Look out BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha! Ford Ranger PHEV pricing and specifications announced

The Ford Ranger PHEV has just gone on sale ahead of first deliveries in July.

The rechargeable Ranger will cost between $3150 and $5150 more than the V6-powered dual-cabs that currently sits at the top of the brand’s workhorse ute range.

But Ford believes the newcomer to the emerging plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) ute market has the off-road might and load-lugging muscle to take on two cheaper Chinese plug-in hybrid rivals in the form of the BYD Shark 6 and upcoming GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV.

The single Shark 6 model is priced from $57,900 plus on-road costs, while the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV is available drive-away for $63,990 Lux or $68,990 Ultra trims.

READ MORE: Has the BYD Shark 6 already been dethroned? Ahead of April arrival, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV claims better towing and off-road numbers
READ MORE: Ford Ranger PHEV towing and off-road credentials as plug-in war of words breaks out
READ MORE: BYD Shark 6 vs Ford Ranger: PHEV challenger sizes up against diesel ute hero
READ MORE: Ford Ranger PHEV unveiled with multiple model choices
READ MORE: Electric Ford Ranger on the way as Ford lays out EV plans

Priced from $71,990 plus on-road costs for the Ranger PHEV XLT and stretching to $86,990 for the Stormtrak that tops the PHEV line-up, Ford says its plug-in hybrid ute will deliver on capability and come with the back-up of a far-reaching national dealer network, something its says most rivals can’t match.

“Our Aussie engineering and design team have created a plug-in hybrid that allows diesel ute buyers to begin their electrification journey without sacrificing any of the core capability that they need from a truck – whether they use it for work or play,” said Andrew Birkic, president and CEO of Ford Australia.

“The Ranger PHEV is just the tip of the spear for our commercial EV line-up, with the E-Transit Custom and Transit Custom PHEV set to join E-Transit in our line-up soon. If you are an Aussie business wanting to explore whether an electrified vehicle is right for you, we will have four incredibly capable vehicles on offer to suit your needs.”

However. one model Ford has confirmed won’t be happening is a PHEV version of the Everest SUV, even though it shares its fundamental platform with the Ranger.

Four Ranger PHEV models

The Ranger plug-in hybrid will initially be offered in four models, all sharing the same drivetrain and all are dual-cab 4×4 utes.

The four models are:

• Ranger PHEV XLT $71,990, plus on-road costs
  $3150 more than V6, $8350 more than 4-cyl

• Ranger PHEV Sport $75,990, plus on-road costs
  $4650 more than V6, $9850 more than 4-cyl

• Ranger PHEV Wildtrak $79,990, plus on-road costs
  $5150 more than V6, $10,350 more than 4-cyl

• Ranger PHEV Stormtrak $86,990, plus on-road costs
  PHEV-only model variant so there is no diesel to compare it to

The Ranger PHEV is sourced from the South African factory that also builds the Volkswagen Amarok (it shares Ranger mechanicals) rather than the Thai factory where other Aussie-delivered Rangers come from.

That instantly creates a challenge because Australia doesn’t have a free trade agreement with South Africa, so a five percent import tariff applies. That would add something like $2500 to the price – and slightly more for more expensive variants.

Ranger PHEV equipment levels mimic diesels … mostly

Three of the four models – XLT, Sport and Wildtrak – have diesel-powered equivalents.

The Sport and Wildtrak share the same spec, but the XLT misses out on a few features that you get on the diesel versions.

The most notable omission is LED headlights (there are old school halogen lights like those used in the Ranger XL and XLS) and a black grille instead of the chrome-tinged grille of diesel-powered XLTs.

It seems Ford pushed to keep the price of the XLT as low as possible, in turn shaving some gear off the spec list and keeping the price closer to that of diesel models.

The XLT comes with 17-inch alloys, dual-zone ventilation and a 12-inch infotainment screen that in diesel models is only fitted on Wildtrak, Platinum and Raptor.

A tyre repair kit is standard or buyers can choose a full-size spare wheel at no cost; that was done to keep the claimed payload higher. The spare wheel adds around 30kg which is deducted from the payload.

The standard tyres are Continental CrossContact, presumably chosen because of low rolling resistance to improve efficiency.

Ford is also offered all-terrain tyres at no cost – they’re General Grabber Sport – for those looking to head off-road.

The Ranger PHEV Sport adds LED lights, sports bar, wireless phone charging, tinted windows, partial leather seat, powered driver’s seats, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control, speed sign recognition and 18-inch alloys. It too benefits from the 12-inch infotainment screen not yet offered on diesel models.

The Ranger PHEV Wildtrak brings ambient lighting, matrix LED headlights, 360-degree camera, 10-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system and various Wildtrak design tweaks inside and out.

The top-of-the-line Stormtrak PHEV gets more decals and styling enhancements to help it stand out as well as integrated auxiliary switches for connecting accessories and the clever “flexible rack system” that includes a sliding sailplane and roof racks. It also gets the all-terrain tyres that are a no-cost option on other models.

Because it’s more of a city slicker – so considered less likely to be a heavy hauler – it also gets a spare wheel standard.

It’s all about electricity

The Ranger PHEV pairs a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo engine with an electric motor.

Together the two make 207kW and 697Nm.

