At first it’s manageable, but as I find out on one overly-ambitious run, the Ford’s weight can quickly take hold, upsetting the balance and making the slides difficult to control. Arun seems happy with the plumes of dust I’ve spat up though, and now – before I inadvertently bury the big beast axle deep in sand – seems as good a time as any to grab some beauty shots.
One thing our 2012 Sterling Grey Metallic test model does not lack is presence, with the looks alone making that abundantly clear. Like the new F-150 and performance hewn Raptor – which kicks out 51hp more from the same V8 powerplant – there’s a benevolent menace to the FX4’s front end that’s difficult not to like. The sharp-edged boxiness of the design conjures up images of down-to-business military vehicles, albeit with a whopping great ‘X-Metal’ emblem on the studded front mesh grille.
Move along the side, past the Securicode keypad and suicide doors on this Supercab model, and you’ll find an almost subtle box side step and some new 20-inch Moto Metal alloys which replace the standard 17-inch examples. These somehow manage to look both hardcore and intricate in equal measure.
New LED taillights aside (which, together with front bumper-mounted projection headlights, complete the Hi-Runner Package upgrades), some suitably showy ‘FX4 Off Road’ decals are the only real difference. Indeed, flip the tailgate down and you’ll find the step handle/stripper pole taking up its customary position in the back.
Look past the ridonkulous-ness of the suspension and the tyres and you’ll find that the FX4 with Hi-Runner Package, with its simple yet effective aesthetics, is quite a handsome brute.
So, it handles the sands, it makes an impact and it’s easy on the eyes. Hallmarks of any vehicle likely to make a big impression in the Middle East, with the added bonus that the big block under the bonnet – as proven by the 411hp Raptor – has plenty of tuning potential. One question remains however: could this really be a daily driver?
In a word, no. Arun and I find this out the hard way when we stop at the nearest service station. The FX4 is both too tall and too wide for the car wash, facts ably demonstrated by some rather worried looks from the car wash attendant. Parking proves a little tricky at the services too, given that we take up most of our allotted bay and – thanks to the overhanging Powerfold side mirrors – a couple of inches from each of our neighbours too.
Even filling up raises the heart rate more than I’d expected. Images from a camera mounted in the rear bumper are played through a small screen in the rear-view mirror, and collision detection warning alerts me if I’m about to reverse into anything. Unfortunately, there isn’t a parallel system in the front, and since the curvature of the bonnet makes it difficult to see where the front of the grille is, it’s through gritted teeth that I roll tentatively up to the pumps behind a brand spanking new BMW 3-Series, waiting for the gut-wrenching sound of metal on metal. Damage to the Ford would be minimal, true, but I’ve grown rather fond of my licence.
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