2026 Ford Ranger XLT PHEV review

It's a monumental shift away from diesel power for Australia's most popular new four-wheel-drive ute.

In fact, it's Australia's most popular car overall.

Joining the existing turbocharged-diesel four- and six-cylinder offerings, Ford now has a turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid variant for buyers to consider.

Beaten to the initial punch by the likes of BYD's Shark 6 and GWM's Cannon Alpha, Ford's plug-in hybrid ute goes a bit smaller on the battery specifications, but instead pins itself as a no-compromise offering.

So, does it all stack up into an offering that is viable? Does plug-in hybrid power make sense for a four-wheel-drive ute? Are there any big benefits to walking past the old-fashioned oiler to get into this?

Here's where we hit our first snag.

When you're comparing all three variants of XLT in the Ranger line-up, the PHEV is by far the most expensive. You're looking at a near-enough $10,000 bump upwards in price compared to the four-cylinder diesel XLT, while the V6 XLT (my personal favourite in the range) is almost $5000 less expensive.

And rubbing salt into the wound, this hybrid Ranger gets inferior halogen headlights instead of better LEDs in other XLT trim levels.

Continuing this comparison further, the XLT PHEV is a long shot more expensive than the other two plug-in hybrid utes in the segment. Namely, they're the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, both of which back up better value with significantly more equipment and larger batteries

In terms of towing and payload capabilities, the Ranger XLT PHEV retains a 3500kg braked towing capacity and a decent payload of 830kg (based on the more realistic possible kerb weight).

Even though the gross vehicle mass has been boosted up to 3500kg, an increased kerb mass (thanks to the twin powertrains) means the payload is less generous than a diesel-powered Ranger.

The 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine – which is similar to what you find under the bonnet of certain Mustang and Volkswagen Amarok specifications (and can punch out up to 232kW/475Nm) – is restricted to 138kW and 411Nm.

Peak combined power is better, at 207kW and 697Nm, with a single electric motor (which has a modular design, bolted to the front of the gearbox) being fed by an 11.8kWh battery that's located under the tray.

Expect only around 30–35km of electric-only driving in the real world, rather than the claimed 49km.

Find your nearest Ford dealer here to see the Ranger in person, and you might even be able to organise a back-to-back test drive against a diesel-powered example.

The overall dimensions of the Ford Ranger haven't changed with the adoption of hybrid power. It's on the same wheelbase with the same length and width, but some of the tray space has disappeared thanks to a lump in the floor to help fit the battery.

On the inside, the Ranger XLT PHEV is mostly what you would expect. It's comfortable and well laid out, with a few handy practical touches. However, it does feel quite basic and bare bones for the kind of asking money we are talking about.

So it's basic and feels overpriced here, but all of the fundamentals feel good.

There are firm cloth seats with manual adjustment, but at least the infotainment display has been upgraded to the larger 12.0-inch unit instead of 10.1 inches.

There's a handy shelf in front of the driver, two cupholders and a good-sized centre console. However, we miss out on the second glovebox here and the pop-out cupholders from other (more expensive) Ranger variants.

In the second row, the Ranger offers good space and comfort for passengers for the segment. However, it's worth pointing out that a new generation of utes (like the BYD Shark, GWM Cannon Alpha, LDV Terron 9 and MG U9) go a step further in terms of overall size and dimensions, as well as interior space.

But, it's worth pointing out that does come with a compromise. The extra space and size might be appealing, but it comes to the detriment of manoeuvrability and general nimbleness, as well as squeezing into carpark spaces.

There are air vents in the back of the Ranger XLT PHEV, along with USB power and two 230-volt household outlets to take advantage of the big high-voltage battery. There's also some storage underneath the seat bases, and a pop-down armrest in the middle with cupholders.

Speaking of power outlets, in the tub you'll find what Ford calls 'Pro Power On-Board', which is on the passenger-side wall. It can pump out a total of 6.9 kilowatts (which is a lot) via three 15-amp three-pronged plugs. Each single unit is capable of dishing out 3.45kW.

So, the Ranger plug-in hybrid can act like a big generator on wheels for things like caravans (for off-grid glamping), tools or some machinery. However, these three outlets have replaced the 12V plug in the tub.

Also, a bump in the floor of the tray reduces the load height (to the top of the tub) to 498mm (down from 525mm). At least there is a helpful bulge at the front of the tray to give you slightly more load length at the floor.

A 12.0-inch portrait-style infotainment display in the Ranger XLT PHEV gives you plenty of screen acreage and no shortage of features as well.

The operating system is good, even though there can be moments of lagginess as it responds to your finger prods. Its menus are smartly laid out, however, and shortcut buttons on top and bottom help with navigation.

There's wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the bank of physical controls for volume and climate controls helps to reduce clutter on the screen.

Although, some of these functions feel like a double-up that eats into the available screen space.

The Pro Power On-Board interface through the infotainment display is excellent, allowing you to manage and monitor energy flow going out into whatever you have plugged in. There's also a smart companion app called FordPass, which works well and provides plenty of remote functionality.

Like the rest of the exterior features, interior layout and general size, the range of safety equipment in the Ford Ranger doesn't change with this plug-in hybrid variant.

However, a five-star ANCAP safety rating has not been transferred across from diesel-powered Rangers to this hybrid. Like the Raptor, it is effectively unrated by our local crash-testing authority.

