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We take on Iceland in the Ford Ranger PHEV

We take on Iceland in the Ford Ranger PHEV

The Advertiser6 days ago
If you can survive in Iceland, you can survive anywhere. That applies to people… and cars.
So, what better place to launch a go-anywhere dual-cab ute? That's exactly how Ford saw it, as the American manufacturer invited us to fly all the way from Melbourne to Reykjavik, Iceland to experience the new Ranger PHEV.
Sold alongside regular diesel versions of the Ranger in Australia, the PHEV makes all the same promises of unrivalled towing capacity, off-road capability and liveability. That's right, Ford says it'll 'still do ute things'.
It'll also do plug-in hybrid things, like drive solely on electric power, offer exportable electricity, and consume less fuel than your standard dual-cab. The extent to which it can do those things (particularly the EV thing) is limited, however, by a relatively small 11.8kWh (usable) lithium-ion drive battery.
But it can still do ute things! Which brings us back to Iceland, and the day-long drive curated to demonstrate the PHEV's prowess, both on- and off-road.
Our starting point was the capital city of Reykjavik, home to a population of roughly 140,000 people. For context, that's less than you'll find in Geelong, Cairns or Newcastle. In other words, it's more of a sleepy coastal town than a sprawling metropolis.
Still, it feels positively bustling compared to what lies outside the city limits.
The first leg of our drive involved a northbound highway stint on Route 1, the main national road that circles the entire island, and it quickly became clear that Iceland is made up of barely-touched wilderness broken up by small towns, none of which have names that can easily be pronounced by Aussies like you or me.
Traffic was minimal and the highway relatively straight, so our attention quickly turned to the Ranger and its new party tricks. Among those is the battery and electric motor pairing, which allow for both hybrid and EV driving.
Ford claims that the Ranger PHEV can travel up to 49km on electric power alone. We tested that and fell well short, managing just 33km with two passengers and minimal baggage onboard. However, most of those kilometres were chalked up on the highway – a demanding test of EV range.
In Australia, the Ranger PHEV is compared to the likes of the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV. My takeaway from our little experiment was that if you're planning to circumnavigate Iceland's ring road without expelling any CO2, those plug-in hybrid ute alternatives come up trumps.
We also clocked a 0-100km/h sprint of 8.95 seconds – make of that what you will.
On-road performance and fuel efficiency is important, but Ford was more interested in proving that the Ranger PHEV is a proper workhorse worthy of the badge, an intent proven during our morning breakfast stop at Kleif Farm.
Situated about 40 minutes north of Reykjavik, Kleif Farm is a getaway villa situated among high peaks, flowing water and dirt tracks, the latter providing a perfect opportunity to load up the Ranger PHEV for a quick towing test.
Somewhat remarkably this was my first time towing, and while hazards were few and far between, I was a little nervous. Thankfully, the Ranger was up to the task, with enough grunt to drag a trailer full of heavy hay bales around the property.
Given my inexperience, we then had a play around with the Pro Trailer Backup Assist feature, which allows you to 'steer' the trailer using the outer ring of the drive mode controller on the centre console. It feels quite unnatural at first, but after some practice I earned a pat on the back for neatly backing the trailer into a creekside parking spot.
The Ranger PHEV is rated to tow up to 3.5 tonnes like its diesel-powered siblings, but it's worth noting that we've previously observed the smaller EcoBoost petrol engine feels particularly strained when trying to haul anything above 2.0 tonnes.
Ford also used the stop off at Kleif Farm to demonstrate 'Pro Power Onboard', otherwise known as exportable power in the form of two 15A power outlets built into the Ranger PHEV's tub. These can be used to power a wide array of power tools, electronics and camping equipment – in this case a big circular saw.
It's a feature that Ford is pushing as part of the Ranger PHEV sales pitch, and it's not the only manufacturer to do so. Just last year I attended the BYD Shark 6 launch in Broken Hill, during which we were served coffee out of the tubs of the test vehicles – a neat touch.
Both models can serve as a mobile cafe, but Ford has BYD and GWM covered for output capacity. There's only so much you can do with a stationary ute though, so we hit the highway again in search of a new challenge.
Looping around east towards the centre of the island, the natural beauty of Iceland once again took centre stage.
June marks the beginning of summer here, and that means the melting of ice, yellowing of grass and seemingly endless 20-hour days. Glaciers and volcanoes also dot the barren landscape, hence why Iceland is known as 'the land of fire and ice'.
I spent most of this leg in the passenger seat, gazing out the window with camera in hand, awestruck. However, a quick glance across at the instrument cluster revealed our test vehicle was now running on an empty battery, and consuming upwards of 9.0L/100km as a result.
