Ford Ranger vs GWM Cannon Alpha

What's the difference?

Ford has hit a sweet-spot with the Ranger PHEV XLT, as it can tow up to 3.5 tonnes of braked trailer, carry almost one tonne of payload and serve as a powered site anywhere you need to work or explore. Overall, it’s a well-engineered, practical and versatile all-terrain workhorse that’s as well suited to the needs of tradies and farmers as it is to adventurers.

The Cannon Alpha Ultra PHEV combines five-star safety, a confident warranty, lavish luxury and short-haul electric driving for a competitive price. However, from a pure workhorse perspective, its class-benchmark 3500kg tow rating is offset by a modest payload limit, plus an awkward spare tyre location which could be a deal-breaker for some tradies as it compromises working floor space and the securing of loads.

At first glance most would struggle to pick the subtle visual differences between a Ranger PHEV XLT and a turbo-diesel equivalent. These include discreet ‘PHEV’ chrome garnishes on the front fenders and an additional spring-loaded flap on the passenger side to access the traction battery's charging port.

It also has unique wheel designs which are wider than those fitted as standard to diesel variants, which along with new lip mouldings and bespoke tyres have been developed to carry the higher loads of the hybrid powertrain while maintaining payload, towing and handling ability.

The only potential negative for tradies is that the Ranger PHEV is not available in cab-chassis form and the standard load tub cannot be replaced by an aftermarket tray or service body, given the hybrid drivetrain’s traction battery and Pro Power Onboard systems are fully integrated in its design.

Our test vehicle shares the same body-on-frame chassis design, twin A-arm/coil-spring front suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and electric power-assisted steering as the model it replaces, but the previous leaf-spring live rear axle has been replaced by a multi-link coil-spring arrangement. External chrome has also been greatly reduced.

Its luxurious leather-accented interior has a spacious and classy feel with a panoramic sunroof and opulent mix of surface finishes, but some tradies might consider such indulgences too fancy for carting muddy-booted crews.

The PHEV’s larger rechargeable battery pack uses up all the underfloor space behind the rear axle usually occupied by a full-size spare tyre. As a result, the steel-rimmed spare has been moved to a conspicuous location in the load tub, which not only looks like an afterthought but is far from ideal for workhorse duties (see Practicality).

Our XLT PHEV has a hefty 2527kg kerb weight which is 318kg more than its 2.0L Bi-Turbo diesel equivalent due largely to the extra weight of the hybrid drivetrain. However, by keeping the battery relatively small, Ford has prioritised workhorse capability over EV driving range based on customer feedback that influenced its design.

The XLT is the lightest of the four Ranger PHEV models which share the same 3500kg GVM, so it has the highest payload rating of 973kg. This is an excellent result, as it’s only 48kg less than the 2.0L Bi-Turbo diesel XLT and exceeds the payload ratings of its Chinese rivals.

The PHEV XLT also matches its diesel equivalent with a 3500kg braked tow rating and with its 6580kg GCM (or how much weight it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it can tow its maximum trailer weight with a drop in payload to 553kg, compared to 641kg for the diesel XLT.

The PHEV’s unique load tub has a floor that’s slightly higher to cater for the plug-in battery mounted in specially-designed chassis frame rails beneath it, which importantly allows the full-size spare wheel to be carried out of the way in its usual position under the tail.

The load floor is also 174mm longer at 1638mm, which combined with 1233mm between the rear wheel housings allows it to carry either a standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallet or two 800mm x 1200mm Euro pallets; the latter unmatched by the diesel XLT. The load tub also has a drop-in composite liner, lift-assisted tailgate, internal lighting and six sturdy load-anchorage points.

Like its Chinese rivals, the Ranger PHEV has V2L (Vehicle to Load) electrical capabilities. Ford’s 6.9kW system is called Pro Power Onboard comprising a single 10-amp 2.3kW three-pin electrical socket in the cabin and two 15-amp 3.45kW three-pin sockets housed in the left-side wall of the load-tub.

So, the Ranger PHEV is effectively a mobile generator, which eliminates the need to carry a portable one as it uses the vehicle’s traction battery (charged by the Ranger’s petrol engine as required) to provide potentially hours of energy for worksite equipment or campsites (see Engine).

Driver and front passenger storage includes a bottle-holder and bin in each front door plus an overhead glasses-holder and decent sized glove box with an open shelf above it. The centre console offers a phone pad and two USB ports up front, plus a handy slot for storing keys, two cupholders in the centre and a big lidded box at the back with a 12V socket inside.

