UBD or Melways. Plus the volume levelling is very inconsistent.
As mentioned above the ingress and egress for rear seat occupants is poor - anyone who has feet bigger than a size six will struggle to get in and out without getting tangled. Once you’re back there, the knee room is tight, but head room is fine.
There is reasonable storage throughout - there are cup holders between the front seats, door pockets with bottle holders and a few loose item cubbies up front, too. In the rear there are map pockets but no other storage options unless you fold the rear seat backrest down.
The V6 Sport is available only as a dual-cab with a 10-speed automatic transmission and 4x4. The Sport is smack-bang in the middle of a Ranger line-up which consists of XL, XLS, XLT, Sport, Wildtrak, Platinum, and Raptor.
Pricing on our test vehicle starts at $70,090 (excluding on-road costs). Pricing for the Sport with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo-diesel starts at $65,890 (excluding on-road costs).
Standard features include a 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with sat nav, Apple CarPlay (wireless or wired) and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charger, dual-zone climate control, as well as LED headlights, a sports bar and more.
Sport-specific gear includes a black grille, machine-face 18-inch alloy wheels, and an Ebony interior finish.
Exterior paint choices include the no-cost Arctic White or a prestige paint colour – Shadow Black, Aluminium, Blue Lightning, or Meteor Grey – which will set you back $700 for the privilege.
The Great Wall’s biggest redeeming feature is its price and specs.
You can get a base model single-cab-chassis version for less than twenty grand drive-away. This model is the 4x2 dual cab, which has a list price of $24,990 plus on-road costs, but it’s almost always on special at $22,990 driveaway. Need a 4x4? Pay an extra two grand and you’ll get it.
The Steed offers an extensive standard features list, including auto headlights, auto wipers, LED daytime running lights, front and rear fog lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, single-zone climate control, heated front seats, leather trim, a leather-lined steering wheel, a six-speaker stereo system with USB and Bluetooth connectivity and the aforementioned optional camera and GPS navigation. You get carpet on the floors rather than vinyl, too.
The exterior is packed with features tradies will love - there’s a big step bumper to allow easy access to the tray, which has a tub liner as standard as well as a sports bar. Accessing the cabin will be easy for shorties as there are side steps fitted as standard.
Our test vehicle has the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine, producing 184kW at 3250rpm and 600Nm at 1750-2250rpm.
It has a 10-speed automatic transmission and a 4WD system with selectable two-wheel drive (2H), four-wheel drive high-range (4H), four-wheel drive low-range (4L) and four-wheel drive automatic (4A = 4Auto) that sends drive to the front and rear axles as needed, and which can be used on high-traction surfaces.
It has a variety of selectable drive modes – including Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, and Sand – and a locking rear diff.
Great Wall uses a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder with 110kW of power (at 4000rpm) and 310Nm of torque (from 1800-2800rpm), which is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. There is no automatic transmission available. But you can get a petrol engine if you prefer, which is becoming rarer in the ute segment.
The payload capacity for the Great Wall Steed 4x2 is decent for a dual cab pickup at 1022kg, and it has a gross vehicle mass of 2820kg. The Steed has the standard 750kg un-braked towing capacity, but a meagre 2000kg braked towing rating.
Official fuel consumption for the Sport V6 is 8.4L/100km on a combined cycle.
I recorded fuel consumption of 12.4L/100km on this test.
The Ranger has a 80-litre tank, so, going by the above figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 645km from a full tank.
The Great Wall has a claimed fuel use of 9.0 litres per 100 kilometres in the spec we tested, and across our testing regimen - which included on-road driving laden and empty for a few hundred kilometres, it managed 11.1L/100km. Okay, but not great.
The fuel tank capacity of the Great Wall is 58 litres, which is small for the class, and there’s no long range fuel tank option.
I've driven a lot of variants of the Ford Ranger on all sorts of terrain and I've always been impressed with how well they've performed.
The Ranger is nice to drive on-road – quiet inside, refined, comfortable and that engine and transmission are a clever and relaxed combination – and it’s very capable off-road but one or two niggles prevent this ute from being a great all-round daily driver.
Let’s get a few of those negatives out of the way first.
This ute is hampered by its own physical dimensions when it comes to four-wheel driving. The Ranger's extended wheelbase especially impacts its ability to traverse steep rock steps without experiencing bumps to the underbody or scuffs to the side-steps.
Its wheelbase is longer than in any previous iteration, great for giving the Ranger a settled stance on a road or track but not so helpful for traversing challenging terrain. Because that stretch has impacted ramp breakover angle which is now listed as 21 degrees, whereas the previous-gen Ranger offered 25 degrees.
For reference, approach and departure angles are 30 and 23 degrees respectively.
The Ranger’s tyres – Goodyear Wrangler Territory HT (255/65R18) – are not as off-road-suited as you might like, especially for anything beyond light-duty 4WDing. (As always, with most standard 4WDs, these kinds of problems – compromised off-road angles and less-than-ideal off-road tyres – can be addressed with a mild - two inch or so - aftermarket suspension lift and a good set of aggressive LT-construction all-terrain tyres.)
I still think the driver-assist tech that has off-road applications – the track-view/360-degree camera and vehicle-info read-out (displaying driveline/diff lock indicators, and steering, pitch and roll angles etc) – are more novelty than necessity, but on this test I became more used to them than on previous trips.
The brake pedal feels spongy – taking a long time between initial foot pressure to actually ‘biting', and then the brakes – discs all round – quite abruptly clamp into action.
