BYD Shark 6’s biggest challenge yet? 2025 Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid pricing confirmed with near-1000kg payload

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The plug-in hybrid ute race is now white hot with pricing for the long-awaited Ford Ranger finally locked in. 

The 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV will go on-sale mid-year from $71,990 (before on-road costs) for the fleet-focussed XLT.  Unlike fierce rivals the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha, Ford offers a broader range with a total of four variants headlined by the new $86,990 Stormtrak. 

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Ford has revealed Ranger PHEV pricing, and it ain’t cheap #ford #ranger #phev

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There’s certainly a premium to going petrol-electric in the Ford Ranger, with the plug-in commanding $3150 more in XLT guise and a steep $5150 extra in Wildtrak trim. 

Justifying the higher price is the Ranger PHEV’s 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity and up to 973kg worth of payload — both equal or better than the new Chinese rivals. 

Less impressive are the Ranger’s electric stats, with the Ford packing an 11.8kWh battery for 48km of NEDC-rated driving range, less than half of the Shark 6 and Cannon Alpha. Still, Ford says that’s enough for its customers’ regular commutes if they charge every night. 

“All owners need to do is plug the Ranger PHEV in every night to charge the battery like they would their phone,” said GM of Electric Vehicles Myles Hartley. 

Ford is keen to point out the vehicle-to-load capability of the Ranger, which can dish out ‘hours of energy’, says Ford, to power a campsite or tools on the worksite. Two sockets are found in the tray and one in the cabin. When the battery runs out, the petrol engine can work as a generator, too.

The Ranger plug-in hybrid uses a 2.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder kicking out 138kW, augmented by a 75kW electric motor mounted between engine and 10-speed transmission. Total outputs are 207kW and 697Nm and Ford is yet to publish a 0-100km/h claim. 

Being able to run in electric, hybrid, or petrol mode, the Ranger PHEV will save you fuel compared to the less powerful V6 trim. The ADR rating is 2.7L/100km with 66 grams of CO2 emitted per kilometre. 

Ford doesn’t make a combined range claim but the fuel tank is 70 litres. 

The Ranger plug-in hybrid uses the same 4WD system you’d find in the V6, that means full-time 4WD (4A) with the option of 2H, 4H and a low-range transfer case. It also features a locking rear differential.

The headline payload figure for the Ranger is 973kg, which is about as much as a regular diesel dual cab ute. This is in the XLT only, though. The mid-spec sport’s 934kg capacity is respectable, as is the Wildtrak (885kg) though the Stormtrak’s extras eat into load capacity at 808kg. 

Standard features of the XLT are a fair way off the more affordable BYD Shark 6. For $71,990 Ford includes:

• Halogen headlights, LED daytime running lights
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Side steps
• Lift-assist tailgate
• Drop-in bedliner
• Carpet (vinyl floors $100)
• Front floor mats
• Dual-zone climate control
• Laminated windscreen
• 12.0-inch portrait touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• Six-speaker sound system
• Cloth upholstery, manual-adjust seats
• Keyless entry

Safety features such as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, tyre pressure monitoring, lane-keep assist and auto emergency braking (AEB) with reverse functionality are standard. 

The mid-spec Sport lengthens the equipment list with the following:

• LED headlights
• 18-inch allot wheels
• Dark exterior accents
• Sports bar
• Wireless charging
• Privacy glass
• Leather-accented upholstery
• Front seat heating, eight-way power driver’s seat

Driver assistance improves with traffic sign recognition, lane centring and adaptive cruise control with stop and go function. 

Ford keeps the Wildtrak trim in play for the PHEV. It gets:

• Adaptive Matrix LED headlights
• Wildtrak sports bar
• Roof rails
• Unique 18-inch alloy wheels
• Power tonneau cover
• Ambient lighting
• 10-speaker B&O sound system
• Wildtrak-specific leather upholstery
• 360-degree view camera

Headlining the Ranger line-up is the new Stormtrak trim which closely mirrors the Wildtrak, but with a black honeycomb grille and bumper, different wheels, unique upholstery and flexible racking system as standard. A full-size spare also becomes standard. 

Other variants can choose to have a spare tyre as a no-cost option — possibly a way to provide better on-paper payload figures — 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tyres ($700), canopies, the Adventure pack with auxiliary switches and cargo management. 

The Ford Ranger PHEV will go on-sale in the middle of the year, butting up against fierce competition from its new Chinese rivals. It should make for an interesting comparison. 

2025 Ford Ranger PHEV pricing

Prices listed are before on-road costs

• Ranger XLT PHEV — $71,990
• Ranger Sport PHEV— $75,990
• Ranger Wildtrak PHEV — $79,990
• Ranger Stormtrak PHEV — $86,990