Ford Ranger Plug-in Hybrid review: a pickup that gives you more than just low emissions

• With 281hp and 697Nm of torque it has plenty of performance
• Comfortable ride and confidence-inspiring handling for a pickup
• Very quiet inside, still as capable off-road and while towing

The Ford Ranger PHEV uses a new 2.3-litre TIVCT EcoBoost powertrain that includes a 75kW (102hp) electric motor integrated into the standard-fit 10-speed automatic transmission.

What’s the electric driving range of the Ranger hybrid?

According to the official WLTP measurements, the electric motor and battery pack gives the Ranger PHEV up to 26 miles of zero-emissions driving range – slightly less if you go for one of the higher specs. Not a huge amount by modern plug-in hybrid standards in the car world, where 70 miles or more is becoming common, but enough to make a difference on the average commute. We managed around 21 miles in real-world conditions before the battery was fully depleted.

To achieve that electric range, a relatively modest 11.8kWh lithium ion battery pack is fitted. Making room for even that amount of electricity storage meant re-engineering the rear chassis rails so that the pack could be accommodated beneath the load bed. This in turn has meant some changes to the suspension were necessary to deal with the difference in unladen weight distribution.

You’ll be hard-pressed to tell. The Ranger plug-in hybrid isn’t perfect, but as with the rest of the Ranger line-up it still has probably the best ride comfort of any regular pickup truck. Poor surfaces will set the whole thing gently shuddering, but it’s unfazed by bumps and potholes, and in pickup terms this Ford is supremely composed.

With nicely judged power-assisted steering, it’s easy to thread through city centres and country lanes, alike, making what is a very large vehicle easy to handle. There’s plenty of grip, not too much body roll and it’s not too tiring on a longer journey, either.

How powerful is it?

There’s more than enough oomph from the electric motor to make driving in zero emission mode perfectly bearable – and it’s very quiet, as you’d expect. Impressively, it’s not that much noisier when the petrol engine kicks in thanks to the active noise cancellation tech, which works just like a set of similar headphones.

Both engines together certainly deliver plenty of performance, and when the battery runs out it manages not to feel too draggy. Helping to make the hybrid system as versatile as possible, you have a choice of four EV (electric vehicle) modes: EV Auto, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge. They do exactly what they say on the tin, and we’re particularly pleased to see the EV Charge mode, which not every plug-in hybrid offers. Using this does dent fuel economy, but could be worth it to have electric-only power when you need it later.

On top of this, you can choose between multiple driving modes for different surfaces, four settings for the four-wheel drive system and easily activate the rear differential lock and the hill descent control for tougher off-road situations.

What’s it like off road?

Driving around on an active volcano sounds extraordinary, but the terrain wasn’t actually that challenging. What we can say for sure is that all the systems and four-wheel drive modes work as they should, including the hill descent control and the diff lock.

We made multiple river crossings with no dramas, and the Ranger’s existing off-road traits remain uncompromised. Ground clearance at 215-226mm is still more than adequate for most scenarios, and the axle articulation is enough to make tackling offset surfaces straightforward. No surprises or concerns here.

What’s it like towing?

That 697Nm of torque makes getting even a heavy trailer rolling very easy, and once you’re going there’s not much of an impact on how the engine and motor performance feels. Those less experienced at towing will also appreciate the amount of tech Ford now offers to help.

As well as cameras that make it easier to line-up the trailer hitch and improve rear visibility, the Ford Pro Trailer Backup Assist system allows you steer the vehicle with the drive mode selector when going backwards with a trailer attached. This uses a clever automatic calibration process to make it basically impossible to accidentally jack-knife, and means you can point the trailer where you want to go without having to think about how you need to physically steer to get there.

We’ve tried it, and after a few moments of acclimatisation found it straightforward enough to take most of the fear out of reversing with a trailer. There are limitations to how and when it can take control, however, so you still need to be sensible rather than entirely relying on the tech to get you out of trouble.

• Same high-quality interior as the standard Ranger
• Excellent control logic and actual buttons
• Good visibility and driving position

No major changes inside the Ranger PHEV versus the regular model, which was already right at the top of the pickup truck class of easy of use and build quality inside the cabin. A new button to control the electric vehicle modes is about the only difference; this is located on the centre console.