That sort of figure will be familiar to diesel Ranger owners, but it's not quite what you're after from a hybrid. The takeaway here is that PHEVs need a charged battery to make sense, especially when that battery plays a part in so many key vehicle functions.
The second leg of our journey wrapped up in 'Springfield'. No, not that Springfield, for all you Simpsons fans out there. Rather, this was a small town at the base of a not-so-small volcano. And, unlike the setting of The Simpsons, here you'll find geothermal hot springs bursting up through the earth.
This shouldn't have come as a surprise, as Iceland is the most volcanic island in the world. Eruptions occur roughly every five years, although the frequency of such events has increased in recent years.
The Reykjanes Peninsula has seen nine eruptions since 2023, the first of which resulted in the evacuation of 4000 people from the town of Grindavík in the country's south. Most of the town's residents have not returned since, with many homes sold to the state.
Thankfully, the Grensdalur Volcano remained sedate during our visit, allowing for some nearby off-roading in the Ranger PHEV. Ford's planned route included a mix of river crossings, gravel tracks, and proper mountain ascents, all of which brought out different characteristics of the Ranger.
We cycled through the four-wheel drive drive modes throughout – 4H for flatter sections of dirt, 4L for the steeper, more aggressive climbs, and even turned to Hill Descent Control (HDC) on the way back down the mountain.
None of the water crossings we made were particularly treacherous, as you'll probably notice in the images below. However, it was comforting to know the battery is protected by its position above the rear axle.
The Ranger PHEV retains all the important kit fitted to standard diesel variants, including a rear differential lock, the aforementioned 4WD modes, and underbody protection.
One key difference between the models is that the PHEV is capable of silent EV off-roading, although our depleted battery wasn't really in a state to offer this. Nevertheless, the turbo-petrol engine in the PHEV is quieter than its diesel counterpart, and we were able to reach the final peak without making a distasteful racket.
The summit provided an elevated vantage point of a landscape we had only previously seen from ground level, and boy was it an enlightening view. Not because there was plenty to see – quite the opposite, in fact.
Our guide shared that arctic foxes were the only creatures to be found on the island when the Vikings first arrived some 12 centuries ago, and not much seems to have changed since.
Bar the native horses and a few sheep, wildlife is hard to come by. Because for all its rugged charm, Iceland is still a desolate and harsh place to call home.
Its unforgiving nature has given rise to impressive feats of human innovation, including a geothermal energy network made up of large pipelines that transport both hot water and steam, the latter used to generate electricity for the nation.
We came across some of these pipes during our descent, but I wouldn't recommend getting too close – the presence of hydrogen sulfide makes the air smell like rotten eggs… no thanks!
Moving swiftly onward, a spaghetti-like set of loose gravel trails led us back to the base of the mountain, all cars still in good health.
Ford hardly asked us to beat on their brand-new machines, but the Ranger PHEV seems a welcome addition to the dual-cab ute market, and a worthy rival to the two big name plug-in hybrids from China.
A final highway stint brought our expedition to an end, no more than eight hours after it begun. Short and sweet, as they say.
For me, that meant boarding a plane back to Melbourne the next morning, but the same couldn't be said for our Blue Oval chariots. That's because the Ranger PHEV is set to be a staple of Iceland's ute market, although it won't come cheap – a diesel Ranger Wildtrak retails for the equivalent of A$155,000, as all cars are generally dearer here.
Without being an expert on the Icelandic car market, I couldn't tell the locals whether that's decent value. But what I can say is that the Ford Ranger PHEV might be a little different, but it can still do 'ute things'.
MORE: Explore the Ford Ranger showroom
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
If you can survive in Iceland, you can survive anywhere. That applies to people… and cars.
So, what better place to launch a go-anywhere dual-cab ute? That's exactly how Ford saw it, as the American manufacturer invited us to fly all the way from Melbourne to Reykjavik, Iceland to experience the new Ranger PHEV.
Sold alongside regular diesel versions of the Ranger in Australia, the PHEV makes all the same promises of unrivalled towing capacity, off-road capability and liveability. That's right, Ford says it'll 'still do ute things'.
It'll also do plug-in hybrid things, like drive solely on electric power, offer exportable electricity, and consume less fuel than your standard dual-cab. The extent to which it can do those things (particularly the EV thing) is limited, however, by a relatively small 11.8kWh (usable) lithium-ion drive battery.
But it can still do ute things! Which brings us back to Iceland, and the day-long drive curated to demonstrate the PHEV's prowess, both on- and off-road.
Our starting point was the capital city of Reykjavik, home to a population of roughly 140,000 people. For context, that's less than you'll find in Geelong, Cairns or Newcastle. In other words, it's more of a sleepy coastal town than a sprawling metropolis.
Still, it feels positively bustling compared to what lies outside the city limits.
