Dual cab utes are a big deal in Australia. Ford’s Ranger, for example has enjoyed tremendous popularity, taking the mantle for the biggest selling nameplate in the country, three years in a row.
Before the recently launched Super Duty, the car maker took the covers of a plug-in or PHEV offering. It’s a little late to the party compared to the BYD Shark and GWM Cannon Alpha, but a good test of the old adage “good things come to those who wait”.
From the outside, it’s hard to discern it as a plug-in hybrid variant. In fact, the only notable changes are the charging port and unique Asphalt Black 18-inch wheels. In this case they are wrapped in optional General Grabber 255/65 All-terrain tyres.
That’s in lieu of the more energy efficient standard Continental rubber. Finished in Lucid Red, an optional Hybrid-only hue, it retains the trademark aggressive yet refined Ranger aesthetics.
Up front, familiar C-Clamp LED headlights and driving lights flank a blacked-out grille and lower skid plate for added protection. The tray is where the differences emerge, with the 11.8kWh battery beneath the tub reducing the total height of the storage space.
It’s compensated for by an extension in length where it meets the cabin, meaning the overall capacity is retained, at least on paper. During our time, it easily swallowed two mountain bikes and a couple of bags of firewood en-route to a camping trip.
Back there you also find two 15A V2L points as part of the Pro-Power On Board package, capable of producing 6.9kW of power. A monstrous figure that we put to test powering a camper trailer we also had in tow. The total draw was 230w, a blip of the total available.
The function necessitates a complete rethink of potential utility. From powering an entire campsite with multiple appliances, to a trusty friend for tradesmen on site, or even providing power to critical in-home appliances during a blackout.
Climbing in using the factory sidestep reveals familiar surroundings. Being a Sport variant, one finds niceties such as leather-accented seating with electric adjustment for the driver, and heating across the front row.
The excellent 12-inch infotainment screen takes pride of place in the dashboard, with the only notable difference appearing in the form of buttons on the console for electric driving modes. Under the bonnet is a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol 4-cylinder engine.
It’s generally not the powerplant of choice when it comes to towing, let alone off road touring. The reasons why include remote supply of unleaded and efficiency. Throw in an electric motor and the entire caper becomes even more foreign.
Regardless, when combined with the 75kW electric motor, claimed total system outputs are an impressive 207kW and 697Nm. Sadly, any mad-scientist thoughts of re-tuning the donk back up to Mustang Ecoboost levels were dispelled pretty quickly.
That’s because the PHEV version found here is actually from a different lineage. It’s a surprisingly enjoyable combination though, with the instant torque of the electric motor augmented by the turbocharged four-banger higher up in the rev range.
The added bonus is a level of refinement that a diesel four-cylinder could only wish for. Drive is facilitated through the same excellent full-time 4WD architecture available across the Ranger family.
It brings with it the hardware to operate in 2WD, 4A, 4H and of course Low Range, along with a rear diff lock. Supporting this hardware is the full suite of familiar terrain management modes.
In addition, there are four different electric driving modes; Auto EV, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge. Most of my time was spent in Auto EV, with the ECU doing the thinking around how best to deploy power between the two sources.
EV Now was tested to gauge performance when driving and towing, the latter of which will feature in a separate article. Charge mode was handy given the relatively short realistic EV range of 40-ish kilometres, against Ford’s claimed 49km number.
The electric motor itself is located between the engine and the gearbox. This means driving in EV mode results in a flow through all 10 gear ratios available within convertor gearbox, an endearing trait I’ve never experience before in an EV.
Aside from the excitement and smoothness of the power delivery, much of the driving experience in the Ranger PHEV is familiar territory. Perhaps the only noticeable difference is the suspension tune, which felt a little stiffer over bumps.
It’s likely compensation for the 250kg of extra weight owing to the electric hardware. Interestingly, despite this extra heft, it will still tow 3500kg and possesses a GVM of 3500kg. There’s always a catch though, and in this case, it’s in the payload.
Where the Sport as a V6 is rated at 927kg, the PHEV version sees a reduced figure of 805kg. I did come away wishing that the regenerative braking was a little more aggressive, something that may have helped with the battery range.
Ultimately, with freeway work, towing and not, plenty of urban driving and charging most nights, we achieved an average fuel consumption of 7.8-litres/100km. That was against an optimistic claimed combined consumption of 2.9-litres/100km.
It’s ultimately a good number for the size and nature of the vehicle. But there was something in the way the Ranger PHEV drove that triggered me, more as a car guy than an off-roader or a tow-er.
The Ranger PHEV was fun to drive! Yes, the platform is heavier, but there is an inexplicably surprising balance to this chassis. A presumably lighter front end seemingly makes turn in more vibrant, willing, and communicative.
While the load in the tray felt like it created a balance which on one unsealed private road, turned into the most enjoyable high-speed section of dirt I’ve traversed in some time. Yes, I am dribbling a little, but it was just that much fun.
Meanwhile on tar, the extra stiffness in the suspension inspires confidence through bends – with predictable roll coming from the off road biased tyres, well before the chassis. It’s playful and pushes you to go further; quite uncharacteristic of a dual cab off-road ute.
The final piece to the puzzle is the drivetrain. While the combination provides a torque figure that’ll embarrass an F-150, it’s the instant nature of the power delivery that’s most exciting.
The whistle of the turbo sneaking in through a cracked driver window completes the unexpected experience that is driving the Ranger PHEV. Many will complain about the short electric battery range, and I’m no different.
A little more battery size with a restricted GVM or towing capacity would make a notable difference to fuel economy. However, my main complaint comes in part from a different place, and it’s more related to the fun factor to be had when the combination is available.
As tested, with options such as the glorious red paint, flexible rack system, Adventure and Technology packs and the all-terrain rubber, the Ranger PHEV Sport weighs in at $81,640 plus on roads.
It’s a big number, especially when one considers the options from BYD and GWM. But for that entry fee you get a level of refinement and capability synonymous with a bona-fide best seller.
You could save and modify a competitor, or pocket the cash. But in doing so you give up the predictability around future prospects, given the relatively short time the others have been on our shores.
An easy decision for some; but I reflect on my continued use of a Blackberry some five years after the advent of the iPhone. Enough said I guess. Find out more about the Ranger on the Ford Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership.
This article was first published on the Kal The Car Guy website and has been republished with permission.
