Ford Ranger PHEV Stormtrak 2025 Review

As its name suggests, the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV adds a new non-diesel powertrain to Australia’s most popular ute lineup.

It also adds a new model name, Stormtrak, which is the flagship of the range and the model we’ve ended up testing here.

The other three – XLT, Sport and Wildtrak – all have equivalent 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel dual-cab 4x4 variants.

Pricing starts at $71,990 plus on-road costs (ORCs) for the XLT, then ups to $75,990 plus ORCs for the Sport, $79,990 plus ORCs for the Wildtrak and $86,990 plus ORCs for the Stormtrak.

The PHEVs are all more expensive than their diesel equivalents and the disparity grows the further up the line you go. The XLT PHEV is $3150 more expensive than a V6 and $8350 more expensive than the four-cylinder.

The Wildtrak is $5150 more expensive than the diesel and $10,350 more expensive than the four-cylinder.

The stand-alone Stormtrak slots in as the second most expensive Ranger of all, sitting above the flagship diesel Platinum and below only the mighty Raptor ($90,440 plus ORCs).

Compared to the two Chinese plug-in utes already in the market, the Ranger is substantially more expensive. The BYD Shark 6 starts at $57,900 plus ORCs and the GWM Cannon Alpha starts at $59,990 plus ORCs.

So why does the Ranger PHEV cost so much? Well, the added technology such as the high-voltage battery has an impact as does the five per cent tariff imposed because it is imported from South Africa, whereas other Rangers are made in tariff-free Thailand.

As the flagship in the range, the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV Stormtrak is unsurprisingly the best-equipped model.

Exclusive standard equipment includes exterior ‘chill’ grey paint, a gloss-black grille with a honeycomb pattern and chill grey accents, gloss-black RANGER hood lettering, a gloss-black rear bumper and 18-inch alloy wheels with grey accents.

There are more grey and gloss-black accents including the Stormtrak-badged seats.

On a more practical level, the interior also adds auxiliary switches and the load box gains Ford’s flexible rack and cargo management systems. Stormtrak is also the only Ranger PHEV to have a spare full-size tyre standard. It’s a no-cost option in the others so a slightly better payload (by about 30kg) can be claimed.

Stuff shared with cheaper Ranger PHEVs includes side steps, smart keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, leather seat trimming, eight-way powered and heated front seats, a power roller shutter, and illumination and a drop-in tubliner for the load box. A tow bar with an integrated trailer brake receiver is standard for all PHEVs.

It’s noticeable there have been some equipment deletions for the PHEV to try and keep pricing somewhat under control. For instance, the XLT gets halogen rather than LED headlights and DRLs.

Prestige paint adds $700 for all models bar Stormtrak. Opting for 18-inch alloy wheels fitted with all-terrain tyres costs $700 for all four models. Standard Continental all-season tyres are better suited for road use.

The PHEV receives the same five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty as other Rangers and adds eight year/160,000km protection for its high-voltage battery.

Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and the first five visits to the dealer workshop are capped at $399. That compares to a maximum $379 per visit for diesel Rangers.

We don’t yet have an ANCAP safety rating for the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV, but given there’s a different powertrain including a high-voltage battery under the skin, there’s a fair bit of work involved to figure out if it retains the diesel’s five stars.

The safety equipment level across the range includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, evasive steering and reverse braking assist, blind-spot monitoring, tyre pressure monitoring and front and rear parking sensors.

By the time you get to the Stormtrak, matrix LED headlights (with auto levelling and dynamic bending), traffic-sign recognition, lane centring, intelligent stop and go cruise control that can react to speed limit changes, a 360-degree camera and trailer reversing assistance have all been added.

There are also nine airbags – including front-centre – and two ISOFIX and two child seat top tethers in the rear seat.

When it comes to technology, the big deal with the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV is the vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability provided by the high-voltage battery pack.