The first leg of our drive involved a northbound highway stint on Route 1, the main national road that circles the entire island, and it quickly became clear that Iceland is made up of barely-touched wilderness broken up by small towns, none of which have names that can easily be pronounced by Aussies like you or me.
Traffic was minimal and the highway relatively straight, so our attention quickly turned to the Ranger and its new party tricks. Among those is the battery and electric motor pairing, which allow for both hybrid and EV driving.
Ford claims that the Ranger PHEV can travel up to 49km on electric power alone. We tested that and fell well short, managing just 33km with two passengers and minimal baggage onboard. However, most of those kilometres were chalked up on the highway – a demanding test of EV range.
In Australia, the Ranger PHEV is compared to the likes of the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV. My takeaway from our little experiment was that if you're planning to circumnavigate Iceland's ring road without expelling any CO2, those plug-in hybrid ute alternatives come up trumps.
We also clocked a 0-100km/h sprint of 8.95 seconds – make of that what you will.
On-road performance and fuel efficiency is important, but Ford was more interested in proving that the Ranger PHEV is a proper workhorse worthy of the badge, an intent proven during our morning breakfast stop at Kleif Farm.
Situated about 40 minutes north of Reykjavik, Kleif Farm is a getaway villa situated among high peaks, flowing water and dirt tracks, the latter providing a perfect opportunity to load up the Ranger PHEV for a quick towing test.
Somewhat remarkably this was my first time towing, and while hazards were few and far between, I was a little nervous. Thankfully, the Ranger was up to the task, with enough grunt to drag a trailer full of heavy hay bales around the property.
Given my inexperience, we then had a play around with the Pro Trailer Backup Assist feature, which allows you to 'steer' the trailer using the outer ring of the drive mode controller on the centre console. It feels quite unnatural at first, but after some practice I earned a pat on the back for neatly backing the trailer into a creekside parking spot.
The Ranger PHEV is rated to tow up to 3.5 tonnes like its diesel-powered siblings, but it's worth noting that we've previously observed the smaller EcoBoost petrol engine feels particularly strained when trying to haul anything above 2.0 tonnes.
Ford also used the stop off at Kleif Farm to demonstrate 'Pro Power Onboard', otherwise known as exportable power in the form of two 15A power outlets built into the Ranger PHEV's tub. These can be used to power a wide array of power tools, electronics and camping equipment – in this case a big circular saw.
It's a feature that Ford is pushing as part of the Ranger PHEV sales pitch, and it's not the only manufacturer to do so. Just last year I attended the BYD Shark 6 launch in Broken Hill, during which we were served coffee out of the tubs of the test vehicles – a neat touch.
Both models can serve as a mobile cafe, but Ford has BYD and GWM covered for output capacity. There's only so much you can do with a stationary ute though, so we hit the highway again in search of a new challenge.
Looping around east towards the centre of the island, the natural beauty of Iceland once again took centre stage.
June marks the beginning of summer here, and that means the melting of ice, yellowing of grass and seemingly endless 20-hour days. Glaciers and volcanoes also dot the barren landscape, hence why Iceland is known as 'the land of fire and ice'.
I spent most of this leg in the passenger seat, gazing out the window with camera in hand, awestruck. However, a quick glance across at the instrument cluster revealed our test vehicle was now running on an empty battery, and consuming upwards of 9.0L/100km as a result.
That sort of figure will be familiar to diesel Ranger owners, but it's not quite what you're after from a hybrid. The takeaway here is that PHEVs need a charged battery to make sense, especially when that battery plays a part in so many key vehicle functions.
The second leg of our journey wrapped up in 'Springfield'. No, not that Springfield, for all you Simpsons fans out there. Rather, this was a small town at the base of a not-so-small volcano. And, unlike the setting of The Simpsons, here you'll find geothermal hot springs bursting up through the earth.
This shouldn't have come as a surprise, as Iceland is the most volcanic island in the world. Eruptions occur roughly every five years, although the frequency of such events has increased in recent years.
The Reykjanes Peninsula has seen nine eruptions since 2023, the first of which resulted in the evacuation of 4000 people from the town of Grindavík in the country's south. Most of the town's residents have not returned since, with many homes sold to the state.
Thankfully, the Grensdalur Volcano remained sedate during our visit, allowing for some nearby off-roading in the Ranger PHEV. Ford's planned route included a mix of river crossings, gravel tracks, and proper mountain ascents, all of which brought out different characteristics of the Ranger.
We cycled through the four-wheel drive drive modes throughout – 4H for flatter sections of dirt, 4L for the steeper, more aggressive climbs, and even turned to Hill Descent Control (HDC) on the way back down the mountain.
