When you can survive in Iceland, you’ll be able to survive wherever. That applies to individuals… and vehicles.
So, what higher place to launch a go-anywhere dual-cab ute? That’s precisely how Ford noticed it, because the American producer invited us to fly all the way in which from Melbourne to Reykjavik, Iceland to expertise the brand new Ranger PHEV.
Offered alongside common diesel variations of the Ranger in Australia, the PHEV makes all the identical guarantees of unrivalled towing capability, off-road functionality and liveability. That’s proper, Ford says it’ll ‘nonetheless do ute issues’.
It’ll additionally do plug-in hybrid issues, like drive solely on electrical energy, supply exportable electrical energy, and eat much less gas than your commonplace dual-cab. The extent to which it may possibly do these issues (notably the EV factor) is proscribed, nonetheless, by a comparatively small 11.8kWh (usable) lithium-ion drive battery.
However it may possibly nonetheless do ute issues! Which brings us again to Iceland, and the day-long drive curated to reveal the PHEV’s prowess, each on- and off-road.
Our start line was the capital metropolis of Reykjavik, dwelling to a inhabitants of roughly 140,000 individuals. For context, that’s lower than you’ll discover in Geelong, Cairns or Newcastle. In different phrases, it’s extra of a sleepy coastal city than a sprawling metropolis.
Nonetheless, it feels positively bustling in comparison with what lies outdoors town limits.
The primary leg of our drive concerned a northbound freeway stint on Route 1, the principle nationwide street that circles the complete island, and it shortly turned clear that Iceland is made up of barely-touched wilderness damaged up by small cities, none of which have names that may simply be pronounced by Aussies such as you or me.
Visitors was minimal and the freeway comparatively straight, so our consideration shortly turned to the Ranger and its new get together tips. Amongst these is the battery and electrical motor pairing, which permit for each hybrid and EV driving.
Ford claims that the Ranger PHEV can journey as much as 49km on electrical energy alone. We examined that and fell effectively quick, managing simply 33km with two passengers and minimal baggage onboard. Nevertheless, most of these kilometres have been chalked up on the freeway – a demanding check of EV vary.
In Australia, the Ranger PHEV is in comparison with the likes of the BYD Shark 6 and Cannon Alpha Phev gum. My takeaway from our little experiment was that for those who’re planning to circumnavigate Iceland’s ring street with out expelling any CO2, these plug-in hybrid ute alternate options come up trumps.
We additionally clocked a 0-100km/h dash of 8.95 seconds – make of that what you’ll.
On-road efficiency and gas effectivity is necessary, however Ford was extra considering proving that the Ranger PHEV is a correct workhorse worthy of the badge, an intent confirmed throughout our morning breakfast cease at Kleif Farm.
Located about 40 minutes north of Reykjavik, Kleif Farm is a getaway villa located amongst excessive peaks, flowing water and dust tracks, the latter offering an ideal alternative to load up the Ranger PHEV for a fast towing check.
Considerably remarkably this was my first time towing, and whereas hazards have been few and much between, I used to be slightly nervous. Fortunately, the Ranger was as much as the duty, with sufficient grunt to tug a trailer filled with heavy hay bales across the property.
Given my inexperience, we then had a mess around with the Professional Trailer Backup Help characteristic, which lets you ‘steer’ the trailer utilizing the outer ring of the drive mode controller on the centre console. It feels fairly unnatural at first, however after some apply I earned a pat on the again for neatly backing the trailer right into a creekside parking spot.
The Ranger PHEV is rated to tow as much as 3.5 tonnes like its diesel-powered siblings, however it’s price noting that we’ve beforehand noticed the smaller EcoBoost petrol engine feels notably strained when attempting to haul something above 2.0 tonnes.
Ford additionally used the cease off at Kleif Farm to reveal ‘Professional Energy Onboard’, in any other case often known as exportable energy within the type of two 15A energy shops constructed into the Ranger PHEV’s tub. These can be utilized to energy a wide selection of energy instruments, electronics and tenting tools – on this case a giant round noticed.
It’s a characteristic that Ford is pushing as a part of the Ranger PHEV gross sales pitch, and it’s not the one producer to take action. Simply final 12 months I attended the BYD Shark 6 launch in Damaged Hill, throughout which we have been served espresso out of the tubs of the check automobiles – a neat contact.
Each fashions can function a cell cafe, however Ford has BYD and GWM coated for output capability. There’s solely a lot you are able to do with a stationary ute although, so we hit the freeway once more searching for a brand new problem.
