After a lot of research and considerations, the requirements for our truck are as follow:
- Locally made in Argentina, so that parts and service can be easily obtained
- Small enough to fit in our building parkade when not traveling
- Be discreet once on the street
- Have 4 wheel-drive capability since many roads in South America are still unpaved and can quickly become treacherous in bad weather.
- Be as fuel efficient as possible since gas is fairly expensive in Argentina.
- Be as recent and as low mileage as budget allows.
We finally decided the single-cab pickup truck with a fibreglass shell is the best compromise for us. Toyota and Ford both offer a single-cab, 4WD model, though there are few on the road and even fewer available on the used market. The dual-cabs are far more popular. We finally came across a 2015 Ford Ranger single-cab 4WD in our price range, and with only a thousand kilometres on it, as good as new but without the price tag.
Here is what the base vehicle looks like from the photos posted by the previous owner in the for-sale ad. The next step will be to find and purchase the shell. Stay tuned!
Specs:
- 2015 Ford Ranger, manufactured in Argentina
- 2.2 Litre diesel engine with variable-geometry turbo
- Power: 125 HP @ 3700RPM
- Torque: 370Nm between 1750 and 2300 RPM
- 6-speed manual transmission
- 4-wheel drive high and low
- Electronic shift-on-the-fly to 4WD up to 120 km/h
- Electronic descent assisted system
- Four wheel ABS
- 80cm of wading capacity
- Air conditioning
- Power steering
- Stability control
- Traction control
- Assisted uphill start
Here is our vehicle with the hardtop installed:
Sin Rumbo 