I’ve previously expressed annoyance at the auto transmission shifter – a kind of joystick on steroids – but it’s also another element in the Ranger to which I’m becoming accustomed.
Anyway, to the positives…
Off-road, the Ranger does well.
With a listed length of 5370mm (with a 3270mm wheelbase), a width of 2208mm, a height of 1886mm and an official kerb weight of 2351kg, this is not a small ute. It has a turning circle of 12.9m, but never feels too unwieldy on bush tracks, no matter how tight they become.
The V6 engine is rarely stressed, offers plenty of torque across a decent spread of revs and it doesn't have to work hard to get you through most obstacles or challenges.
The 10-speed auto transmission is clever – scrambling between ratios has been minimised if not completely ironed out – and if you want to take over duties yourself you can do so via the manual shifter. The ‘e-Shifter’ in 4WD Rangers is mildly annoying but, as I mentioned earlier, I’m getting used to it.
Low-range gearing is adequate and the Ranger has an electronic rear diff lock for more traction-boosting control.
There’s plenty of driver-assist tech onboard and off-road driving modes include Mud/Ruts and Sand. These are no substitute for track-worthy 4WD mechanicals, but these modes do effectively adjust engine throttle, transmission, braking, traction and stability controls to suit the driving conditions.
Hill descent control is effective, and held the Ranger to a controlled 3-4km/h while we crept down to the turn-around point on a set-piece hill.
Wading depth is 800mm and, while there had been recent rain in our 4WD proving ground prior to this test, I couldn’t find any mudholes deep enough to seriously challenge the Ranger’s water-crossing ability.
Wheel travel – how far the axle can move up and down relative to the chassis – is not great, with the Ranger’s tyres sometimes left to dangle in space rather than stretching to the dirt.
If you’re planning to use your Ranger as a remote-area touring vehicle or even a weekend adventure machine, then take note of the payload and gross vehicle mass (GVM) figures, which are 929kg and 3280kg respectively. Remember: any aftermarket equipment (bullbar, roof rack etc), people, pets and camping gear must figure in your payload and GVM equations.
If you want to use the Ranger as a tow vehicle, it’s handy to know that its towing capacity is listed as 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked). Gross combined mass (GCM) is 6400kg.
The Ranger’s big physical dimensions, long wheelbase, and settled driving feel may seem like it’s a shoe-in as a tow vehicle of choice, but there have been rumblings in the general public about the 10-speed transmissions becoming unusually hot when the vehicle is under load for a sustained period of time, so keep an eye out for any reports on those kinds of issues.
A lot of utes these days are aiming to be dual purpose vehicles, with passenger-amenable ride, handling, steering and powertrain combinations that mean you can use them for work and play.
The Great Wall? Well, it’s more work-oriented. That’s a nice way of saying you won’t want to subject your family to this truck, but your workmates? Too bad for them.
The ride is harsh without weight in the back, bucking over bumpy sections of road and jolting after a sharp edge.
The steering is light but requires a lot of turns lock to lock, and the turning circle is large. You need to keep that in mind when you’re parking, plus the vision from the driver’s seat isn’t as good as it could be.
The engine enjoys using every gear but first, but the manual shift action isn’t enjoyable and the torque on offer doesn’t come on smoothly.
I will say this - with 750 kilograms in the back, the rear suspension didn’t sag very much at all. The Steed offers a big payload, and the chassis can cope with it.
What can’t cope with the weight is the engine - we had 750kg in the tray and four adults on board, and it was worse than sluggish. I struggled to get it moving from a standstill, revving harder than I usually would in a diesel-engined ute. There’s a lot of lag to contend with, and the engine simply doesn’t like low-speed moves at all.
But at higher speed it got into a groove, and the ride was actually really well sorted with mass over the rear axle. Plus the fact it has four-wheel disc brakes - unlike many of its newer, more high-tech rivals - means the braking performance was pretty promising, too.
The Ford Ranger has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2022.
Standard safety features include nine airbags (front, side, knee and full-length curtain, driver and passenger) and far side driver front airbag), AEB, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, a reversing camera, and more.
There isn’t a lot of happy reading here.
The Great Wall Steed scored an abysmal two-star ANCAP crash test safety score when it was tested in 2016, though under the disclaimer that score applies to ‘4x2 petrol dual cab variants only’. That’s nasty, especially considering it has dual front, front side and curtain airbags as standard in dual cab form.
There is tyre pressure monitoring and rear parking sensors as standard, but a camera isn’t fitted as standard. There is no auto emergency braking (AEB) or any other advanced safety tech, either.
But it has ABS anti-lock brakes, electronic brake distribution, stability control, hill descent control and hill hold control. There are three-point seatbelt for all seating positions, and if you dare, there are dual ISOFIX child seat anchor points and three top tether points in both models.
The Ford Ranger line-up has a five-year/unlimited km warranty and five years of roadside assistance as long as you always service your Ranger at an authorised dealer.
Service intervals are scheduled for every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs soonest.
Capped-price servicing applies to a MY24 Ranger’s first four services for a total cost of $1516, according to the Ford Service Price Guide.
Great Wall introduced a five-year/150,000km warranty in April this year, which is good for a challenger brand but doesn't push the boundaries for the ute segment. There is three years of roadside assist cover as well.
There is no capped price servicing plan, but the Steed requires maintenance every 12 months or 15,000km (following an initial six-month checkup).
Concerned about problems, issues, faults, common complaints, transmission or engine reliability? Check out our Great Wall problems page.