None of the water crossings we made were particularly treacherous, as you'll probably notice in the images below. However, it was comforting to know the battery is protected by its position above the rear axle.
The Ranger PHEV retains all the important kit fitted to standard diesel variants, including a rear differential lock, the aforementioned 4WD modes, and underbody protection.
One key difference between the models is that the PHEV is capable of silent EV off-roading, although our depleted battery wasn't really in a state to offer this. Nevertheless, the turbo-petrol engine in the PHEV is quieter than its diesel counterpart, and we were able to reach the final peak without making a distasteful racket.
The summit provided an elevated vantage point of a landscape we had only previously seen from ground level, and boy was it an enlightening view. Not because there was plenty to see – quite the opposite, in fact.
Our guide shared that arctic foxes were the only creatures to be found on the island when the Vikings first arrived some 12 centuries ago, and not much seems to have changed since.
Bar the native horses and a few sheep, wildlife is hard to come by. Because for all its rugged charm, Iceland is still a desolate and harsh place to call home.
Its unforgiving nature has given rise to impressive feats of human innovation, including a geothermal energy network made up of large pipelines that transport both hot water and steam, the latter used to generate electricity for the nation.
We came across some of these pipes during our descent, but I wouldn't recommend getting too close – the presence of hydrogen sulfide makes the air smell like rotten eggs… no thanks!
Moving swiftly onward, a spaghetti-like set of loose gravel trails led us back to the base of the mountain, all cars still in good health.
Ford hardly asked us to beat on their brand-new machines, but the Ranger PHEV seems a welcome addition to the dual-cab ute market, and a worthy rival to the two big name plug-in hybrids from China.
A final highway stint brought our expedition to an end, no more than eight hours after it begun. Short and sweet, as they say.
For me, that meant boarding a plane back to Melbourne the next morning, but the same couldn't be said for our Blue Oval chariots. That's because the Ranger PHEV is set to be a staple of Iceland's ute market, although it won't come cheap – a diesel Ranger Wildtrak retails for the equivalent of A$155,000, as all cars are generally dearer here.
Without being an expert on the Icelandic car market, I couldn't tell the locals whether that's decent value. But what I can say is that the Ford Ranger PHEV might be a little different, but it can still do 'ute things'.
MORE: Explore the Ford Ranger showroom
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
If you can survive in Iceland, you can survive anywhere. That applies to people… and cars.
So, what better place to launch a go-anywhere dual-cab ute? That's exactly how Ford saw it, as the American manufacturer invited us to fly all the way from Melbourne to Reykjavik, Iceland to experience the new Ranger PHEV.
Sold alongside regular diesel versions of the Ranger in Australia, the PHEV makes all the same promises of unrivalled towing capacity, off-road capability and liveability. That's right, Ford says it'll 'still do ute things'.
It'll also do plug-in hybrid things, like drive solely on electric power, offer exportable electricity, and consume less fuel than your standard dual-cab. The extent to which it can do those things (particularly the EV thing) is limited, however, by a relatively small 11.8kWh (usable) lithium-ion drive battery.
But it can still do ute things! Which brings us back to Iceland, and the day-long drive curated to demonstrate the PHEV's prowess, both on- and off-road.
Our starting point was the capital city of Reykjavik, home to a population of roughly 140,000 people. For context, that's less than you'll find in Geelong, Cairns or Newcastle. In other words, it's more of a sleepy coastal town than a sprawling metropolis.
Still, it feels positively bustling compared to what lies outside the city limits.
The first leg of our drive involved a northbound highway stint on Route 1, the main national road that circles the entire island, and it quickly became clear that Iceland is made up of barely-touched wilderness broken up by small towns, none of which have names that can easily be pronounced by Aussies like you or me.
Traffic was minimal and the highway relatively straight, so our attention quickly turned to the Ranger and its new party tricks. Among those is the battery and electric motor pairing, which allow for both hybrid and EV driving.
Ford claims that the Ranger PHEV can travel up to 49km on electric power alone. We tested that and fell well short, managing just 33km with two passengers and minimal baggage onboard. However, most of those kilometres were chalked up on the highway – a demanding test of EV range.
In Australia, the Ranger PHEV is compared to the likes of the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV. My takeaway from our little experiment was that if you're planning to circumnavigate Iceland's ring road without expelling any CO2, those plug-in hybrid ute alternatives come up trumps.
We also clocked a 0-100km/h sprint of 8.95 seconds – make of that what you will.
On-road performance and fuel efficiency is important, but Ford was more interested in proving that the Ranger PHEV is a proper workhorse worthy of the badge, an intent proven during our morning breakfast stop at Kleif Farm.