The rear bench seating is spacious, given I’m 186cm and have about 60mm of headroom and 40mm of knee clearance when sitting behind the driver’s seat set in my position. Shoulder room can be squeezy for three large adults, though.

Rear passenger storage includes a bottle-holder and bin in each back door plus pockets on the rear of both front seat backrests. The rear of the centre console has adjustable air-vents plus one of the three 230V three-pin outlets for the Pro Power Onboard system.

The centre seat backrest also folds down to serve as an armrest complete with two cupholders. The bench seat’s base cushions can also swing up and be stored vertically if extra internal cargo space is required and to access two underfloor storage compartments.

Our test vehicle’s substantial 2810kg kerb weight is 235kg heavier than its hefty Alpha Hybrid predecessor, due largely to the bigger battery and electric motor. That makes it about half a tonne heavier than numerous conventional turbo-diesel 4x4 dual cab utes.

This substantial kerb weight contributes to a sizeable 3495kg GVM, yet results in a 685kg payload rating which is modest compared to some turbo-diesel rivals with genuine one-tonne capabilities.

It’s also rated to tow up to the class-benchmark 3500kg of braked trailer, but with its 6745kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that would require a 250kg reduction in payload (from 685kg to 435kg) to avoid exceeding the GCM.

While it’s unlikely owners would need to tow at the 3500kg maximum, it’s important to be aware of these numbers if the need arises, as that 435kg of payload could easily be used up by a crew of tradies before you could load any of their tools.

The vertical mounting of the spare wheel in the load tub not only reduces floor space and load volume but also restricts the securing of loads, given there’s no anchorage point accessible in the right rear corner of the tub.

So, all load straps extending rearwards must share the same left-side anchorage point, which is far from the ideal even spread provided by four-corner load restraint. This spare wheel location needs a rethink (perhaps a swing-away carrier favoured by 4x4 wagon owners would be better).

We also noted the big button on the two-way tailgate, which enables it to split into a pair of hinged doors, stopped working during our test. Fortunately, it could still open the tailgate as a conventional single unit.

There’s ample interior space, not only for front seat occupants but also those in the back. That includes tall people, given I’m 186cm and have at least 40mm of knee room when sitting behind the driver’s seat when set in my position.

There’s also about 80mm of rear headroom, despite the presence of a full-length sunroof which can often compromise this dimension. However, shoulder-room is tight for three adults, so two would be preferable for long trips.

Front-of-cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and bin in each front door, plus a large glove box, overhead glasses holder and a pull-out compartment for the driver in the lower dash.

The centre console offers wireless phone-charging and a lidded box (with internal air-con flow available) and two small-bottle/cupholders. Another storage nook in the lower right-side of the console offers two USB ports, a 12-volt socket and enough space for a phone.

Rear passengers get a large-bottle holder and bin in each door, pockets on the rear of both front seat backrests and small pull-out drawers under each outer seat. The rear of the centre console also offers adjustable air-vents, a pair of USB ports plus controls for seat heating/cooling and the sliding rear window.

The fold-down centre armrest offers another wireless phone-charging pad, pop-out twin cupholders and a hidden compartment for storage of phones or other slimline items.

Our Ultra test vehicle, which sits above the entry-level Lux as the premium PHEV model grade, comes in only one specification comprising a 4x4 hybrid drivetrain with four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, electric motor and plug-in rechargeable battery for a list price of $64,990.

That pricing sits between its local PHEV ute rivals including the BYD Shark 6 ($57,900) and Ford's entry-level XLT Ranger PHEV ($71,990). Our example’s 'Crystal Black' premium paint is a $595 option.

Its generous standard equipment includes 18-inch alloys with 265/60R18 tyres and a full-size steel spare, LED headlights/DRLs/fog lights/tail-lights, two-way 60/40-split tailgate with electronic lock, roof rails, side-steps, rear privacy glass with electric-sliding rear window, a panoramic sunroof, front and rear diff locks, tyre pressure monitoring, front/rear parking sensors and lots more.

The luxurious interior offers sumptuous leather-accented seating, with the front buckets having multiple power adjustments, heating/cooling and a massage mode. The outer rear seats also have heating/cooling, plus powered backrest recline and a ‘welcome’ function for easier passenger access.

There’s also a synthetic leather-wrapped steering wheel with heating, multiple 'feel' modes and functions, plus an electronic parking brake, head-up display, dual-zone climate, 64-colour ambient interior lighting and wireless phone charging/USB ports front and rear.

Cabin tech includes a 12.3-inch driver’s digital instrument cluster and premium 10-speaker ‘Infinity’ sound system, controlled by a big 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple/Android connectivity, voice commands and a vast choice of settings which allow a high degree of personalisation.