That’s plenty more than the diesel engines in the Ranger.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel engine makes 154kW/500Nm and the 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel makes 184kW/600Nm.

The four-cylinder engine in the PHEV is the same engine used in the Volkswagen Amarok Aventura TSI and four-cylinder Ford Mustang; in those applications it makes 222kW/452Nm and 232kW/475Nm respectively.

However, in the Ranger PHEV it’s clearly been tuned for efficiency so on its own it makes a modest 138kW and 411Nm.

Of course, there’s also an electric motor making 75kW that boosts the combined outputs in the Ranger PHEV.

Engineers aimed to provide a similar driving experience to the diesel Ranger, with the emphasis on torque and flexibility across the rev range.

There’s more power than the V6 diesel (the 3.0-litre V6 petrol in the Raptor has more power, at 292kW) and more torque than any Ranger.

There’s also a lot more weight.

The entry-level XLT is 2527kg, which is 251kg more than the equivalent four-cylinder diesel; it’s 178kg heavier than the equivalent V6.

Blame it largely on the 11.8kWh battery that sits between the chassis rails under the load area.

Combined claimed fuel use for the Ranger PHEV is 2.7 litres per 100km. While we haven’t driven it, yet you can pretty much forget about achieving that.

Like all PHEVs, the figure is derived in a laboratory and assumes plenty of electric-only running.

Ford claims the Ranger PHEV can cover up to 48km on electricity before then effectively becoming a regular hybrid.

AC charging only

Charging can only be done at AC chargers at up to 3.5kW.

So even a wallbox will take four hours to charge up. A standard powerpoint would take almost seven hours for a full top-up (six hours and 53 minutes, according to Ford).

Each of which is fine for people charging at home.

On the road, though, the Ranger PHEV won’t be able to use faster DC chargers.

And the fastest charge possible will take four hours, which essentially translates to an overnight charge.

Ford provides a 230V charge cable with the car.

PHEV hauls like any other Ranger

The Ford’s 75kW motor (Ford isn’t saying how much torque it delivers) will naturally provide much more leisurely performance than a regular ute.

Instead it’ll fire the engine up sooner to help out with acceleration and deliver its 3.5-tonne towing capability.

But Ford has worked hard to ensure the Ranger PHEV can do everything a regular Ranger can.

Increasing the gross vehicle mass to 3500kg and gross combined mass to 6580kg respectively – more than any other Ranger – means the PHEV can also lift heavy things.

Its payload ranges from 808kg in the Stormtrak to 973kg in the XLT, figures that are commensurate with diesel-powered Rangers.

When towing heavy loads, too, the Ranger PHEV still has a useful payload, albeit fractionally different to the equivalent diesel Ranger.

We crunched the numbers for the XLT and Wildtrak.

The XLT PHEV can carry 553kg when towing 3500kg whereas the XLT four-cylinder diesel is rated at 574kg and the V6 diesel at 551kg.

The Wildtrak PHEV can carry 465kg at its maximum tow capacity versus 500kg for the V6 diesel towing the same 3500kg.

However, remember that those figures are for a Ranger with a tyre repair kit.

Throw in that circa-30kg spare wheel that is a no-cost option (surely most buyers will tick that box!?) and you need to subtract that from the payload.

By way of reference, the Stormtrak’s payload when towing 3500kg is 388kg.

Off-road rated

The PHEV also has the same 800mm rated wading depth as a diesel Ranger but slightly less ground clearance.

Whereas most diesel-powered Rangers have 234mm of clearance the PHEVs range from 215mm on the XLT up to 228mm on the Sport (Wildtrak and Stormtrak have 226mm).

With the same front and rear overhang as regular Rangers, the PHEVs have similar approach and departure angles. Ford claims as little as 28.9 degrees approach/23.9 degrees departure for the XLT PHEV and 30.2 degrees approach/24.2 degrees departure for the Wildtrak and Stormtrak PHEVs; diesel-powered Rangers are claimed at 30 degrees and 23 degrees.

There’s more to the Ranger PHEV than just the drivetrain

From the outside the Ranger PHEV has the same panels and body as a regular Ranger except for the passenger side that incorporates the EV charge port alongside the fuel filler flap.

However, the shape of the load area is different to accommodate the battery beneath the floor.

The load floor is 27mm higher, which has led to a redesign of the tray.

Scallops at the front and rear of the load space – one in the fold-down tailgate, the other behind the back seats – create a longer load tray than regular Rangers.

Measured at the top of the load box the PHEV is 3mm longer, but at the floor it’s 174mm longer, mostly as a result of those scallops.

The PHEV ute’s load box is also slightly wider: 64mm overall and 16mm between the wheel arches, again due to the higher height.

Because the floor length now exceeds 1600mm Ford says the PHEV can take two standard European pallets.

July launch for Ranger PHEV

Pre-sales for the Ranger PHEV have now begun, with Ford trying to drum up interest for what is a hugely important model for the brand.

First deliveries of the Ranger PHEV are due mid-year, according to Ford.

If we’re guessing, we reckon July 1 would be a good start date because it’s when penalties start applying according to the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).

Having a Ranger that has such a low claimed fuel use will give Ford the all-important credits it will need to keep selling diesel Rangers and petrol-sucking Raptors.

Ford’s already been punched in the guys by the NVES, having to pre-emptively withdraw Everest 4×2 models from the market.