Ford Ranger vs Land Rover Discovery Sport

What's the difference?

The Super Duty is the most formidable workhorse in the Ranger fleet. It projects a feeling of immense strength each time you drive it, reflecting payload and tow ratings well beyond traditional limits for vehicles of this size combined with formidable all-terrain capabilities. For tradies wanting the ultimate Ranger workhorse, the Super Duty is clearly in a class of its own - a class which it created.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e has a beautiful and practical cabin space. The powertrain didn't always convince me on the road but it does offer decent economy, if you charge it often.

The media system left a lot to be desired and having to pay around $15K extra for all of the customisations means it's not as affordable as what it initially seems. Still, if you’re looking for a plug-in hybrid with a great cabin and on-road looks, this is a good option.

The Super Duty, originally based on Ford’s F-series full-size US pickup range, has been a mainstay on farms, building sites and in remote terrain since its inception as a standalone model in 1998, but this is the first time the nameplate has been applied to the Aussie designed and developed Ranger.

Ford claims the Ranger Super Duty resulted from extensive consultation with workers in industries that depend on their trucks in the harshest remote environments, from forestry crews and emergency service workers to land managers and fleet teams.

The challenge was to create a medium-sized truck with higher payload/tow ratings and greater all-terrain capability, as the only vehicles strong enough to carry their gear were too big and unwieldy to access critical locations.

In response, the Ranger Super Duty features a unique reinforced version of the Ranger’s chassis frame, incorporating readily accessible mounting points for a variety of aftermarket accessories and specialised equipment.

There’s also a new heavy-duty rear axle assembly with the largest and strongest differential ever fitted to a production Ranger for enhanced load-carrying capacity, paired with a unique uprated version of the US Bronco Raptor’s front diff.

The two-speed transfer case also has larger and stronger components than the regular Ranger and its low-speed gearset has been upgraded to match the F-series Super Duty.

Other chassis enhancements include uprated eight-stud wheel hubs with stronger bolts, improved cooling system to manage engine temps under heavy loads and during sustained off-road driving, a sealed engine snorkel and high-mounted breathers for the drivetrain/fuel system to enable its 850mm wading depth (50mm deeper than standard Ranger) and more. There was also a brutal and prolonged durability testing program to validate its Super Duty status.

Off-road credentials include steep 36.3 degrees approach, 26.9 degrees ramp breakover and 29.3 degrees departure angles, 299mm ground clearance and an expansive 13.6-metre turning circle which is the largest of all Ranger variants including the wide-tyred Raptor.

The updated Disco Sport gets new underpinnings which are shared with the Range Rover Evoque.

The body has seen a minor facelift but honestly, it’s so slight only die-hard fans will notice anything different. Overall, it still has the styling that people know and love.

It’s once you head inside that the facelift becomes far more apparent. Gone is the more traditional looking e-shifter and in its place is a rather nubby-looking one.

The dashboard looks more streamlined and features wider padded accents and in our test model, we have the Oyster and Black upholstery which does make it look quite luxurious. There are a few too many blank spaces for me personally but it looks slick.

Accentuating the dashboard is a floating-effect multimedia system and a large digital instrument cluster – both of which look great but there are no other control buttons or dials. I’m not a fan of the fact that you’re 100 per cent reliant on the tech screens and I'll explain why in the Practicality section.

The optioned panoramic roof makes the cabin feel airy and it's cool that it has a memory function – it will close when you turn off the car but reopen upon starting again.

Proof of the increased solidity of the Ranger Super Duty single cab-chassis is its hefty 2518kg kerb weight, which in bare cab-chassis form (without tray) is 625kg more than a standard 2.0L Ranger XL single cab-chassis 4x4 equivalent.

The Super Duty’s 4500kg GVM results in a huge 1982kg payload limit. It’s also rated to tow up to 4500kg of braked trailer and with its towering 8000kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it can tow its maximum 4.5 tonne trailer weight while hauling almost one tonne of payload.