Called Pro Power Onboard, it comprises twin 3.45kW (15 amps at 230 volts) sockets in the tray and a single 2.3kW (10A at 230V) socket in the cabin.

Effectively, this system turns the Ranger PHEV into a portable generator that can charge work tools, camping equipment and the like. The Shark 6 and Cannon Alpha offer the same feature.

Equipment Ford tested the feature with during development included a 3000-watt angle grinder, an 1800W air-conditioner and a 1600W coffee maker.

Otherwise, Ranger PHEV technology aligns pretty much with the diesel Rangers. All models get the bigger 12-inch vertical infotainment screen, but the lower-spec 8-inch digital instrument panel is standard on all models. Not even the Stormtrak gets the 12.4-inch cluster seen in Platinum and Raptor V6s.

There are a couple of new sub-menus for battery charging and Pro Power Onboard in the infotainment screen, but I couldn’t find a graphic showing the system’s real-time power distribution.

Electric consumption, range and distance travelled can be viewed in the trip computer array within the cluster. There’s also an EV Coach, which shows the energy captured through brake regeneration.

Otherwise, it’s familiar stuff. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be mirrored wirelessly (and usually – not always – quite seamlessly), satellite navigation is embedded, AM/FM and digital radio bands are standard and in the Stormtrak – as well as the Wildtrak – audio is broadcast via a 10-speaker B&O system.

Other Ranger Stormtrak technology includes wireless smartphone charging, four USB ports, voice control, ambient cabin lighting, puddle lamps and zone lighting and the FordPass Connect app communicating via an embedded modem. It delivers features like remote unlock – which can be very handy, as I know from hard experience!

The 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV combines a detuned version of the same 2.3-litre turbo-petrol engine found in the Mustang with an e-motor and an 11.8-kilowatt-hour high-voltage lithium-ion battery to deliver a combined 207kW and 697Nm.

That’s more torque than any other Ranger and more power than any Ranger besides the mighty twin-turbo V6 Raptor.

This is a longitudinal ‘P2’ set-up, which means the e-motor sits in the transmission tunnel between the engine and the 10-speed transmission.

Normal service is resumed further along with a BorgWarner torque-on-demand transfer case allowing rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, locked 50:50 4H courtesy of the centre diff, and low range.

The Ranger PHEV also includes a lockable rear differential and hill descent control.

There are four powertrain choices that are activated by a switch on the centre console. EV Now sees the Ranger run as an emissions-free EV; Auto EV sees both the engine and the e-motor contribute to performance; EV Later preserves battery charge for later use; and EV Charge recharges the battery while letting the petrol engine do the work.

There are no fewer than seven selectable drive modes. Normal and slippery allow all four powertrain choices, eco excludes EV Charge, while sport, tow/haul, mud/ruts and sand only allow the full-fat hybrid mode.

This is one of the crux questions for the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV.

The official fuel consumption claim is 2.9L/100km, which is a highly theoretical laboratory number.

The official electricity consumption number is 18.7kWh/100km and the EV range is 49km. No claim is made for combined range.

First off let’s talk EV range. The claim is much shorter than the Chinese PHEV utes and that’s because the Ranger has a much smaller battery.

Ford argues its range capability fits with Australian daily driver needs. Going bigger would have also hampered payload and the ability to fit a spare tyre under the floor (see Cannon Alpha).

We put the Ranger claim to the test, starting with an indicated 99 per cent charge and driving until the battery indicated zero and the petrol engine chimed in.

The test started at 6am in single-digit temperatures and the vehicle had only the driver onboard, no added payload and was running on road tyres in rear-wheel drive on almost universally flat urban roads under 80km/h.

The battery depleted after 33.7km with consumption averaging an indicated 30kWh/100km.

Running as a hybrid (EV Auto) at higher speeds on freeway and country roads, the fuel consumption was an indicated 7.0L/100km. That’s roughly 2.5L/100km better than we’ve seen in some long runs with both four- and six-cylinder diesel Rangers.

