If you’d have asked us 20 years ago what kind of vehicle would be topping the sales charts in Australian in 2025, we’re not certain the response would have been a dual cab ute. It shouldn’t be that surprising though.
Given the demise of homegrown manufacturing, a raft of new entrants and vastly changing consumer tastes over that time, it sort of makes sense. Nowadays, dual cabs are the Swiss army knife of motoring.
They’re able to transport the family in comfort, while carrying and towing a load. Even the shortest exposure on a coastal freeway will reveal combinations shifting anything from a basic tent camper, right through to monstrous fifth-wheeler arrangements.
It’s not without its challenges though. Managing weight and driving-related challenges bring real risks, not to mention increased fuel consumption. The former is not for this article.
Given the current cost of fossil fuel though, a hybrid setup quickly becomes an attractive attribute in a tow-tug. But does it stack up? It was with this burning question that sprung to mind as we entered a fortnight with the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV Sport.
With the kids’ annual school dads camp approaching, and the chief of staff resolute in her position on separate swags for the girls; a trailer and ute combination was the way forth. That meant we were hooking up a Cub Frontier folding camper.
Loaded with the various necessities that come with regular family trips, the owner claims to have weighed the unit with a full water tank at 1723kg, well within the manufacturers’ designated 1900kg ATM.
Tow ball down weight hasn’t been determined, but with a combination of 350kg down ball weight capacity on the Ranger and a visibly sensible weight distribution, the risk was deemed to be low.
At those numbers, the trailer also sits comfortably within the 3500kg maximum towing capacity of the Ford. Ultimately, ensuring that the payload is not exceeded, and factoring in the tow-ball-down-weight is a caveat for a potential owner.
With one adult and two sub-teenage kids on board, we felt comfortable that two mountain bikes and a couple of bags of firewood in the tub would see us well within the requisite weight limits.
As for hooking it up, having a second body guide the reversing process is ideal, but a solo effort in this instance meant reliance on mirrors and the dynamic hitch guidance assist system. It’s a fancy name for a camera designed to help with the process.
The usual guiding lines for wheel trajectory are joined by a black dotted line that predicts where the hitch will end up. It’s accurate, well calibrated and can be zoomed in as you get closer to the trailer in question.
The only disappointment was the fact that there was no one around to see us get it right the first time. Securing the trailer to the tow ball, then plugging into the factory trailer-brake connections was an easy and uneventful process.
What we didn’t expect was to find the trailer assist function on the infotainment screen upon returning to the cabin. This clever application uses inputs to best calibrate and adapt various safety related features, such as trailer sway control and blind spot monitoring.
Ford state that the latter can handle trailers up to 10m long. Inputs include weight and length and allow you to save a bespoke profile per trailer, allowing you to select it when hitching up.
A final appreciated feature was the trailer light check function, which cycles all the lights five times at the press of a button. But how does it tow? We hear you ask. The short answer is, surprisingly well.
A few days of pedestrian driving before needing to tow uncovered a limited EV driving range, owing to the relatively small 11.8kWh battery under the tub floor. Ford claim 49km of electric only range, but 40km seemed to be more realistic.
Plugging in for a full overnight charge was key to enjoying the benefits of the hybrid arrangement. At that stage, fuel economy when pottering around town came in at an impressive 4.4-litres/100km.
Pointing the nose toward Upper Colo campground with a full battery provided an opportunity to tow in EV Only mode. The electrified Ranger comfortably drove the combination for roughly 23km.
Interestingly, the electric motor resides in the gearbox, so it cycles through the ten available ratios in complete silence. An oddly satisfying trait without a load, let alone with the trailer in tow.
Moving into the default Auto EV mode once the battery was depleted hands propulsion over to the EcoBoost 2.3-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. It’s smooth, refined and surprisingly torquey down low.
The 10-speed sitting behind it is a likely contributor to this, with a good spread of ratios to equally maximise propulsion and economy. The added suspension stiffness owing to the extra weight of the battery system settled with everything we’d added.
Rear droop was minimal too. On the open road, it’s well balanced and comfortable, even without deploying tow/haul mode, which optimises the engine and gearbox. In fact, it was as relaxed and enjoyable as towing a trailer can be.
At freeway speed, the engine sits at an unobtrusive 1750rpm, without the chugging and inherent noisiness of a diesel. Overtaking is catered for too, with a combined 207kW and 697Nm available.
Deploying EV Charge toward the end of the trip resulted in a noticeable increase in engine rpm to charge the battery on the go. While not scientific given we were driving at the time, gaining 35km of EV Only driving range saw a 0.2-litres/100km increase in fuel use.
One of the unique ownership benefits of this particular PHEV ute is that it comes with the ability to provide power. Ford call it Pro Power On Board, but ultimately you have two 15amp plugs in the tray that can provide a meaty 6900w of output.
There’s another 10amp 2300w three-pin plug in the cabin. While the trailer housed a battery system supported by solar, it was comforting to know that the Ranger could provide power should the weather turn.
For those that don’t have the luxury of a trailer or prefer simplicity, Pro Power On Board may negate the need to add a dual battery setup to run things like fridges at camp. Testing showed a meagre 230w of draw from the trailer.
A 70-litre fuel capacity compared to the 80-litre tank in the diesel can be viewed as a compromise. That said, the onboard trip computer showed a total range of roughly 800km at pickup, and it was returned with 89km to spare.
The fuel consumption after a round trip of 130km towing the trailer landed at 8.8-litres/100km. For the entire two week test period, the average consumption was 7.6-litres/100km.
It’s still well off the claimed number, but this included the towing, urban driving and a couple of highway jaunts. Ultimately, the Ranger PHEV delivers all the capability and polish one would expect from a market leader.
As a tow vehicle, it’s pure Ranger, and that’s no bad thing. As a touring companion, the fact that it can provide power is a tremendous benefit, and it’ll do almost everything its diesel counterpart will do, and cost a little less to run.
At $81,640, it’s pricier than competitors like the BYD Shark and GWM Cannon Alpha. There are compromises for each across spec and capability. Ultimately if you want a dual-cab that’s tried and tested, but need it electrified, right now there is no competition.
To find out more visit the Ford Australia website, or talk to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
This article was first published on the Kal The Car Guy website and has been republished with permission.
