The off-road-focused Ford Ranger Tremor competes against the recently-introduced Toyota Hilux GR Sport III. With both bakkies priced at just under R1 million, we compare them to determine which one represents a stronger buying proposition.
Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa recently launched the luxurious Ranger Platinum and off-road-biased Ford Ranger Tremor . Slotting in snuggly beneath the Wildtrak X , the Tremor is positioned as a “more affordable” alternative to its higher-specced sibling and is priced at R978 600 (June 2024).
The Ranger Tremor now has a new rival in the form of the Toyota Hilux GR-Sport III , which was launched in South Africa in May 2024 The new Hilux GR Sport III is similarly priced from R999 000 .
If you’re wondering what sets these off-road-focused double cabs apart from one another, this article will highlight the key specification differences between them. Let’s take a closer look at the details!
What’s the difference between the Ford Ranger Tremor and the Toyota Hilux GR Sport III?
Exterior Styling
Ford Ranger Tremor
The Ranger Tremor wears a black honeycomb grille replete with auxiliary LEDs, which it shares with its Wildtrak X sibling. The grille is flanked by Ford’s large C-clamp headlights with daytime running lights (DRLs), while the lower bumper section gains what Ford calls a “Bolder Grey” finish, which also adorns the fender vents, side-mirror caps, exterior door handles, rear bumper and wheel-arch extensions.
As one of the off-road-biased derivatives in the Ranger lineup, the Tremor also features a chunky steel bash plate, which enhances its macho look appreciably, as well as 2 front-mounted tow hooks, cast-aluminium side steps and a tubular sports bar.
The Tremor rides on 17-inch, “Asphalt Black” alloy wheels shod with 265/40 R17 General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres with white lettering enhancing the overall design.
It’s worth mentioning that the Tremor also features a 33-mm wider track (fore and aft), as well as a 24-mm increase in ground clearance over standard Ranger 4×4 double cab derivatives.
Toyota Hilux GR-Sport III
Perhaps the most obvious visual upgrade to the Hilux GR Sport III is that it sports a widebody configuration. The UK version shown recently provides some indication of what’s to come.
Apart from the visibly chunky black wheel-arch cladding, this purpose-built Hilux also gains fore and aft track extensions of 140 mm and 155 mm respectively, bringing the total vehicle width to 2 020 mm. Ground clearance has also increased by 20 mm! (See the off-road ability section below).
Like the Ranger Tremor, the Hilux GR Sport III also wears a black grille with a grey bash plate and is also fitted with a tubular sports bar ( an aerodynamic sports bar is fitted in other markets ).
Those chunky wheel arches are filled with 265/65 R17 BFGoodrich all-terrain rubber, with red front brake callipers visible behind the eye-catching black alloys.
What bakkie do you think looks better?
Engine & Performance
| Ford Ranger Tremor 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo 4WD | Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 GR Sport III | |
| Powertrain | 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel | 2.8-litre turbodiesel |
| Power Output | 154 kW | 165 kW |
| Torque Output | 500 Nm | 550 Nm |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic | 6-speed automatic |
| Fuel Consumption (claimed) | 7.5 L/100 km | TBC |
Ford Ranger Tremor
We drove the new Ranger Tremor at its recent launch and came away impressed with the new bakkie’s pleasing ride quality and punchy bi-turbodiesel engine that cranks out 154 kW and 500 Nm of torque.
Despite riding on chunky rubber, road noise was surprisingly subdued. Our first drive in the Tremor was mostly on dirt routes and the Ford ably demonstrated its off-road capability on the Grabouw 4×4 Trail.
The Tremor’s Trail Turn feature, where the inside rear wheel locks to initiate a tighter turn, is useful when navigating off-road obstacles at close quarters. Moreover, the Tremor’s full-time 4×4 system is user-friendly, which makes it accessible to novices and experienced 4×4 enthusiasts alike.
As an off-road orientated 4×4 leisure vehicle, the Ford Tremor is difficult to fault. We will hopefully have the Ford Ranger Tremor for a thorough evaluation soon, so look out for an in-depth review in the future.
Toyota Hilux GR-Sport III
Now that we’ve sampled the new Hilux GR Sport III, we’re happy to report that it’s a strong performer.
Read our launch report for the Toyota Hilux GR Sport III
With its wider stance, on-road handling has improved with reduced body roll and a more engaging driving experience. Greater width has also improved the Hilux’s stability while offroading.
With an uprated 2.8-litre 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine producing 165 kW and 550 Nm, the Hilux GR Sport offers strong performance overall and delivers it in a refined manner. It’s a punchy engine and together with a 6-speed automatic transmission, the Hilux strikes a good balance between performance and fuel economy.
Offroading is made simple with a central offroad dial that allows the driver to conveniently switch between 2H, 4H and 4L (see below).
Off-road Upgrades and Practicality
Ford Ranger Tremor
In terms of off-road-oriented upgrades, the Ranger Tremor has Bilstein position-sensitive dampers and its full-time 4-wheel-drive system is complemented by “Trail Turn Assist (for tighter turning ability) and Pro Trailer Backup Assist with Trailer Reverse Guidance (inherited from the Wildtrak X and Raptor).
