As traffic gets heavier and human beings become increasingly accustomed to convenience, automatic gearboxes are slowly increasing their market share, even in the macho bakkie world.
Ford SA clearly has its finger on the pulse here and having observed that almost 70 percent of those who buy its 3.2-litre turbodiesel Ranger bakkies go the auto route, the company has decided to spread the self-shifting love to its popular 2.2-litre turbodiesel derivatives.
From July this year, nine versions of the 118kW/385Nm 2.2 TDCi, which was previously only available with manual gearbox, will be offered with Ford's six-speed automatic.
Also read: The bakkie showdown - Ranger vs Hilux
The autobox will be available across all three bodystyles - single cab, super cab and double cab - and in three specification levels - XL, XLS and XLT - bringing the total number of Ranger derivatives up to 36.
Ford has yet to confirm the exact line-up and pricing, but promises to announce it in due course.
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