Ford Ranger vs JAC Hunter

What's the difference?

Ford has given its Ranger ute range a mild facelift. And mild is the word. If you look closely, you might notice some small visual changes, but the real news is under the bonnet where a new entry-level powerplant lives.

And however you look at it, this new engine that addresses the ownership issues experienced by some Ranger buyers since the bi-turbo diesel engine was released back in 2018, was probably overdue.

But the new powerplant comes at a cost; in terms of power and torque, even though the vital towing statistics remain for the Ranger.

The other changes that come with this facelift include some new tech, and the availability of the V6 turbo-diesel (which is unchanged) across the entire Ranger 4X4 dual-cab line-up.

For this review, we’ve concentrated on the new engine as being the major point of difference, and we’ve driven it the base-version XL trim specification. That means this is potentially the lightest variant, and heavier specifications might blunt the performance a little. But overall, this is representative of the new powertrain and represents the biggest point of difference in what is otherwise a very minor facelift.

While the local motor industry is engaging in much hand wringing and brow furrowing over the rapid influx of new makes and models, experts are busy predicting what may happen in the longer term. What brands will still be here in 10 years? Or even ten months…

It’s a bit of a lottery, really, but in the short term, one thing is for absolute certain: Cars are getting cheaper to buy.

That’s despite a never-before-seen level of technology and sophistication, too, and we’re now seeing full electric vehicles hitting the market at $30,000 or so - a number unheard of just a year or two ago when front-loading an EV’s ownership costs was a given.

But it’s happening in the dual-cab ute world, too. Disruptors like the BYD Shark 6 and the GWM Cannon Alpha have taught us that a turbo-diesel driveline is not necessarily the way forward for all of us. And now there’s this vehicle, the JAC Hunter dual-cab which stretches the concept of fries-with-that across an even tighter budget.

The Hunter is not just an off-road capable dual-cab: It’s also a plug-in hybrid with a sophisticated driveline that offers a claimed 100km of EV-only running from a full battery. But the Hunter is not just a techno statement, it also hits the market at under $50,000.

Interested? So were we.