OREANDA-NEWS. Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) has added two more awards to its burgeoning trophy cabinet with the new Ford Ranger and all-new Ford Everest being voted the top vehicles in their respective segments by Drive Out / WegRy in its 2016 4x4 of the Year Awards.

“As one of South Africa’s biggest 4x4 and overlanding magazines, the publication has a large following amongst off-road enthusiasts, and it is fantastic for two of our most important new models to dominate the Double Cab and SUV categories in its 2016 4x4 of the Year awards,” says Tracey Delate, General Marketing Manager, FMCSA.

The Ford Ranger 3.2 TDCi XLT won the Double Cab of the Year title. The new Ranger was launched in October last year, boasting a fresh new design, a sophisticated all-new interior with SYNC®2 and an 8-inch touchscreen display, advanced Electric Power Assisted Steering, improved quality and refinement, as well as enhanced fuel economy.

While the Ranger has topped the highly competitive overall light commercial vehicle sales on three occasions over the past six months, and was the top-seller for six out of 12 months last year, it has dominated the popular double cab sector since 2014.

“We know that the local double-cab 4x4 market is a hotly contested one, which makes the Ranger’s dominance even more remarkable,” said Jaco Kirsten, editor of Drive Out / WegRy.

“The Ranger’s 3.2 litre Duratorq engine has already proved itself, and while the refreshed engine still develops the same amount of power as before, fuel consumption is improved.

“The gearbox is also improved, but the biggest improvement has been the interior, which really impressed our staff. Then there are other attributes such as proven off-road ability and fresh, eye-catching styling,” Kirsten said.

The all-new Ford Everest was another product that left a huge impression on the Drive Out / WegRy panel. Launched in September last year, the Everest redefined the sport utility vehicle segment, offering cutting-edge technologies matched to exceptional performance, all-round capability and value-for money.

“We always expected that the new Everest was going to be a big step forward, but none of us really expected a leap of this magnitude,” Kirsten stated.

“Apart from the beautiful styling and luxuriously appointed interior, the Terrain Management off-road system really distinguishes it from all its rivals. In fact, a case can be made that it now competes with some of the more established rivals in a higher, traditionally more expensive segment,” he added.