Situated about 40 minutes north of Reykjavik, Kleif Farm is a getaway villa situated among high peaks, flowing water and dirt tracks, the latter providing a perfect opportunity to load up the Ranger PHEV for a quick towing test.
Somewhat remarkably this was my first time towing, and while hazards were few and far between, I was a little nervous. Thankfully, the Ranger was up to the task, with enough grunt to drag a trailer full of heavy hay bales around the property.
Given my inexperience, we then had a play around with the Pro Trailer Backup Assist feature, which allows you to 'steer' the trailer using the outer ring of the drive mode controller on the centre console. It feels quite unnatural at first, but after some practice I earned a pat on the back for neatly backing the trailer into a creekside parking spot.
The Ranger PHEV is rated to tow up to 3.5 tonnes like its diesel-powered siblings, but it's worth noting that we've previously observed the smaller EcoBoost petrol engine feels particularly strained when trying to haul anything above 2.0 tonnes.
Ford also used the stop off at Kleif Farm to demonstrate 'Pro Power Onboard', otherwise known as exportable power in the form of two 15A power outlets built into the Ranger PHEV's tub. These can be used to power a wide array of power tools, electronics and camping equipment – in this case a big circular saw.
It's a feature that Ford is pushing as part of the Ranger PHEV sales pitch, and it's not the only manufacturer to do so. Just last year I attended the BYD Shark 6 launch in Broken Hill, during which we were served coffee out of the tubs of the test vehicles – a neat touch.
Both models can serve as a mobile cafe, but Ford has BYD and GWM covered for output capacity. There's only so much you can do with a stationary ute though, so we hit the highway again in search of a new challenge.
Looping around east towards the centre of the island, the natural beauty of Iceland once again took centre stage.
June marks the beginning of summer here, and that means the melting of ice, yellowing of grass and seemingly endless 20-hour days. Glaciers and volcanoes also dot the barren landscape, hence why Iceland is known as 'the land of fire and ice'.
I spent most of this leg in the passenger seat, gazing out the window with camera in hand, awestruck. However, a quick glance across at the instrument cluster revealed our test vehicle was now running on an empty battery, and consuming upwards of 9.0L/100km as a result.
That sort of figure will be familiar to diesel Ranger owners, but it's not quite what you're after from a hybrid. The takeaway here is that PHEVs need a charged battery to make sense, especially when that battery plays a part in so many key vehicle functions.
The second leg of our journey wrapped up in 'Springfield'. No, not that Springfield, for all you Simpsons fans out there. Rather, this was a small town at the base of a not-so-small volcano. And, unlike the setting of The Simpsons, here you'll find geothermal hot springs bursting up through the earth.
This shouldn't have come as a surprise, as Iceland is the most volcanic island in the world. Eruptions occur roughly every five years, although the frequency of such events has increased in recent years.
The Reykjanes Peninsula has seen nine eruptions since 2023, the first of which resulted in the evacuation of 4000 people from the town of Grindavík in the country's south. Most of the town's residents have not returned since, with many homes sold to the state.
Thankfully, the Grensdalur Volcano remained sedate during our visit, allowing for some nearby off-roading in the Ranger PHEV. Ford's planned route included a mix of river crossings, gravel tracks, and proper mountain ascents, all of which brought out different characteristics of the Ranger.
We cycled through the four-wheel drive drive modes throughout – 4H for flatter sections of dirt, 4L for the steeper, more aggressive climbs, and even turned to Hill Descent Control (HDC) on the way back down the mountain.
None of the water crossings we made were particularly treacherous, as you'll probably notice in the images below. However, it was comforting to know the battery is protected by its position above the rear axle.
The Ranger PHEV retains all the important kit fitted to standard diesel variants, including a rear differential lock, the aforementioned 4WD modes, and underbody protection.
One key difference between the models is that the PHEV is capable of silent EV off-roading, although our depleted battery wasn't really in a state to offer this. Nevertheless, the turbo-petrol engine in the PHEV is quieter than its diesel counterpart, and we were able to reach the final peak without making a distasteful racket.
The summit provided an elevated vantage point of a landscape we had only previously seen from ground level, and boy was it an enlightening view. Not because there was plenty to see – quite the opposite, in fact.
Our guide shared that arctic foxes were the only creatures to be found on the island when the Vikings first arrived some 12 centuries ago, and not much seems to have changed since.
Bar the native horses and a few sheep, wildlife is hard to come by. Because for all its rugged charm, Iceland is still a desolate and harsh place to call home.
Its unforgiving nature has given rise to impressive feats of human innovation, including a geothermal energy network made up of large pipelines that transport both hot water and steam, the latter used to generate electricity for the nation.
