The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
Mid-sized pickups like the new Ford Ranger are hugely popular in most parts of the world, but are taking a while to catch on in the UAE as privately owned recreational options. Sold in more than 180 countries, the Ford Ranger is gaining a solid following as not only a commercial vehicle but also, more importantly, as family transport for those looking for a recreational vehicle on a budget.
While it looks small compared to full-sized alternatives, such as Ford’s own F-Series pickups and the likes of the Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado, the dual-cab Ranger is still a full-spec, five-seater family carrier with plenty of room in the cargo area for a weekend’s camping.
Also, after nearly 16 years living in the UAE, this is the first diesel I've driven that could be considered family transport. So while it may be harder to find diesel pumps at the gas station, the good news is that you won’t be visiting them anywhere near as often, as this 2.2-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder will hit more than 1,000 kilometres between fills.
All about the torque
While the engine is not overly powerful, producing 160 horsepower at 3000rpm, being a diesel, it’s all about the torque, which in this case is 385Nm from just 1600rpm. So when you combine that with a six-speed automatic transmission, it lopes along at highway pace while barely ticking over at idle thanks to a redline of just over 4000rpm. That’s the secret to its phenomenal fuel economy.
It also makes this a great powertrain for the desert. As its max torque is developed so early, it makes light work of soft sand. So as soon as it’s dropped into 4H, it will tackle mild dunes without needing to adjust tyre pressure. Drop the pressure on the 16-inch rims for the serious stuff, however, and once in 4L, the Ranger will go just about anywhere off-road.
Short overhangs front and rear give the four-door pickup very usable approach and departure angles that defy its lengthy wheelbase, while it also offers 23 centimetres of ground clearance and 800 millimetres of wadi-wading depth.
The suspension adapts nicely to both on and off-road use, as do the all-terrain tyres, while the steering is remarkably light and accurate around town yet provides good feedback through the fingertips when off-road.
The auto transmission has a sport shift feature that allows you to select gears manually, but don’t be fooled by the hype because this is no sports car. You don’t need to shift gears manually unless you’re rocking it out of trouble in soft sand.
If needed, it also has an e-locking rear differential to help maximise surface contact on tough terrain for scaling steep inclines and loose surfaces.
Design cues
Inside, there are cup holders aplenty in all doors and in the centre console, in addition to more storage space in front of the transmission lever. The rear seat base can be folded up to allow for additional secure storage that’s out of the sun and sand, as well as dual Isofix child seat anchorage points for the two outboard seats.
Ford’s Sync1 infotainment and navigation system is adequate, but its 4.2-inch mono screen feels a generation behind the current-day trendsetters. While it has the essentials such as Bluetooth, phone and audio streaming, as well as USB connectivity and a rear-view camera with rear park assist, it could probably do with an upgrade to Ford’s more current Sync3 system with its 8.0-inch full-colour display.
Still, there are six speakers that provide great sound for the price and steering-wheel-mounted controls that operate the volume and radio stations, as well as cruise control and the hands-free phone connection.
Behind the rear seats, the cargo area measures in at 1549mm long by 1560mm wide with 1139mm between the wheel arches. That means plenty of space for the spray-in bed-liner that ensures the cargo area remains scratch-free and resists impact damage, and the load securing tie-down features that are fitted as standard.
Its payload is an impressive 1425 kilograms and it has a tow rating of up to 3.5 tonnes, aided by Ford’s Electronic Stability Programme and Trailer Sway Mitigation.
The new Ford Ranger XLS misses out on a few of the creature comforts as standard, but they can be stacked on thanks to a healthy options list before you get to the top-spec and pricier Ranger Wildtrak, but it’s built to a price and offers a lot of versatility as well as being a solid entrant in the recreational vehicle market for a lot less money than many of its larger competitors.
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays
4.5/5
Dubai World Cup Carnival Thursday race card
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,400m
10pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
The biog
Name: Sarah Al Senaani
Age: 35
Martial status: Married with three children - aged 8, 6 and 2
Education: Masters of arts in cultural communication and tourism
Favourite movie: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Favourite hobbies: Art and horseback ridding
Occupation: Communication specialist at a government agency and the owner of Atelier
Favourite cuisine: Definitely Emirati - harees is my favourite dish
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
HOW DO SIM CARD SCAMS WORK?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
SPECS
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The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
The results of the first round are as follows:
Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent
Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent
Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent
Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent
Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now