Sometimes carmakers can submit technical documents to ANCAP to support the transfer of one vehicle's crash test results across to another. Or the car can be submitted for its own range of crash tests. But it appears that neither of these occurrences has happened for the Ranger hybrid as yet.

It's worth pointing out here that in comparison to more expensive Ranger variants, the XLT PHEV does go without a few of the more sophisticated bits of safety and convenience technology.

The important things like autonomous braking, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are all covered, along with things like adaptive cruise control and road sign recognition. On the whole, these systems are tuned quite well to not get in the way of safe, regular everyday driving.

Longer stints of highway driving can prompt the car to say 'keep your hands on the wheel', and force the driver to turn the wheel a little to turn off the warning.

Lane centring, driver monitoring, stop-and-go traffic assistance and a few other elements are missing here, however, in comparison to other Ranger trim levels and competitors at lower prices. Some more traditional buyers might even see this as an advantage.

Servicing costs for the 2026 Ranger PHEV (and the broader Ranger line-up, for that matter) are covered by a prepaid program that gives you five years and 75,000km of coverage for only $1596.

It's a good deal, averaging out at only $319 per year for the first five years of driving. According to the Ford website, this also includes brake fluid replacement in the third year.

Insurance for the Ranger XLT PHEV is $3262.76 for 12 months of comprehensive cover, according to an online quote generator. This is a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

The first thing to say here is: don't pay much credence to the claimed 2.9 litres per 100 kilometres figure that you see quoted by Ford as the form of efficiency on offer here. It's an arbitrary number that has no actual relevance to real-world usage.

Because in reality, your fuel consumption can be as little as zero, if you drive with enough battery capacity and don't mash the throttle too hard.

Expect to be able to do this for around 30–35km from a full battery.

Once the battery is flat, you can expect a consumption figure to float around the 10L/100km mark. And as you add more battery-motivated propulsion into the mix, you'll see that number scale down accordingly.

Another thing to note here is the low maximum charging speed of only 3.5kW. For those who want to plug in overnight and charge up, it's less of an issue, because the battery is small enough to be full by morning.

However, it precludes the ability to quickly slam some charge into the car on a quick stop. For example, stopping for food (or even a toilet stop) could be more beneficial if the allowable charging speed were higher, like what you get in both the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV.

Don't expect a perfectly seamless blend of electric and petrol power from the Ranger's hybrid powertrain. Most of the time, it's good. But when you're under load and asking for a more complex combination of motivation, you can get an occasional shunt and burp through the driveline.

Electric-only power is smooth and quiet, with the electric motor still running through the gears of the 10-speed transmission before getting to the wheels.

Continue to depress the throttle, though – in traffic or up a steep hill – and you'll have the 2.3-litre petrol engine chime in. It's smooth and well behaved for the most part, but you can notice the intersection of power sources through the throttle.

Outright performance is quite good, and those figures of over 200kW and almost 700Nm can be felt from the driver's seat. It's one that can take a moment to come on song, though, as the petrol engine revs up, the right gear is selected, and peak electric power comes on.

It's different to diesel, definitely.

While I wouldn't go so far as to say either six or four-cylinder Ranger engines are gruff or unrefined – drive anything a decade or more old and you'll see how far things have come – the petrol engine is a bit quieter and less prone to vibrations.

But otherwise, the driving experience is remarkably similar to what you get in a regular Ranger. Ride quality is quite good by ute standards, even if the bump in kerb mass does add an edge of stiffness in this hybrid model. The steering is well balanced, and the overall handling characteristics are good (for a ute).

Off-road, it's much the same overall as well. The main difference here is an upward bump in overall weight, which can be felt particularly in steep country going up hill or down dale. The locking rear differential is an important asset to have here, but it unfortunately doesn't come into play at the same time as traction control. You need to choose one or the other, and find out which is best at times.

Engaging low-range forces the petrol engine on, but you can drive in four-wheel-drive high-range in eerie electric silence, which is a cool trick to have.

But you'll notice in some situations, this petrol engine is much revvier than a diesel in order to access that torque. So, it can feel a little bit less controllable from the driver's seat compared to the low, torquey ebb of a diesel vehicle.

Although, if you're heading off-road (and possibly towing a big caravan), you can start dipping into those power reserves for running, well, just about anything electric.

Towing performance for the Ranger hybrid is good initially, when you have a meaningful amount of charge in the battery. But as that number starts to dwindle down, more onus is put on the 138kW and 411Nm outputs of the petrol engine. Acceleration is noticeably slower when EV range is reading zero, and fuel consumption will no doubt shoot up as well.

Otherwise, the Ranger still feels good through the chassis, suspension and steering when towing. This is the same as a regular Ranger, however, and you get more consistent performance when towing with only diesel as your power source.

This is more of an issue with heavier trailers, like the 2500kg off-road caravan we had on test. For lighter trailers, the different would be less blunt.

The technology sounds appealing, and early adopters would be excited for a four-wheel-drive ute that can dip its toe in so-called 'zero-emissions motoring'.

However, adding plug-in hybrid power for the Ranger (and any ute, for that matter) does dilute the core competencies noticeably. Payload drops, weight increases, the asking price balloons, and depleted battery performance isn't going to be good enough for more discerning buyers.

The advantages mostly revolve around having an easily accessible and manageable remote power source, with three 15-amp plugs at the ready to power up anything you can imagine.

But on balance, this realistically only justifies the purchase for a few real-world cases. For most others, diesel power is still the best choice.

Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures. Off-road writer of the Year, Winner - Sam Purcell

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