To reiterate, the Range Tremor’s ground clearance is raised by 24 mm (to 261 mm) and has 30-mm wider tracks, which is said to improve stability while off-roading. The wading depth is 800 mm (claimed).
Toyota Hilux GR Sport III
Apart from its substantially wider footprint, which should improve the bakkie’s off-road performance appreciably, the Hilux GR Sport III is also fitted with monotube dampers, replacing the previous twin-tube dampers, which Toyota says will deliver “better performance and faster response in tough conditions”.
The Hilux GR-S III stands some 20 mm taller than its brethren, thanks to suspension and tyre upgrades, but its claimed ground clearance (minimum 286 mm) and wading depth have yet to be confirmed.
| Features | Ford Ranger Tremor | Toyota Hilux GR Sport III |
| Length | 5 370 mm | 5 325 mm |
| Width | 2 208 mm | 2 020 mm |
| Height | 1 914 mm | 1 865 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3 270 mm | 3 085 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 261 mm | Min. 286 mm (TBC) |
| Approach Angle | 32° | 30° |
| Breakover Angle | 24° | – |
| Departure Angle | 24° | 23° |
| Payload Capacity | 966 kg | 790 kg |
| Towing Capacity | 3 500 kg (braked) | 3 500 kg |
| Low Range & Differentials | Offroad driving switch with 2H, 4H and 4L, locking rear differential, hill descent control | Offroad driving dial with 2H, 4H and 4L, locking rear differential, hill descent control |
Interior Execution and Features
Ford Ranger Tremor
The Ranger Tremor is based on the Ranger XLT’s spec, but is distinguished by water-resistant black vinyl upholstery with “Medium Dark Urban Grey” stitching. The 6-way adjustable seats feature the “TREMOR” logo in orange. Vinyl flooring also replaces traditional carpets, for better practicality/improved usability.
The Ranger Tremor gains a 12-inch SYNC 4A touchscreen infotainment system featuring an Off-Road screen with a 360-degree camera, all of which is useful for off-roading. The infotainment system offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability and a wireless smartphone charging pad is standard.
Toyota Hilux GR Sport III
The Hilux GR Sport III’s interior features a combination of leather and Alcantara upholstery with GR logos applied to the headrests, steering wheel, start button and carpets. The red seatbelts add to the red GR theme, as does the 12 o’clock marker on the steering wheel.
A 9-speaker JBL audio system is also fitted, and the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system offers both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. A panoramic view monitor is also standard.
| Ford Ranger Tremor | Toyota Hilux GR Sport III | |
| Infotainment System | 12-inch touchscreen | 8-inch touchscreen |
| Digital Instrument Cluster | Yes | Analogue dials, central TFT display |
| Android Auto / Apple CarPlay | Yes, both | Yes, both |
| Bluetooth, Voice Control, USB, Wireless Charging | Yes to all | Yes. No wireless charging. |
| Rear View Camera | Yes, with surround view | Yes, with surround view |
| Steering adjustment: Rake / Reach | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise Control | Yes | Yes, adaptive |
| Air Conditioning | Yes, automatic climate control | Yes, automatic dual-zone |
| Panoramic Sunroof | No | No |
| Upholstery / electric seats | Vinyl upholstery, manual seat adjustment | Partial leather and Alcantara, electric driver’s seat |
| Front / Rear Park Distance Control | Front and rear | Front and rear |
| Safety Features | 7 airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, electronic stability control with traction control, hill launch assist, hill decent control, trailer sway control, roll-over mitigation, lane keeping assist, blind sport monitoring, pre-collision assist, reverse brake assist, tyre pressure monitoring. | 7 airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, electronic stability control with traction control, hill assist control, trailer sway control, downhill assist control, lane departure alert |
Price and Warranty
| Ford Ranger Tremor 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo 4WD | Toyota Hilux GR Sport III | |
| Price | R977 500 | R999 900 |
| Warranty | 4-year/ 120 000 km | 3-year/100 000 km |
| Service Plan | Optional | 9 services/90 000 km |
Buy a New Ford Ranger on Cars.co.za
Buy a Used Ford Ranger on Cars.co.za
Buy a new Toyota Hilux on Cars.co.za
Buy a used Toyota Hilux on Cars.co.za
Summary
Given its beefed-up kerb appearance, the Toyota Hilux GR Sport III with its widebody configuration will surely have countless Hilux fans champing at the bit. With its wider tracks and suspension upgrade, the Hilux GR-S III is expected to outperform standard Hilux variants and will strike a chord with dyed-in-the-wool 4×4 enthusiasts. Even though the Hilux offers strong performance, its standard equipment list is fair (average) and the cabin architecture is showing its age. How likely is that to deter buyers, though?
Likewise, the Ford Ranger Tremor’s purposeful stance and off-road design is hard to ignore and buyers will have a difficult time choosing between this and the new widebody Hilux. The new Ford Ranger is arguably the best-looking bakkie on the market, after all…
From an interior perspective, we think that the Ranger Tremor has the edge over its Hilux rival. Not only is its vinyl upholstery more suited for a rugged lifestyle but its cabin is more modern and comes generously equipped with standard comfort and safety features, which translates into a stronger overall value proposition.
Whichever you choose, you’re going places…
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