2025 Ford Ranger Black Edition review

It feels a little early to be running out special editions of the Ford Ranger; the ute that’s meant to last the Blue Oval the better part of a decade.

Usually, a 'Black Edition' is something that’s added towards the end of a car’s production in an attempt to boost sales, but the current-generation Ford Ranger is just on two years old – and it was already the country’s best-selling vehicle in 2023.

But I digress. The Ford Ranger Black Edition is a special edition planned for 1500 units, and it was first offered after September 2024. It takes the entry-level Ford Ranger XL and adds on black-painted equipment such as side steps, a sports bar, and black 17-inch wheels.

But, the important part is the fact that it comes more affordable drive-away than the XL variant it’s based on. This makes the purchase of a Black Edition a no-brainer.

Here’s the experience you get for the money.

The regular Ford Ranger XL dual-cab with a 2.0 biturbo engine costs just under $60,000 drive-away if sold in Melbourne. That variant is a base-spec ute that has steel wheels and there are next to no frills.

However, make that XL variant a Black Edition and the entire entry-level experience is livened up a great deal. While stocks last, the Black Edition is priced at $57,990 drive-away, nationwide.

This is a saving of between $1837 to $4292 compared to the standard XL, depending on the state or territory of registration.

Add onto that, the Black Edition gets some cool extra kit. Compared to the XL, the Black Edition gains 17-inch Asphalt Black alloy wheels with all-terrain tyres, black side steps, an Asphalt Black mesh front grille with Boulder Grey insets, a black sports bar, and a drop-in tub liner with 12-volt socket.

In the dual-cab ute space, rivals that come close on price include the $56,740 (plus on-road costs) Mitsubishi Triton GLX-R 4x4, the $59,990 (drive-away) Nissan Navara Black Edition, and the $55,800 (plus ORCs) Isuzu D-Max LS-M 4x4.

You can get optional extras for the Ranger Black Edition, such as the $1900 Towing Pack or the $3000 manual roller shutter for the tub, but our car was equipped with none of those and is painted in standard Arctic White.

It’s powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine that’s mated to a part-time four-wheel-drive system and it comes with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The Black Edition’s interior is not as exciting as the outside. You’ve got wash-out hard-wearing flooring, hard plastics all over the interior panels and dashboard, and the of smaller the two infotainment screens offered across Ranger variants.

You can’t have everything, and Ford has focused its extra efforts on the exterior.

But, it’s still not a bad place to spend time in. The cloth seats are very basic, but they’re comfortable for freeway journeys. My only gripe with the interior materials was the door panel plastics were hard to lean on without getting a sore elbow.

Although there are only basic manual seat adjustments, I was able to get a tall seating position with a view over the bonnet, and there’s ample reach-and-tilt movement for the steering wheel too.

Buyers might be disappointed to see a polyurethane steering wheel and no leather covering around the gear selector – but remember you’re buying a hard-wearing, work-oriented spec.

I do like the fact that the endless black plastics of the dashboard are broken up by a Boulder Grey trim panel. It goes a long way to bring some design flair back into the interior.

For storage, you get a pair of cupholders, a sunglasses holder in the headlining, a small tray in front of the gear selector, and of course, a glovebox. The door panels are wide enough to house a large drink bottle.

There are some small buttons mounted on the centre console to control the diff lock and start/stop system, plus the four-wheel-drive dial to switch up the drivetrain’s configuration.

The second row contained ample space for my 194cm height. I had good head room above me – it’s a tall roof line in the Ranger – and enough space for my knees to not feel constrained.

Be advised, the backrest is quite upright and there’s no adjustment.

There’s little in the way of amenity, though. No air vents, no map pockets, no fold-down armrest, and no USB ports – just a 12-volt outlet.

It’s great to see Ford’s included a tub protector as standard. There are two static tie-down points on either side of the tub as well as movable anchors at the lip. It also gets a 12-volt outlet on the left-hand side.

It might be smaller than we’ve come to expect from the brand, but the Sync 4 infotainment software and its portrait form factor are still a winner.

The Ranger Black Edition gets a 10.1-inch infotainment screen for controlling the majority of vehicle functions and settings and the layout of menus is brilliant.

There’s a band at the bottom dedicated to the air-conditioning system, and although we typically like to see this information displayed separately, at least the Ranger comes with physical dials to control the air temperature and fan speed.

It’s simple to get your head around the way the software works and it’s quite fast to operate. It comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but this is not mirrored with a wireless phone charger – you have to plug into one of the two USB ports to charge devices.

Camera quality from the reversing camera is fine and it’s quick to engage as soon as you select reverse gear.

The standard four-speaker sound system is pretty terrible – sound quality is poor for your tunes, and I had reports of poor call quality on the other end of the line.

In front of the driver is an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster than can show varying displays and graphics.

The Ford Sync 4 infotainment system comes with the ability to connect to the FordPass smartphone application to review information such as fuel levels, service information, remote unlock, and location data.

ANCAP tested the Ford Ranger line-up in 2022 and awarded it a full five stars under 2020–22 criteria.

In testing, the Ranger received an 84 per cent adult occupant protection score, 93 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 83 per cent for safety assist systems.