Looping round east in direction of the centre of the island, the pure fantastic thing about Iceland as soon as once more took centre stage.
June marks the start of summer time right here, and which means the melting of ice, yellowing of grass and seemingly infinite 20-hour days. Glaciers and volcanoes additionally dot the barren panorama, therefore why Iceland is called ‘the land of fireplace and ice’.
I spent most of this leg within the passenger seat, gazing out the window with digital camera in hand, awestruck. Nevertheless, a fast look throughout on the instrument cluster revealed our check automobile was now working on an empty battery, and consuming upwards of 9.0L/100km in consequence.
That kind of determine might be acquainted to diesel Ranger house owners, however it’s not fairly what you’re after from a hybrid. The takeaway right here is that PHEVs want a charged battery to make sense, particularly when that battery performs an element in so many key automobile features.
The second leg of our journey wrapped up in ‘Springfield’. No, not that Springfield, for all you Simpsons followers on the market. Fairly, this was a small city on the base of a not-so-small volcano. And, in contrast to the setting of The Simpsonsright here you’ll discover geothermal scorching springs bursting up via the earth.
This shouldn’t have come as a shock, as Iceland is essentially the most volcanic island on this planet. Eruptions happen roughly each 5 years, though the frequency of such occasions has elevated lately.
The Reykjanes Peninsula has seen 9 eruptions since 2023, the primary of which resulted within the evacuation of 4000 individuals from the city of Grindavík within the nation’s south. Many of the city’s residents haven’t returned since, with many properties offered to the state.
Fortunately, the Grensdalur Volcano remained sedate throughout our go to, permitting for some close by off-roading within the Ranger PHEV. Ford’s deliberate route included a mixture of river crossings, gravel tracks, and correct mountain ascents, all of which introduced out totally different traits of the Ranger.
We cycled via the four-wheel drive drive modes all through – 4H for flatter sections of dust, 4L for the steeper, extra aggressive climbs, and even turned to Hill Descent Management (HDC) on the way in which again down the mountain.
Not one of the water crossings we made have been notably treacherous, as you’ll most likely discover within the photographs under. Nevertheless, it was comforting to know the battery is protected by its place above the rear axle.
The Ranger PHEV retains all of the necessary package fitted to straightforward diesel variants, together with a rear differential lock, the aforementioned 4WD modes, and underbody safety.
One key distinction between the fashions is that the PHEV is able to silent EV off-roading, though our depleted battery wasn’t actually in a state to supply this. Nonetheless, the turbo-petrol engine within the PHEV is quieter than its diesel counterpart, and we have been in a position to attain the ultimate peak with out making a distasteful racket.
The summit offered an elevated vantage level of a panorama we had solely beforehand seen from floor degree, and boy was it an enlightening view. Not as a result of there was loads to see – fairly the other, actually.
Our information shared that arctic foxes have been the one creatures to be discovered on the island when the Vikings first arrived some 12 centuries in the past, and never a lot appears to have modified since.
Bar the native horses and some sheep, wildlife is difficult to come back by. As a result of for all its rugged allure, Iceland remains to be a desolate and harsh place to name dwelling.
Its unforgiving nature has given rise to spectacular feats of human innovation, together with a geothermal vitality community made up of enormous pipelines that transport each scorching water and steam, the latter used to generate electrical energy for the nation.
We got here throughout a few of these pipes throughout our descent, however I wouldn’t suggest getting too shut – the presence of hydrogen sulfide makes the air odor like rotten eggs… no thanks!
Shifting swiftly onward, a spaghetti-like set of free gravel trails led us again to the bottom of the mountain, all vehicles nonetheless in good well being.
Ford hardly requested us to beat on their brand-new machines, however the Ranger PHEV appears a welcome addition to the dual-cab ute market, and a worthy rival to the 2 large identify plug-in hybrids from China.
A closing freeway stint introduced our expedition to an finish, not more than eight hours after it begun. Brief and candy, as they are saying.
For me, that meant boarding a aircraft again to Melbourne the subsequent morning, however the identical couldn’t be stated for our Blue Oval chariots. That’s as a result of the Ranger PHEV is about to be a staple of Iceland’s ute market, though it gained’t come low-cost – a diesel Ranger Wildtrak retails for the equal of A$155,000, as all vehicles are typically dearer right here.
With out being an professional on the Icelandic automotive market, I couldn’t inform the locals whether or not that’s first rate worth. However what I can say is that the Ford Ranger PHEV may be slightly totally different, however it may possibly nonetheless do ‘ute issues’.
