Ford Australia has announced a Special Edition version of its popular Ranger 4×4 XLS in the hope that the more-for-less promotion will be enough to lure would-be 4×4 owners towards the blue oval during the crucial last quarter of the sales year.

Included in the upgrade is a tow bar, side steps, a bed and tailgate liner, as well as a sports bar.

Ford Ranger XLS
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Which represents $4900 of added componentry and, for a $2500 premium on the drive-away price, the firm will be hoping the Special Edition offer will be all that’s needed to finally topple the Toyota Hilux off the top step of the all-important yearly sales ladder.

Having already claimed the mantle of June’s best-selling 4×4, the Ranger experienced a significant 42.8 percent increase over 2015’s July period. The Ford-built 4×4 is also tracking well in the year-to-date sales figures, up 37.5 percent in the seven months to the end of July and claiming a 21.2 percent share of the lucrative and increasingly competitive 4×4 segment.

Ford Ranger bedliner
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“Already considered one of the most capable and desirable pick-up trucks on the market, we expect the Ranger 4×4 XLS Special Edition will help us narrow the gap to Toyota even further, with the Ranger 4×4 now only 172 units behind the Hilux 4×4 year-to-date,” Ford Australia’s CEO and President Graeme Whickman said.

The Special Edition version of the five-seat, 3.2-litre diesel Ford Ranger 4×4 XLS will go on sale in Australia next month. The six-speed manual variant will carry a drive-away price of $49,990 with the six-speed automatic $2200 more with a retail price of $52,190 (drive away).

The Ranger 4×4 was designed and engineered in Australia alongside the Ford Everest SUV.