These are big numbers when compared to our standard XL Ranger example, given that the Super Duty has a 645kg higher payload rating, 1000kg higher tow rating and 1650kg higher GCM rating.

The galvanised full steel tray is equipped with six internal load anchorages, each rated up to 1800kg, which lie flush with the checker-plate floor when not in use.

There’s also external rope rails beneath the tray along each side and a sturdy front bulkhead with wire-mesh rear window protection.

As previously highlighted, this tray ensemble includes a driver-side lockable toolbox and passenger-side water tank (complete with handwash pump bottle) mounted behind their respective rear wheels.

Its work-focused interior is a comfortably familiar place for Ranger single cab-chassis workhorse owners, with fabric bucket seats, wipe-clean vinyl floor and large ‘Super Duty’ lettering embossed in the passenger side dash.

Cabin storage includes a bottle-holder and bin in each door, pop-out cupholders on each side of the dash, an overhead glasses holder, upper/lower glove boxes plus a well-equipped centre console with wireless phone charging, USB ports, two cupholders, 400W (230V) inverter and a storage box with internal 12V socket and padded lid that doubles as an elbow rest.

With it's 4597mm length, 2173mm width and 1727mm height, the Discovery Sport is technically classed as a medium SUV but the cabin space is much larger than it has any right to be.

Both rows have ample head- and legroom for both my 168cm (5ft6') height and those much taller. When you have a co-pilot, you’re also not jostling for elbow room and it’s easy to slide in and out of because of the 212mm ground clearance.

The amenities up front are good with the update seeing more decent sized individual storage options.

There are two cubbies in the centre console as well as two cupholders and a medium-sized middle console. The glove box can hold more than a manual and the storage bins with their single drink bottle holders are also larger than before.

The powered front seats are comfortable and the optioned heat functions are most welcome on the cooler days we've been having lately.

The back seats also have superior padding comfort but you sit on top of, rather than in, them which is typical of an SUV.

The amenities and storage are what you would expect for the grade level with a fold-down armrest with two cup holders and small storage cubby, directional air vents, reading lights, map pockets and small storage bin in each door.

There is also an accessory hole to attach device holders on the backs of the front seats - perfect for hooking up a screen for little ones on a long journey.

The P300e loses points on its practicality with the multimedia system. You eventually get used to using it while on the go, even though the lack of buttons/dials means more time is spent with your eyes on the screen.

That's when the screen turns on. The display has cut out a few times this week and the wireless connectivity for Bluetooth and the connection for Apple CarPlay (wireless or wired) drops out a lot.

The P300e I'm driving is brand-spanking-new, so it may just be a case of something that needs calibrating but for a lot of the Land Rovers I've sampled in the past, the media system seems to be the area with the biggest teething issues.

That being said, the built-in satellite navigation is top-notch and easy to use. The directions also get displayed on the instrument cluster and optioned HUD.

The charging options are excellent with the front row getting three USB-C ports and a large wireless charging pad. The rear gets two USB-A ports and two USB-C ports plus a 12-volt socket and the boot also has a 12-volt socket. Totally spoiled for choice.

The boot is a great size at 897L with all seats in use and that jumps up to 1749L when the rear seats are folded flat. The rear row also has a 40/20/40 split, which opens up storage opens.

There is a temporary spare tyre housed underneath the flat floor and a powered tailgate comes standard in this model, which I always like.

The Discovery Sport is offered in four grades and the model on test in this review is the plug-in hybrid mid-level P300e.

The P300e is priced from $102,125 before on road costs but the addition of the plug-in hybrid powertrain means that it is actually $8855 more expensive than the flagship HSE.

In terms of its rivals, the P300e sits towards the middle of the line-up with the Volvo XC60 Recharge Plus PHEV coming in as the most affordable at $92,990 before on-road costs, then the Lexus NX450+ PHEV at $93,498. Sitting at the more expensive is the Audi Q5 55 TFSIe at $106,600 and then the BMW X3 xDrive30e M Sport PHEV at $111,800.

However, our test model does have a few optioned extras which ups the price tag and its position in the pack.