So that’s promising and the Ranger PHEV also uses cheaper 91 RON fuel. Trouble is the Ranger PHEV’s more expensive up front … so it’s swings and roundabouts.

Combine the hybrid average with the Ranger PHEV’s 70-litre fuel tank (10L less than the diesel) and a range in the region of 1000km beckons. Mind you, a load and some 4x4 driving will reduce that.

Running in battery recharge mode (EV Charge) the average climbed to an indicated 11.1L/100km.

So the message is clear, you want to keep that battery charged as much as possible and preferably via the grid rather than the vehicle itself.

The challenge here is the Ranger PHEV only accepts an AC charge at a slow 3.5kW, so you’re looking at four hours for a 0-100 per cent recharge for this small battery.

Its two Chinese rivals do accept a DC charge, which means they can get back on the road as an EV much quicker. However, DC charging can also get pretty expensive.

Those battery and EV limitations have a pay-off for the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV when it comes to retaining its working ute functionality.

It’s undoubtedly the best PHEV ute on the market for being able to carry things.

Even the Stormtrak, the weakest performer in terms of payload at 808kg, carries more than either of the Chinese PHEVs. The best performer is the XLT at 973kg (that’s without a spare tyre though).

The high-voltage battery under the floor has prompted the load box to be raised by 27mm, but it’s also been lengthened via scallops up front and in the tailgate to compensate.

According to the tail of the tape the load box now measures 1638mm long (at the floor), 1584mm wide and 498mm high. Crucially, the 1233mm gap between the wheel arches will accept a standard Aussie 1165mm x 1165mm pallet.

There are four hooks in the box, although the front ones are harder to access in the Stormtrak (and Wildtrak) because of the storage box for the power cover.

Corner steps aid access, but without any damping the tailgate crudely clangs open (that’s a feature also found in the cheaper Ranger Platinum diesel).

The gross vehicle mass has risen for the PHEV to 3500kg from the diesel dual-cab Ranger’s maximum 3350kg, reflecting a climb in kerb weight to as much as 2692kg for the Stormtrak.

Gross combined mass has also climbed a minimum 180kg to 6580kg, helping to preserve the all-important 3500kg braked towing capacity.

Predictably, once the calculations are done, the Stormtrak has the least payload in the range at 388kg once a 3500kg load is hitched up. The XLT tops the list at 553kg.

The Cannon Alpha offers 335kg at the same weight while the BYD Shark 6 is only capable of towing 2500kg, but does it well.

The 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV is a convincing ute but not much of an electric vehicle.

The short range is one issue but the limited response in EV mode is another that’s more immediately impactful.

As an EV the Ranger PHEV is pretty much a dawdler. Any time substantial throttle demands are made – like when climbing a hill or overtaking – a message flashes up on the instrument cluster requesting permission to engage the petrol engine.

The Chinese PHEV utes don’t do that. Their petrol engines kick in when needed. But Ford says if you’re in EV mode then you have to consciously leave it.

Permission granted and it’s off to the races, albeit with CO2 being emitted. This is a strong combination that leaves nothing lacking compared to the Ranger diesels, which are two of the best in the business.

In fact, it’s surely smoother than either of them and quieter.

Really, EV mode is best left for urban running. We never prompted a request for the petrol engine during our lower-speed range test and the Ranger PHEV never felt lacking for initial acceleration away from the lights.

Beyond the powertrain the added weight of the Ranger PHEV makes itself felt in the way it proceeds along the road.

Bearing in mind the vehicle wasn’t carrying a load, the rear leaf-spring/live-axle suspension felt stiffer and more intrusive than the more compliant diesel Ranger.

A bespoke and presumably stiffer tyre (fitted to a wider rim) designed to cope with the PHEV’s heavier weight likely contributes to this as well.

Similarly, the electric-assist steering felt like it required more effort than the diesel Rangers, which are at the lighter end of the scale compared to just about any other dual-cab ute.