We came across some of these pipes during our descent, but I wouldn't recommend getting too close – the presence of hydrogen sulfide makes the air smell like rotten eggs… no thanks!
Moving swiftly onward, a spaghetti-like set of loose gravel trails led us back to the base of the mountain, all cars still in good health.
Ford hardly asked us to beat on their brand-new machines, but the Ranger PHEV seems a welcome addition to the dual-cab ute market, and a worthy rival to the two big name plug-in hybrids from China.
A final highway stint brought our expedition to an end, no more than eight hours after it begun. Short and sweet, as they say.
For me, that meant boarding a plane back to Melbourne the next morning, but the same couldn't be said for our Blue Oval chariots. That's because the Ranger PHEV is set to be a staple of Iceland's ute market, although it won't come cheap – a diesel Ranger Wildtrak retails for the equivalent of A$155,000, as all cars are generally dearer here.
Without being an expert on the Icelandic car market, I couldn't tell the locals whether that's decent value. But what I can say is that the Ford Ranger PHEV might be a little different, but it can still do 'ute things'.
MORE: Explore the Ford Ranger showroom
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
If you can survive in Iceland, you can survive anywhere. That applies to people… and cars.
So, what better place to launch a go-anywhere dual-cab ute? That's exactly how Ford saw it, as the American manufacturer invited us to fly all the way from Melbourne to Reykjavik, Iceland to experience the new Ranger PHEV.
Sold alongside regular diesel versions of the Ranger in Australia, the PHEV makes all the same promises of unrivalled towing capacity, off-road capability and liveability. That's right, Ford says it'll 'still do ute things'.
It'll also do plug-in hybrid things, like drive solely on electric power, offer exportable electricity, and consume less fuel than your standard dual-cab. The extent to which it can do those things (particularly the EV thing) is limited, however, by a relatively small 11.8kWh (usable) lithium-ion drive battery.
But it can still do ute things! Which brings us back to Iceland, and the day-long drive curated to demonstrate the PHEV's prowess, both on- and off-road.
Our starting point was the capital city of Reykjavik, home to a population of roughly 140,000 people. For context, that's less than you'll find in Geelong, Cairns or Newcastle. In other words, it's more of a sleepy coastal town than a sprawling metropolis.
Still, it feels positively bustling compared to what lies outside the city limits.
The first leg of our drive involved a northbound highway stint on Route 1, the main national road that circles the entire island, and it quickly became clear that Iceland is made up of barely-touched wilderness broken up by small towns, none of which have names that can easily be pronounced by Aussies like you or me.
Traffic was minimal and the highway relatively straight, so our attention quickly turned to the Ranger and its new party tricks. Among those is the battery and electric motor pairing, which allow for both hybrid and EV driving.
Ford claims that the Ranger PHEV can travel up to 49km on electric power alone. We tested that and fell well short, managing just 33km with two passengers and minimal baggage onboard. However, most of those kilometres were chalked up on the highway – a demanding test of EV range.
In Australia, the Ranger PHEV is compared to the likes of the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV. My takeaway from our little experiment was that if you're planning to circumnavigate Iceland's ring road without expelling any CO2, those plug-in hybrid ute alternatives come up trumps.
We also clocked a 0-100km/h sprint of 8.95 seconds – make of that what you will.
On-road performance and fuel efficiency is important, but Ford was more interested in proving that the Ranger PHEV is a proper workhorse worthy of the badge, an intent proven during our morning breakfast stop at Kleif Farm.
Situated about 40 minutes north of Reykjavik, Kleif Farm is a getaway villa situated among high peaks, flowing water and dirt tracks, the latter providing a perfect opportunity to load up the Ranger PHEV for a quick towing test.
Somewhat remarkably this was my first time towing, and while hazards were few and far between, I was a little nervous. Thankfully, the Ranger was up to the task, with enough grunt to drag a trailer full of heavy hay bales around the property.
Given my inexperience, we then had a play around with the Pro Trailer Backup Assist feature, which allows you to 'steer' the trailer using the outer ring of the drive mode controller on the centre console. It feels quite unnatural at first, but after some practice I earned a pat on the back for neatly backing the trailer into a creekside parking spot.
The Ranger PHEV is rated to tow up to 3.5 tonnes like its diesel-powered siblings, but it's worth noting that we've previously observed the smaller EcoBoost petrol engine feels particularly strained when trying to haul anything above 2.0 tonnes.
Ford also used the stop off at Kleif Farm to demonstrate 'Pro Power Onboard', otherwise known as exportable power in the form of two 15A power outlets built into the Ranger PHEV's tub. These can be used to power a wide array of power tools, electronics and camping equipment – in this case a big circular saw.
It's a feature that Ford is pushing as part of the Ranger PHEV sales pitch, and it's not the only manufacturer to do so. Just last year I attended the BYD Shark 6 launch in Broken Hill, during which we were served coffee out of the tubs of the test vehicles – a neat touch.