There’s little that the Ford Ranger misses out on in terms of safety – whether it’s passive equipment or active accident prevention.

Good news, too, it’s available across a great deal of the Ranger line-up, from the entry-level XL to the Ranger Raptor flagship.

Unfortunately, the entry-level Black Edition misses out on lane-centring for its adaptive cruise control and there is no stop-and-go assistance. This means the adaptive cruise-control system will automatically cancel itself once the car gets to about 20–30km/h.

I like the fact that you can easily tweak all the safety systems within the infotainment display.

For its range of vehicles, Ford offers a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. This is par for the course in the dual-cab ute segment.

Servicing is due every 12 months or 15,000km. The first four services cost $379 each.

Buyers can save $131 by opting for a $1385 prepaid service package that covers the first four visits to the dealership.

Every time you visit a Ford for a scheduled service, you’ll automatically receive an additional 12 months of roadside assistance until the car reaches seven years old.

We inquired about how much insurance will cost for the 2025 Ford Ranger Black Edition and received a $1821 quote, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

This compares with $1578 for the Mitsubishi Triton GLS 4x4, and $1710 for the Isuzu D-Max X-Rider.

Fuel economy out of the big dual-cab ute isn’t too bad. Although Ford claims 7.2 litres per 100 kilometres over mixed driving roads, I returned 7.9L/100km in my time with the car.

My use tended to be majority freeway, with a bit of country road and suburbia thrown into the mix. The start/stop system no doubt helps the fuel economy, but I was quick to turn this off after testing it out because it became an annoyance.

I remember the first time I drove a current-generation Ford Ranger – it was just over two years ago and I was shocked at how refined, quiet, and capable the new car was.

It’s the same story two years down the line. It remains the stand-out dual-cab for cabin quietness and driveline smoothness, and the way Ford’s engineers have balanced that everyday liveability with strong power is still mesmerising, in my opinion.

The 154kW/500Nm outputs are super plucky and easy to extract around town – even slight throttle depressions are matched by a surge of torque to the wheels – and it pulls hard right up until the speed limit.

A lot of people will want the V6 option for its towing endurance or bragging rights, but I’ve always thought the 2.0TT version is still a winner for everyday situations.

Noise permeance inside the cabin is a bit more pronounced than in a higher-spec Ford Ranger. There are fewer soft fabrics to absorb sound waves. That said, vibrations are still impressively subdued.

The 10-speed transmission is generally quick to exact gear changes and will usually pick the right gear, though there are some instances where it’ll hesitate or take slightly longer. This occurs most often when you’re leaning into the throttle to get up a hill.

The ride quality can be jumpy without anything weighing down the tray. In this specification, the Black Edition gets heavy-duty suspension designed for work, not comfort.

It bucks over small imperfections in the bitumen and doesn’t like tackling speed humps at pace, though as long as you can learn to drive around its ride shortcomings, it doesn’t sour the experience.

It’s an easy thing to steer with a lightweight feel, and although there’s not much action around the steering centre, it remains easy to place on the road and into parking spots.

In the rain, the Ranger feels assuredly planted and connected to the road, and you don’t often experience that ute phenomenon where it could slip out from underneath you on the wrong stretch of tarmac.

The seats could do with some more bolstering to keep you in tighter through corners, though this is the entry-level variant with base-spec bits and pieces. Rangers further up the model walk will feature better appointments and better pews.

My test Ranger didn’t come with the additional $1900 Towing Pack, so I wasn’t able to test the Ranger’s ability with something behind its rear axle. However, we have towed with it in the past and were impressed by the ute’s ability to haul up to 3500kg with a braked trailer. It'll tow up to 750kg without.

There are no listed specifics for the Black Edition, but the related Ranger XL has a payload of 994kg.

If buying at the affordable end of the Ford Ranger line-up, the Black Edition is a clear winner when it comes to value for money. Not only are you getting a better-equipped Ford Ranger than the XL model grade it’s based on, but it’s more affordable drive-away too.

All the key points I appreciate the Ranger for are still provided at this entry level. It’s got the refined and powerful 2.0TT engine, the technology and infotainment is without peer, and the driving experience continues to be a rung above its rivals.

It might miss out on some nice materials that you get with the higher-spec Rangers in the showroom, but the $57,990 drive-away price is hugely attractive. It also comes with neat equipment such as alloy wheels, handy side steps, and the stylish sports bar.

There’s nothing to say that buyers can’t add their own aftermarket accessories to a blank canvas like the Black Edition too.

Although there are now newer rivals that the Ranger has to sidle up against to fight for your hard-earned, it just goes to show that there’s a well-placed Ford Ranger variant at just about every price point.

Ford initially planned for 1500 units of the Ranger Black Edition and says there's still good stock of the variant available across the country. However, the current sales rate should see the limited edition sell out in the coming months.

Although Drive rates the Ranger Sport as the best-value variant in the range, with a happy medium of equipment and technology for its price point, the Black Edition is a clear winner at the entry level.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the Ford website for stock of your preferred Ranger variant. You can also find Fords for sale at Drive Marketplace.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest Ford dealer via this link. We’d also recommend test-driving the Volkswagen Amarok – which is closely related to the Ford Ranger – and Mazda BT-50/Isuzu D-Max twins.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.