The Ranger’s PHEV powertrain consists of a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder 'EcoBoost' petrol engine that produces 138kW of power at 4600rpm and 411Nm of torque at 2700rpm.

This is paired with a 75kW electric motor which draws its energy from the 11.8kWh lithium-ion traction battery. Combined they produce total outputs of 207kW at 4600rpm and a towering 697Nm at 2500rpm. This is the second-highest power output and highest torque output of any Ranger to date, making it ideal for heavy load hauling and towing.

A 10-speed torque converter automatic integrates the motor between the engine and transmission and offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting.

This drivetrain also offers four selectable drive modes. These comprise ‘Auto EV’ which automatically switches between the petrol engine and battery to prioritise power or fuel efficiency depending on driver demands, ‘EV Now’ which only uses battery power for maximum fuel saving, ‘EV Later’ which prioritises the petrol engine to maintain the current state of battery charge (ideal if planning to use it at your destination or for EV-only driving later) and ‘EV Charge’ for charging the battery between destinations. And if it should become depleted, the Ranger’s petrol engine switches on and starts charging to ensure continued supply.

Traction battery charging is generated by the petrol engine when idling/accelerating/cruising and the motor when decelerating/applying the brakes thanks to regenerative braking. This function can be monitored by the driver using the ‘EV Coach’ display on the instrument cluster.

The PHEV drivetrain offers 2H (2WD High Range) and a full-time 4WD setting (4A) for optimum traction in all on-road conditions. For off-road use there's 4H (4WD High Range) and 4L (4WD Low Range) which both lock the front/rear axle torque split at 50:50, plus a rear diff-lock. The driver can choose from an additional seven drive modes to tailor performance to suit specific off-road terrain and other requirements.

The Alpha PHEV drivetrain consists of a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that produces 180kW of power and 380Nm of torque. This is paired with an electric motor that adds another 120kW/400Nm, so combined they officially produce 300kW and 750Nm.

The electric motor draws its energy from a 37.1kWh lithium-ion rechargeable battery. GWM claims it can be charged from 30 to 80 per cent in less than 30 minutes using 50kW DC charging, or around 6.5 hours using AC charging.

It also has up to 6.0kW of V2L (Vehicle to Load) functionality, using a dedicated adapter cable which plugs into the vehicle’s charging port and provides a standard three-pin AC outlet for numerous electric tools and appliances.

The nine-speed torque converter automatic, which offers sequential manual-shifting using steering wheel-mounted paddles, is paired with the familiar Borg Warner ‘Torque on Demand’ 4x4 system.

For road use, this has three selectable drive modes ('Standard'/'Sport'/'Eco') with the centre differential remaining unlocked to automatically adjust torque delivery between the front and rear wheels in response to any loss of traction.

For off-road use, selecting '4H' (4x4 High Range) or '4L' (4x4 Low Range) locks the centre differential to provide an even 50:50 torque split between the front and rear wheels. 4L traction can be optimised by engaging the front and rear diff-locks.

Ford claims an official combined average petrol consumption of only 2.9L/100km in ideal laboratory conditions, which is largely irrelevant in real-world use.

Our week of testing is a good example given a mix of suburban, city, highway and backroad driving that totalled 409km, during which we often switched between drive modes and hauled a heavy payload for about a quarter of that distance (see Driving).

The dash display was claiming a more realistic 9.3L/100km when we stopped to refuel and our own figure calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings was identical, which highlights the accuracy of Ford’s onboard diagnostics. That’s also thrifty sub-10L/100km economy for a vehicle weighing more than 2.5 tonnes.

So, based on our real-world consumption figure, you could expect an ‘Auto EV’ hybrid driving range of around 750km from its 70-litre tank.

Ford also claims an electric-only driving range of up to 49km, again in ideal lab conditions, but the most we were able to achieve in the real world was 29km. However, we discovered that even that relatively short driving range was more than adequate for many urban requirements (see Driving).

The battery can only be plug-in charged using AC supply (no DC fast-charging) with a maximum charge rate of 3.5kW. However, another benefit of its relatively small battery is that it can be charged from zero to 100 per cent in less than seven hours using a standard 2.3kW domestic three-pin wall socket, as we did each night. And that charge time shortens to around four hours with a 3.5kW charger.

Using the ‘EV Charge’ mode is also efficient at charging the battery with the petrol engine when driving, as it took less than 200km to go from zero to 100 per cent.