Both models can serve as a mobile cafe, but Ford has BYD and GWM covered for output capacity. There's only so much you can do with a stationary ute though, so we hit the highway again in search of a new challenge.
Looping around east towards the centre of the island, the natural beauty of Iceland once again took centre stage.
June marks the beginning of summer here, and that means the melting of ice, yellowing of grass and seemingly endless 20-hour days. Glaciers and volcanoes also dot the barren landscape, hence why Iceland is known as 'the land of fire and ice'.
I spent most of this leg in the passenger seat, gazing out the window with camera in hand, awestruck. However, a quick glance across at the instrument cluster revealed our test vehicle was now running on an empty battery, and consuming upwards of 9.0L/100km as a result.
That sort of figure will be familiar to diesel Ranger owners, but it's not quite what you're after from a hybrid. The takeaway here is that PHEVs need a charged battery to make sense, especially when that battery plays a part in so many key vehicle functions.
The second leg of our journey wrapped up in 'Springfield'. No, not that Springfield, for all you Simpsons fans out there. Rather, this was a small town at the base of a not-so-small volcano. And, unlike the setting of The Simpsons, here you'll find geothermal hot springs bursting up through the earth.
This shouldn't have come as a surprise, as Iceland is the most volcanic island in the world. Eruptions occur roughly every five years, although the frequency of such events has increased in recent years.
The Reykjanes Peninsula has seen nine eruptions since 2023, the first of which resulted in the evacuation of 4000 people from the town of Grindavík in the country's south. Most of the town's residents have not returned since, with many homes sold to the state.
Thankfully, the Grensdalur Volcano remained sedate during our visit, allowing for some nearby off-roading in the Ranger PHEV. Ford's planned route included a mix of river crossings, gravel tracks, and proper mountain ascents, all of which brought out different characteristics of the Ranger.
We cycled through the four-wheel drive drive modes throughout – 4H for flatter sections of dirt, 4L for the steeper, more aggressive climbs, and even turned to Hill Descent Control (HDC) on the way back down the mountain.
None of the water crossings we made were particularly treacherous, as you'll probably notice in the images below. However, it was comforting to know the battery is protected by its position above the rear axle.
The Ranger PHEV retains all the important kit fitted to standard diesel variants, including a rear differential lock, the aforementioned 4WD modes, and underbody protection.
One key difference between the models is that the PHEV is capable of silent EV off-roading, although our depleted battery wasn't really in a state to offer this. Nevertheless, the turbo-petrol engine in the PHEV is quieter than its diesel counterpart, and we were able to reach the final peak without making a distasteful racket.
The summit provided an elevated vantage point of a landscape we had only previously seen from ground level, and boy was it an enlightening view. Not because there was plenty to see – quite the opposite, in fact.
Our guide shared that arctic foxes were the only creatures to be found on the island when the Vikings first arrived some 12 centuries ago, and not much seems to have changed since.
Bar the native horses and a few sheep, wildlife is hard to come by. Because for all its rugged charm, Iceland is still a desolate and harsh place to call home.
Its unforgiving nature has given rise to impressive feats of human innovation, including a geothermal energy network made up of large pipelines that transport both hot water and steam, the latter used to generate electricity for the nation.
We came across some of these pipes during our descent, but I wouldn't recommend getting too close – the presence of hydrogen sulfide makes the air smell like rotten eggs… no thanks!
Moving swiftly onward, a spaghetti-like set of loose gravel trails led us back to the base of the mountain, all cars still in good health.
Ford hardly asked us to beat on their brand-new machines, but the Ranger PHEV seems a welcome addition to the dual-cab ute market, and a worthy rival to the two big name plug-in hybrids from China.
A final highway stint brought our expedition to an end, no more than eight hours after it begun. Short and sweet, as they say.
For me, that meant boarding a plane back to Melbourne the next morning, but the same couldn't be said for our Blue Oval chariots. That's because the Ranger PHEV is set to be a staple of Iceland's ute market, although it won't come cheap – a diesel Ranger Wildtrak retails for the equivalent of A$155,000, as all cars are generally dearer here.
Without being an expert on the Icelandic car market, I couldn't tell the locals whether that's decent value. But what I can say is that the Ford Ranger PHEV might be a little different, but it can still do 'ute things'.
MORE: Explore the Ford Ranger showroom
Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au
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Viral TikTok: Sydney parking sign causes mass confusion as Australian drivers struggle to make sense of it
Viral TikTok: Sydney parking sign causes mass confusion as Australian drivers struggle to make sense of it

