Blue Tongue XH15 vs Ford Ranger

What's the difference?

Given that Blue Tongue is a relative latecomer to the hybrid caravan market, it’s done its homework.

For $50,000, the HX15 is a great value, highly capable off-road camper with a comprehensive list of features to keep it self-contained and self-sufficient when you're camping.

That it includes an island bed, 2000-watt inverter, grey-water tank and enough battery capacity to free camp almost endlessly, is a testament to all that. 

The Ford Ranger is a strong starting point for a plug-in hybrid upgrade. And there are valid pros accompanying the addition of a high-voltage battery. But those benefits aren’t primarily seen on the road.

In fact, given its higher price, the Ranger PHEV loses out when compared to its BYD and GWM rivals, which offer more features and a far higher EV range at lower prices.

The Ranger doesn’t compromise its ‘ute-ness’ as its rivals do in different ways. But its target audience is likely relatively small. One that's willing to fork out for a capable, comfortable ute that can power a campsite or run tools on the job.

If you want an EV that just looks like a ute, this isn’t it. But if you're after a dual cab that can do proper ute things, with a bonus when it comes to efficiency and convenience, you’ll need deep pockets.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

A lot of these hybrid campers are little more than expensive metal boxes with a large bed inside, although the Blue Tongue is a little more than that.

It has a fold-out extension from the driver's side of the camper, which contains the queen-sized bed. By expanding sideways, rather than rearwards, Blue Tongue's managed to create access around the bed from three sides. The upside is, no one ever has to climb over the other, or shuffle along it, to get in. It's a feature almost unique in the genre.
Considering the XH15 also fits a small shower and toilet cubicle, cosy dinette, a small sink, bunk bed and heaps of storage, it's quite a practical little space that doesn't feel as cramped as it sounds.

The dinette lounge is good for the occasional meal away from the bugs, while the bunk above it folds up to improve access. And even if you're not travelling with a child, it makes a great shelf.

The en-suite, if we can call it that, is naturally compact. With its own toilet and shower plumbed into the grey-water tank, this is a fully self-contained camper, which is becoming increasingly more important at many free and remote bush camps.

The Ford Ranger’s interior is impressive for a dual-cab ute when it comes to layout and functionality.

A large 12-inch touchscreen dominates the central space on the dash, but there are still physical controls for the climate settings and the screen has shortcuts to main functions thanks to Ford’s 'Sync' software.

A big 12.4-inch driver display is similarly handy, being clear in its layout and able to be customised to the extent you’d expect from a modern bit of kit.

As mentioned, in the XLT you miss out on a few goodies, but the phone charger found in other variants is placed out of the way, under the screen and behind the gear shift.

Cupholders are similarly out of the way of any buttons or controls, and the gear-shifter itself is mercifully a traditional one rather than a dial or buttons.

With everything in an ergonomically sensible place, it’s similarly comforting that the seats and the steering wheel can be adjusted to find a suitable position.

It’s still a dual-cab ute, so don’t anticipate ‘melt-into-the-seat’ levels of comfort, but the space on offer in the front and rear seats is enough for an adult to feel at ease on even a long trip.

Behind the cabin, there’s space for two euro pallets according to Ford, with a payload as high as 973kg for the XLT. The Stormtrak’s 808kg payload is the lowest of the bunch, with Sport (934kg) and Wildtrak (885kg) slotting in between.

There’s a spare tyre underneath the tub and the ability to tow a 3500kg braked trailer - all combining to make it the most functional workhorse on offer in the plug-in hybrid ute segment. The GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV can tow 3.5-tonne and the BYD Shark 6’s payload is okay, but neither can do it all.

That said, the Ranger falls short in the plug-in game, which we’ll get to shortly.

The 15-foot off-roader is well balanced behind our tow car. At tare, there's 150kg on the ball, which gives it room to move up once a load is added. We carried a load of camping gear, nearly 200 litres of water and the fridge, all of which helps add stability to the combination.

Towing the XH15 along the highway, it tracked beautifully and even with soft, off-road suspension it didn't wobble around. Onto the narrower, winding roads into Wee Jasper, it was compliant and followed without incident.

When the drive became a bit challenging, such as when we had to navigate steep, loose tracks into our campsite, the camper's high-clearance, angled cutaways and off-road hitch made sure none of its underbody scraped or bumped on the ground.

It rides on coil-spring, independent suspension with dual-shock absorbers each side and this is a robust, well-proven system, which is really great when roads become a little rougher. 

During a presentation and Q&A to media before the launch drive program, the Ford Australia team was keen to spruik how handy the PHEV’s battery would be for things like powering worksite equipment or for use during camping trips.

Alternately, focus on how the battery might come into play while on the road was modest. And behind the wheel it became clear why.

On-paper, the 49km electric driving range seems handy, but the NEDC testing which produced that figure is known for being optimistic.

On top of that, the launch program's highway driving wasn’t prime EV territory. In fact, we were encouraged to keep the cars in ‘charge’ mode to leave enough electric power in reserve to experience the Ranger PHEV’s off-road capabilities.

As mentioned, fuel consumption doesn’t exactly skyrocket even while the engine is charging the battery, but to make the most of the Ranger’s EV range you’d want to have a relatively short commute.

In terms of its on-road manners, the Ranger’s status as a benchmark for the category means even with the extra weight of the battery, the PHEV performs well.

Its 75kW EV output means driving under the electric motor’s power alone is reserved for low speed, but it does well to boost the torque provided by the engine. While it’s no sports car, it doesn’t feel sluggish.

The Ranger’s suspension does well to balance relative softness when it comes to bumps and rough surfaces without feeling like it doesn’t have the ute's weight under control.

If you want the best on-road driving experience from a Ranger, a V6-powered variant will provide the balance of comfort and power you seek.

Off-road, the PHEV’s capability is likely more than enough for most weekend warriors.

The electrified ute’s ability to use battery and engine to carefully cover terrain that would likely intimidate any off-road beginner is impressive. But we'll wait until we can get the Ranger PHEV onto home turf for a proper off-highway test before making a definitive judgement.