GWM claims official combined average consumption of only 1.7L/100km when the highly-charged battery allows most driving to be done in pure electric mode. GWM also claims an official ‘low charge’ figure of 7.9L/100km, when the battery is depleted and the petrol engine is doing most of the work.

It has an NEDC electric-only driving range of up to 115km and a ‘hybrid’ driving range (petrol engine and electric motor combined) of up to 1060km. The petrol engine drinks standard 91 RON unleaded.

The dash display was showing average petrol consumption of 6.4L/100km at the completion of our 324km test, which comprised a mix of suburban, city and highway driving of which about one third was hauling a heavy payload. This was lineball with our own figure of 6.2 based on fuel bowser and tripmeter readings.

Starting with 90 per cent battery charge, we completed 72km of electric-only driving before it automatically switched to hybrid mode when the charge reached 14 per cent. The system would not allow charge to drop lower than that for the remainder of our test, which was conducted in hybrid mode.

So, based on our own test figures, GWM’s claim of more than 1000km of hybrid driving range is credible from its combined 37.1kWh battery and 75-litre fuel tank capacities.

Handling and braking are beyond criticism as is the ride quality, which is no doubt enhanced by the extra sprung weight of the PHEV hardware that helps iron out the bumps when being driven without a load.

We soon discovered that around 30km of electric-only driving range is more than adequate for the daily chores of suburban ownership within a typical 5.0-10km radius from home, where the modest performance of its 75kW motor (and we assume around 300Nm of torque) did the job with silent efficiency.

We were also impressed by the PHEV's spirited performance in petrol-electric hybrid mode, with almost 700Nm of torque ensuring a strong surge of acceleration from standing starts and outstanding load-hauling ability that belies its higher kerb weight.

The battery reserves enough charge in hybrid mode (even when it’s displaying zero) to ensure the motor is always assisting the petrol engine to deliver the PHEV’s huge combined torque output.

It’s also a quiet and effortless highway cruiser, with the petrol engine requiring only 1800rpm to maintain 110km/h.

To test its load-hauling ability we forklifted 650kg into the load tub, which with our two-man crew equalled a total payload of 830kg that was about 140kg under its legal limit.

The rear leaf-springs only compressed 45mm, with ride, handling and braking unfazed by this weight. And it easily conquered our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h without requiring the dedicated 'Tow/Haul' mode.

Regenerative braking on the way down was also robust but Ford recommends using the Tow/Haul mode on steep descents, as it prioritises engine-braking to ensure that the petrol engine and electric motor are harmonised to provide the strongest retardation.

It has good steering feel with sophisticated ride quality, the latter thanks to four-coil suspension and substantial sprung weight which helps iron out the bumps and deliver a ride that’s more SUV than ute.

Flatten the accelerator from a standing start and up to 750Nm of torque responds with impressive force, even though you can feel that every one of those Newton metres is required to overcome more than 2.8 tonnes of inertia to get this jigger moving swiftly.

Although the option of sequential manual-shifting is available using the steering wheel paddles, we spent most of the test in auto mode as it felt like it was getting the best out of this complex drivetrain.

It’s a competent highway cruiser, too, with the petrol engine requiring 2200rpm to maintain 110km/h with low noise levels.

To test its GVM rating we forklifted just over half a tonne (505kg) into the load tub, which with driver equalled a 600kg payload that was less than 90kg under its limit. The rear coil springs compressed about 50mm, but there was no evidence of bottoming-out on our test route.

Ride, handling and braking were largely unaffected, along with the drivetrain which made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, was equally impressive. It never exceeded the 60km/h speed limit, even though its total vehicle weight of around 3.5 tonnes was being restrained by only a 2.0-litre four and regenerative braking.

The Cannon Alpha has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating (tested 2024) that includes seven airbags, 360-degree camera with multiple views and the active features you’d expect including AEB, front/rear parking sensors, front/rear cross-traffic alert with autonomous braking, speed sign recognition and more. The rear seat has three top-tethers plus ISOFIX child-seat anchorages for the outer seating positions.

The Ranger PHEV comes standard with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and specific eight years/160,000km warranty for the electric drivetrain and battery. Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km with capped pricing of $399 applying for each scheduled service up to five years/75,000km, whichever occurs first.

Ford also offers pre-paid service packages with substantial savings compared to pay-as-you-go servicing. The Australian Ford dealer network has almost 200 dealerships located throughout city and regional areas, which also provide vehicle servicing.

Warranty cover is seven years/unlimited km with an eight years/unlimited km traction battery warranty and seven years of roadside assist.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. GWM offers seven years of capped-price servicing totalling $4615, or an average of $659 per service.