Also, brake pedal feel was pretty wooden, probably made moreso than normal because of the regenerative braking effect incorporated into the system. It became quite grabby as the vehicle slowed to walking pace.

There is no driver adjustment of the brake regen effect, which would seem to be a miss.

Other aspects of the Ranger PHEV are familiar: the sympathetically tuned driver assist systems, which work for the most part unobtrusively and supportively and can be switched off easily. Less positive is how the gearshift is easy to wrong slot and the odd rocker switches on the shifter’s side for manual gearchanging.

With something so torque laden that’s not such a big deal, but a proper manual mode would be appreciated.

The launch drive of the 2025 Ford Ranger PHEV really emphasised its undiminished 4x4 capability.

There were two distinct sets of exercises at two off-road locations, where the 4x4 system’s ability to ascend and descend was basically unchallenged.

There were a couple of nuanced improvements. Tip-in throttle was basically instant thanks to the e-motor’s instant torque, while the low-range traction control operating on the front wheels when the rear diff was locked seemed smoother, more prompt and more subtle.

Check out the key measures and the PHEV comes with the same 800mm wading depth and 12.9m turning circle as the Ranger diesels 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). Breakover angles are slightly reduced as well.

Ford claims as little as 28.9 degrees approach/23.9 degrees departure for the XLT PHEV, 30.1/24.7 degrees for the Sport and 30.2/24.2 degrees for the Wildtrak and Stormtrak PHEVs; the claim for diesel-powered Rangers is 30 degrees and 23 degrees.

The PHEV adds additional underbody armouring to protect the high-voltage battery and parts of the transmission.

If the exterior of the 2025 Ford ranger PHEV is little different to the Ranger diesel – with the important exception of that charge port next to the fuel filler (don’t get them mixed up!) – then inside it’s even more samey.

Fundamentally that means you get one of the most comfortable and best-thought-out interiors on offer in ute-dom today.

Look, it can’t match the Chinese PHEVs for sheer opulence or pricing, but pretty much everything here (bar that clunky gearshifter) works without fuss.

Seats are comfortable, the steering wheel has reach and rake adjustment, and there are physical as well as digital buttons for the air-con and audio volume. The infotainment screen is huge and clear – especially if you use smartphone satnav graphics rather than Ford’s embedded system (which isn’t as crisp).

The instrument panel is still a compromised mish-mash, with a couple of minor presentation retunes possible and heaps of pop-ups available to be selected. Some of the info is helpful, like tyre pressure monitoring, it’s just clunky to drill through it all.

The rear seat gives up space, comfort and opulence to the Chinese PHEVs, but among legacy utes it’s a leader for space and equipment, including the aforementioned V2L plug.

The backrest folds down and the base flips up (with storage underneath) to aid versatility.

Ford emphasises how much effort went into customer research for the Ford Ranger PHEV. That’s why it ended up so focussed on retaining working capability.

That has come at the expense of its EV capability of course, which means it’s not much of an electric vehicle. But it remains a very good work vehicle.

If you’re a ute buyer looking for maximised EV running then the Chinese duo are going to mount a strong argument. They are better EVs if not as capable as work utes.

Surely this means the Ranger PHEV is going to primarily appeal to fleet buyers who have corporate CO2 reduction targets to hit. It will also help Ford score much-needed credits under the NVES CO2 reduction scheme.

For private buyers – unless you’re committed to zero-emissions running and some long-term fuel efficiency gains (maybe) – the cheaper diesel Ranger, especially the V6, remains the best choice.

2025 Ford Ranger PHEV Stormtrak at a glance:
Price: $86,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: July
Powertrain: 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 138kW/411Nm (electric motor: 75kW/torque unstated)
Combined output: 207kW/697Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Battery: 11.8kWh lithium-ion
Range: 49km EV (ADR)
Energy consumption: 18.7kWh/100km (ADR)
Fuel: 2.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 66g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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