Those options include:

- A Technology Pack for $4700 which adds a digital rearview mirror, head-up display, and a 360-degree camera system with wade sensors.

- A fixed panoramic roof for $3040.

- Upgraded Meridian Surround Sound System for $2220.

- Upgraded 20-inch alloy wheels for $2080.

- Heated front seats for $860.

- Home charging cable for $520.

- Titanium mesh trim for $420.

All of that brings the grand total to $117,290, before on roads. Which is no small lump of change for what is essentially just a baby Land Rover.

Standard luxury and practical features include powered front seats with a three-position memory function for the driver, synthetic leather upholstery, keyless entry, push-button start, powered tailgate, temporary spare-tyre, and dual-zone climate control.

Technology includes an 11.4-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Android Auto, wireless charging pad, Bluetooth connectivity, and DAB+ Digital Radio.

The update also sees wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay, an Amazon Alexa app, as well as new USB-C ports, as opposed to USB-A ports from the previous model.

All Ranger Super Duty models are powered by the same 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel, which meets tough Euro 6.2 emission standards using AdBlue. It produces 154kW of power at 3250rpm and a towering 600Nm of torque at 1750rpm.

This is paired with a 10-speed torque converter automatic with the choice of sequential manual-shifting using a toggle switch on the shift knob. It also offers seven drive modes to optimise performance in different terrain applications.

The full-time 4WD transfer case allows drivers to switch between high and low ranges and access other technologies when tackling difficult terrain including 'Trail Control' (low-speed off-road cruise control), 'Trail Turn Assist' (applies braking to the inside rear wheel to tighten turning radius), front and rear diff locks and more.

The Discovery Sport P300e has a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder plug-in hybrid turbo-petrol engine with an eight-speed auto transmission and is an all-wheel drive.

The engine produces a combined power output of 227kW and 540Nm of torque. On paper, it’s punchy and can do a 0-100km/h sprint in 6.6 seconds but in practice, it’s not always great at using that power.

Vehicles in this GVM class do not come with official fuel consumption figures. Even so, we clocked up 385km during our tradie-focused test which included our usual mix of suburban, city, highway and unsealed road driving, of which about one quarter was hauling its near maximum payload.

When we stopped to refuel at the end of our test, the dash display was showing average combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) consumption of 13.4L/100km which was lower than our own figure of 15.5 calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings.

That’s still decent economy for a heavy-duty off-roader driven in the daily grind of metro traffic, during which it hauled more than one tonne of payload for a day.

Therefore, based on our own test figures, you could expect a real-world driving range of more than 800km from its big 130-litre diesel tank.

The official combined fuel cycle consumption figure is 2.1L/100km and my real-world usage sits a 4.8L/100km after doing some open-roading and lots of urban trips this week. For an SUV of this size and with it's power, that's pretty darn good.

The trick is to regularly charge it for maximum fuel economy gains and that's not always practical.

Officially, you get up to 66km of pure electric range in this but expect closer to 47km in the real world. 

The P300e has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can hook this up to a fast charger. On a 50kW system, you can go from 0-80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes but on a 7kW system, going from 0-100 per cent jumps up to to two hours and 12 minutes.

Expect to leave it on charge overnight on a standard domestic socket.

The driving range based on the official combined fuel cycle is obscene, and I can't see it happening in real life - so, based on my fuel economy figure and the 58L fuel tank, expect a theoretical driving range of up to 1208km.

It has a comfortable driving position with huge door mirrors providing commanding views. There’s also plenty of headroom for blokes my size (186cm) plus manual adjustment of the steering wheel and seat (including lumbar support) and a big left footrest for additional support.

The steering feels great like all Rangers, backed by sure-footed handling and strong braking response. The unladen ride quality is surprisingly supple for such a heavy lifter, given the combined effect of its baggy tyre sidewalls and the vehicle's substantial sprung weight helping to iron out the bumps.

