The new generation Ford Ranger has been with us for a while now so it stands to reason that there will also be a next generation armoured version.
Following on the success of the previous bakkie’s armoured option Ford has again partnered with SVI Engineering in Pretoria.
SVI is an original equipment manufacturer that has specialised in armoured vehicles since 2004. The company has successfully completed Ford’s Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) programme and is a Ford-accredited vehicle converter. This means that an SVI-armoured Ranger’s warranty and any service or maintenance plans purchased from Ford remain fully intact.
It provides protection across the entire Ranger line-up, including all three body styles; Single Cab, Super Cab and Double Cab.
There are two levels of protection available, level B4 Discreet and B6 which is the highest level of civilian protection allowed in South Africa without a special permit.
Level B4 is mostly an anti-hijack solution, providing protection against handguns up to .44 Magnum, bricks and other hand-held projectiles. It consists of 21mm armoured glass combined with shaped Kevlar sheets for the body, adds 280kg to the vehicle, well within its payload and build time is three months.
It may sound like a long time but during a tour of the facilities we got to understand why.
When the vehicle arrives it is completely stripped down. That includes the dashboard, seats, carpets, door panels, in the case of B6, the doors for re-engineered hinges to carry the heavier weight essentially stripping the car down to only the shell and engine.
Once the armour has been attached every piece is meticulously replaced and to the untrained eye it’s essentially a bog-standard Ranger.
The B6 is a little more obvious with 38mm armoured glass and special armoured 5mm and 6mm armoured steel plates providing protection from assault rifles such as an R1, R5 and AK47. Build time is also three months and it adds 650kg to the bakkie.
Ford’s Raptor is only suitable for the B4 Discreet package as a result of the Fox suspension set-up and smaller payload.
For the security industry and some mines there’s a cost-effective semi-discrete B6 Stopgun kit with flat armoured glass with gunports and the same steel plates that takes three weeks to install.
We drove a Wildtrak V6 fitted with the B6 package and the first thing you notice is how heavy the doors are with the thick glass and armour plating. It’s also a bit more difficult to get in as a result of the overlaps on the door joints.
Once you’ve swung the door closed though you’re sitting in a standard Ranger with all the electronic aids including adaptive cruise control still fully functional.
It’s a significant extra weight that’s been added but it hardly affected handling at all and feels solidly planted.
It’s not going to be as quick off the mark as its standard sibling but then at what price safety?
Interestingly, SVI says that there’s a 20/80 split between B4 and B6.
Pricing:
B4 Discreet: Single Cab from R426 268, Super Cab from R572 377, Double Cab from R572 377
B6 Discreet: Single Cab from R665 116, Super Cab from R866 966, Double Cab from R866 966
B6 Stopgun V3.0: Single Cab R295 293, Super Cab from R341 587, Double Cab from R422 257