Visibility is good, there’s plenty of adjustment in the driving position, and we like the portrait orientation of the 12.0-inch infotainment screen, as this means you can see further along the sat-nav routing. The infotainment software is a little slow to get going, but simple to use once up to speed.

There’s a reasonable amount of storage in the cab. But the door pockets could be bigger and little shelf above the glovebox seems a bit pointless, as anything we put in there fell out going uphill offroad or during harder acceleration. The cupholders are a little on the small side, too.

Still, the seats are comfy, and the materials used throughout seem sturdy. And there are still plenty of proper switches, so you can change the climate control without taking your gloves off.

• Low CO2 means big BIK savings versus diesel Ranger
• Ford Pro Power Onboard is an essential upgrade
• Gross payload of over 1,000kg makes VAT reclaimable

The Ranger hybrid only comes in the double-cab body style. Since changes in 2025 mean that double-cab pickups now count as cars for some tax purposes, the plug-in hybrid drivetrain has some significant cost saving advantages versus the diesel models. For instance, thanks to official CO2 emissions of 70-72g/km, benefit-in-kind company car tax is around £350 a month for 20% rate payers, compared with upwards of £520 for a diesel Ranger.

And although it is around £4,000 more expensive to buy outright than a 205hp 2.0-litre diesel automatic, the 281hp 2.3-litre PHEV’s finance deals – at least at the time of launch – mean that those looking to pay monthly should find the difference far less significant. Add to that the potential of reduced running costs thanks to the electric-only driving capability and what should be cheaper servicing, and you’re looking at one of the most attractive pickup truck packages around right now.

If you’re not able to make best use of the electric drive, however, you should be a little more wary of the fuel economy. Officially, this is 88-91mpg – but that’s due to the way WLTP measurements are heavily influenced by electric-only running during testing. Without the motor-assistance you’ll be looking at more like 30mpg, especially if you’re planning to charge the battery pack while you’re on the move as well.

Ford Ranger PHEV trim levels and standard equipment

The plug-in Ranger comes in XLT, Wildtrak and Stormtrak specifications – we’ve been driving the latter. All come generously equipped, with highlight items including a reversing camera, heated acoustic windscreen, power mirrors, automatic lights and wipers, air-conditioning and tachograph prep.

Upgrade to the Wildtrak and you gain eight-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat (up from six-way manual adjustment), heated steering wheel, roof-rails, and a more luxurious interior. Among many other items.

The Stormtrak gets more of the same, plus an adjustable sportsbar and roof-rail arrangement that allows you to carry longer items safely. This is clever and so easy to set-up – the bar can even be moved using a single hand. The Stormtrak is also the only Ranger PHEV variant that gets Pro Power Onboard as standard, though you still have to pay extra for the more powerful version.

Is Ford Pro Power Onboard worth it?

Ford Pro Power Onboard turns this Ranger into a giant – and silent – mobile generator by enabling the use of the lithium ion drive battery to power tools and other equipment. It comes in two versions: 2.3kW and 6.9kW, each with one plug socket in the cab and two in the load bay.

The 2.3kW system provides that amount of output from each outlet. The 6.9kW variant, however, offers 2.3kW in the cab plus 3.45kW from each of the load bay sockets – or 6.9kW across both of them. Whichever you go for we think this is an essential piece of tech that has the potential to significantly expand the Ranger’s versatility.

Whether you want to use it as a mobile workshop that can go places a regular van can’t or as a lifestyle plaything that will keep all your camping gear or other hobby kit going on location, Pro Power Onboard is a gamechanger. And if the lithium ion runs out you can still use the petrol engine to deliver the juice.

It’s impossible for us to gauge reliability of the Ranger hybrid at the time of writing. The 2.3-litre engine has never been sold in the Ranger in the UK previously – and while it has around a decade of service in this pickup elsewhere in the world (it’s the lead engine choice in the USA, for example) its integration with the hybrid system is new.

We’ll report back once the vehicle has been in market for a while. If you’ve bought one, let us know how you’re getting on via the Parkers feedback email address.

As with all modern vehicles, the Ranger comes with a long list of active and passive safety equipment, including one of the more annoying speed limit warning alarms we’ve encountered recently. The fatigue detection warning sounds like an old arcade game, though, which is rather endearing. Even if it did start going off only minutes into our initial drive.

Still, we generally feel it’s better to have these things than not – especially when it comes to autonomous emergency braking, blindspot and tyre pressure monitoring, electronic stability control and so many airbags.