Given its hefty kerb mass, acceleration feels slightly subdued compared to a standard V6 Ranger, as you’d expect. However, it still provides a satisfying surge of response in urban use thanks to 600Nm of torque and gearing that keeps the engine operating at or near its peak torque output at around 1800rpm.

It’s a relaxed highway cruiser with low engine and tyre noise. The most noticeable ingress at these speeds is mild wind buffeting around bulky fixtures like the engine snorkel, door mirrors and tray bulkhead, but it’s not overly intrusive with conversation not requiring raised voices.

To test its payload rating we firstly put our test vehicle on a public weighbridge. Unladen and with a full tank of fuel, it tipped the scales at 3130kg which after deducting the 2518kg base kerb weight revealed a sizeable combined accessory weight of 612kg.

So, given accessories are included in kerb weight, the Super Duty’s 'naked' 1982kg payload rating drops by the same amount to 1370kg, which is still a mighty capacity for a vehicle of this size.

We strapped 975kg on the tray, which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of 1150kg (still more than 200kg under its limit) which the onboard scales vaguely confirmed. The robust rear leaf springs compressed a mere 30mm in response, leaving ample bump-stop clearance that ensured no bottoming out on our test route.

The Super Duty carried this payload with arrogant ease, maintaining its surefooted handling and scoffing at our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb. It also displayed strong engine braking on the way down, in a convincing demonstration of its heavy load hauling ability.

The Discovery Sport P300e has the goods on paper when it comes to power and it does... once you're up to speed. That's when you can punch it and feel confident at overtaking or keeping your speed consistent on hills.

It's when you're accelerating from a full-stop that it becomes a bit lacklustre as there's serious lag between accelerating and actually moving forward. Accept that you will have to accommodate for this inaction whenever you are joining or crossing traffic from a standstill.

Besides this little hiccup in the power delivery, handling on the whole is good.

The Disco Sport is easy to manoeuvre and you don’t feel like you’re driving something big, despite the ample cabin space. It also handles itself well in corners without too much roll.

The switch between the electric and petrol components isn’t always the smoothest but when it’s in its electric mode it’s blissfully quiet. The cabin feels refined too because you don’t get a lot of external noise in the cabin at all.

The wide windows and higher ride means visibility is great and the optioned digital rearview mirror adds another viewpoint if the back window isn’t clear.

The Disco Sport proves to be nimble and easy to park with the optioned and clear 360-degree camera system, and the sensors at the front and rear are sensitive.

The Discovery Sport plug-in hybrid variant is not covered by its siblings' five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2022, so the P300e is unrated but features some good safety gear.

Standard items include AEB, blind spot monitoring, driver attention alert, tyre pressure monitoring, rear collision warning, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning, and adaptive cruise control.

The traffic sign recognition tech is dreadfully intrusive, which impacts the driving enjoyment. I turn the warning sound alerts off each time I hop in as it's like a small child is hitting the same piano key over and over again - just to give you a sense of the sound itself and resulting annoyance.

It has seven airbags but interestingly, and unusually, the seventh one is a pedestrian airbag.

This model misses out on lane departure warning but for any families, there are ISOFIX mounts on the rear outboard seats plus three top tethers and you should be able to get three seats back if they’re not too big.

The Ranger Super Duty comes with the same five years/unlimited km warranty shared by all Ranger models, with up to seven years of conditional roadside assist available if serviced at Ford dealerships.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first.

Ford offers a pre-paid service plan that provides capped price servicing for the first five scheduled services up to five years/75,000km, which totals $2100 or a reasonable average of $420 per service.

Ford has a long-established network of around 180 dealers spanning all states and territories including key rural and regional areas.

The Discovery Sport comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty and the battery is covered by an eight-year/ 160,000km warranty which is a usual term to see for this class now.

There is a five-year capped-price servicing program which costs a flat $2100, or $420 which is both reasonable for the class and is more affordable than a pay-as-you-go option. There is also a five-year roadside assistance program as a part of your servicing plan through Assist Australia.

Servicing intervals are great at every 12 months or 20,400km, whichever occurs first.