There’s a lot more to Ford than the Ranger in Southern Africa, yet it’s the bakkie/double cab configuration from the Blue Oval line-up that grabs all the attention.

While not wishing to take anything away from the worthy Ranger, the halo it has generated does not shine with appropriate brightness on other equally worthy members of the Ford clan.

The 1.0 Ecoboost motor in the Fiesta, for example, endows the small hatch with extraordinary performance and is the deserved recipient, again, of the International Engine of the Year Award. The bigger Focus offers an exceptionally composed chassis if you’re prepared to turn a blind eye to the ST model’s alarming torque steer and poor turning circle, and the Kuga has proved itself to be a classy, efficient SUV if you don’t take off-roading too seriously.

The 2012 Kuga though, started on the wrong footing as it was released in RSA near the end of its life cycle. That in itself took nothing away from its inherent qualities but it did cause potential buyers to think twice in the knowledge that a new model wasn’t far away.

And so it proved to be as the latest iteration made its bow earlier in 2013 complete with a smaller 1.6 petrol mill and the more familiar 2.0 TDCi complete with forced induction.

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