West Australian

time14 hours ago

  • West Australian

Viral TikTok: Sydney parking sign causes mass confusion as Australian drivers struggle to make sense of it

An Aussie driver's struggle to decode a multilayered parking sign has once again cast a spotlight on Australia's notoriously over-complicated parking rules, and the social media reaction suggests the confusion isn't just local. Marie Phitidis, who goes by Mars online, was walking along Oxford Street in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Paddington when she noticed a woman pausing — then pacing — beside a towering parking sign. For over 10 minutes, the driver tried to make sense of its many clauses, restrictions, and time windows. Ms Phitidis filmed the incident and posted it to TikTok under her handle @phoodietiktok, where it quickly drew hundreds of comments from baffled Aussies and confused international viewers. The sign in question, located on one of Sydney's busiest thoroughfares, reads like a bureaucratic Rubik's cube. From 8am to 10.30am, the space is a loading zone. Then it becomes two-hour paid parking until 4pm, at which point it transforms into a bus lane until 7pm, but only on weekdays. From 7pm to 9pm (again, only Monday to Friday), the two-hour paid parking returns. On Saturdays and Sundays, it's also two-hour paid parking from 10.30am until 9pm, but of course, you can't forget the loading zone restrictions. Ms Phitidis cheekily captioned the video: 'She was here for 78 minutes trying to make sense of Sydney's INSANE parking sign.' Reactions online were split. Some users insisted 'people shouldn't be driving if they can't read that,' while others saw the sign as a trap. 'By the time you park there and decipher the sign, you'd probably have a ticket already,' one person wrote. 'Yeah absolutely not, I'm parking somewhere else. All I'm seeing is that you're gonna cop a fine,' another added. Others simply waved the white flag: 'I think I would drive off, too scary for me.' One commenter summed up the confusion perfectly: 'The problem is my brain is doing the thing where it's like I'm going cross-eyed & it's all merging together, twisting and turning, kinda unravelling and it feels like I'm trying to read scribble.' Still, some drivers came to the sign's defence. 'This is very easy to read, though and I'm not even from Sydney,' one argued. 'Just start from the top sign and work your way down. Takes about a minute to understand,' wrote another. A Melburnian chimed in with: 'Move aside.' Ms Phitidis said she was 'shocked by the number of people defending the signs,' rejecting the notion that it's 'super easy to read,' as one commenter claimed. 'I think parking signs should be able to be understood at a glance, not after several minutes,' Ms Phitidis told . 'Especially if you're driving and you don't want to hold up traffic and you need to reverse park. You should be able to glance at the ONE sign and understand it immediately.' 'I was also shocked by the number of commenters who were bothered enough to then type out full explanations of what each and every one of the signs was saying,' she added. 'I wrote back to a few people clarifying my position, which was 'of course I could read and understand the signs, I didn't need someone to explain them to me, my point is purely that it is overcomplicated and for what reason?'' She stressed the woman in the video was not the butt of the joke. 'People who are driving down busy Oxford Street, with loads of traffic behind them, who are going to stop traffic to park, need to be able to glance quickly and, within a few seconds, be able to decide if they can park there or not.' The confusion wasn't limited to Australians. International TikTok users also weighed in with varying levels of confidence and disbelief. 'I'm a Brit and I worked it out in 30 seconds, not that hard,' one bragged. 'Y'all, Australia is wild,' an American declared. When contacted, a spokesperson for Transport for NSW said the bus lane portion of the sign has been in place for more than 10 years and was 'implemented to improve services during the weekday afternoon peak time.' The other signs — Loading Zone, 2P Ticket, and No Parking — were installed by Woollahra Council. Sydney's tangled parking regulations have long been a point of frustration for residents. In late 2022, the city trialled Smart Signage in parts of the CBD, part of the NSW Government's $695 million Smart Technology Corridors Program. The digital signs were designed to 'improve kerbside customer information and reduce congestion in key traffic locations,' according to Transport for NSW. But for many Sydneysiders, the kerbside chaos continues.

‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most

Courier-Mail

time14 hours ago

  • Courier-Mail

‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most

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‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most
‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most

Daily Telegraph

time16 hours ago

  • Daily Telegraph

‘Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most

Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. A new report has found Aussie drivers are increasingly disabling safety systems found in modern cars which are designed to prevent serious crashes. An analysis by insurance company AAMI Insurance found a surprising one in five drivers admitted to turning these safety features off. It comes as new claims data, analysing more than 480,000 claims, from AAMI found nose to tail crashes were the most common, with afternoons being the worst time of day. Drivers are being urged to keep ADAS enabled. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard MORE: 'Musk on mute' as pet project crashes AAMI Motor Prevention Manager Mary Kennedy, says modern safety systems are designed to protect road users and encourages Aussies to embrace new technologies instead of turning them off. 'In-car safety features aren't just gadgets, they're designed to help protect us and make our roads safer,' Mary said. 'Many of the safety features drivers are turning off, like collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are really effective at preventing these types of crashing, along with many others, including reversing into another vehicle or object such as a trolley or bollard.' Of those Australians who confessed to disabling in-car safety driving features, the overwhelming majority, 69 per cent, cited that they found the systems 'annoying', 'distracting', or 'too sensitive'. Nissan Pathfinder LDW MORE: 'So lost': Huge issue hurting Aus drivers most Additionally, 23 per cent of drivers believed they 'don't need' in-car safety features, while 13 per cent expressed concerns that they just 'don't trust' them. The most commonly dialled-down or turned-off safety features were lane departure warning and lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision warning (see table below). This trend is particularly concerning, given that more than half of Australian drivers (59 per cent) agree that safety features improve road safety and reduce the severity and frequency of accidents. Subaru Infrared Driver Monitoring System detects drowsy drivers and distracted drivers on mobile phones. Picture: Supplied. Blind Spot Monitor warning in a side mirror MORE: Huge change coming to Aussie roads AAMI's claims data further supports this, showing that ADAS-enabled vehicles are less likely to be involved in an accident when compared to vehicles without this technology. When asked readers earlier this year whether modern cars are becoming too annoying and complicated, 94 per cent of the 10,102 voters agreed. Arthur, one commenter, said 'Lane keeping is useless on Aussie regional and rural roads. Your try to stay out of potholes and trucks squeezes you and the car jerks you back into the trenches.' Subaru says its next-generation EyeSight technology will automatically call for help following a crash. Australia has been slower to adopt driver monitoring systems. Picture: Supplied. While another user said 'Modern cars are intrusive and annoying.' Mary Kennedy is strongly urging drivers to keep Advanced Driver Assistance Systems activated in cars that support it and to adapt to the evolving changes in modern cars. 'Drivers should understand and use these safety features to enhance their own awareness, reduce the risk of human error, and avoid getting into an accident in the first place,' Mary said. 'We know through our claims data that Friday continues to be the worst day of the week, and afternoons are the most dangerous time on our roads.' Originally published as 'Turn it off': The tech Aussies hate most

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