Ford Ranger vs Porsche Cayenne

What's the difference?

The Ford Ranger PHEV is an impressive plug-in hybrid ute. Its positives – including equipment, comfort and capability as well as acting as a novel power source for your job-site or campsite – will appeal to those who might otherwise prefer a diesel Ranger, but it comes at a cost. The Ranger has a bigger price-tag than the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha, and offers less than those two competitors in terms of battery capacity and electric-only driving range. The Ranger brand has a strong following in Australia though, and the plug-in version will likely attract its fair share of fans.

Of all the super SUVs I've piloted, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is the best all-rounder in terms of performance, comfort, cabin technology and style.

As a family car it's roomy, practical and easy to use and drive daily.

As a performance car the Turbo GT is stupidly quick, with the agility of a sports car. Sure, a 911 would leave it behind on a twisty race track, but this SUV is close to having that sportscar experience and keeping your family, as well.

The Ranger’s appearance mostly stays the same except for a few little things – inside and out – that indicate this is a PHEV.

For starters, there are the little blue EV triangles on the rego plates, PHEV badging on the front wheel arches, as well as an electric charging port over the rear-left wheel arch, and the tub’s raised base to compensate for the battery underneath.

Inside, it has the 12-inch vertically-oriented touchscreen system up front rather than the 10.1-inch version in ‘normal’ Rangers.

It also has an EV button on the centre console which the driver uses to cycle through the EV driving options: Auto EV, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge.

Our test vehicle has the optional General Grabber all-terrain tyres (255/65R18) and matching spare, as well as Asphalt Black 18-inch alloy wheels.

In terms of dimensions, it is 5403mm long (incl. tow receiver), its wheelbase is 3270mm, it’s 2207mm wide (with wing mirrors out), 1883mm high and has a listed kerb weight of 2566kg.

For reference, the Cannon Alpha PHEV is 5445mm long (with a 3350mm wheelbase), 1991mm wide and 1924mm high; while the BYD Shark 6 is 5457mm long (with a 3360mm wheelbase), 1971mm wide and 1925mm high.

Interesting to note, the battery, wiring and 240V outlets for now prevent the tub being removed in order to fit a tray or canopy. But the aftermarket will soon figure out how to do that.

The tub is standard Ranger stuff, with a sturdy-looking liner, four fixed-in-place tie-down points, a 12-volt outlet, and LED lighting – but it also has two sliding tie-down points mounted high on each inner sidewall of the tub and that adds some flexibility to the cargo area.

Noteworthy is the fact that the Ranger has a built-in step on both exterior sides of the tub towards the rear, providing a safe place in which to put your foot when you want to gain a higher position in order to pack or adjust something in the cargo area, or even climb into the tub.

This might be a personal thing but to me nearly all Porsches look better from the back than the front.

It's the wide stance and powerful haunches, the hunkered down suction-capped-to-the-road look that does it for me and the Cayenne Turbo GT, despite being an SUV, passes this important Porsche checklist item.

The GT aero kit only serves to make this SUV look more of a beast, and the gold-bronze looking satin Neodyne wheels are a Porsche theme that I've not always been a fan of, but I get the historic connection.

If only the Turbo GT could look a little less like other Cayennes from the front. This is the king of the SUV range and despite the apron and bumper already being exclusive to this model, there should be more.

Vents in the wheel arches, carbon bonnet with nostrils GT3-style perhaps? Or is that going too far? If you do want something more lairy then there's always the Urus.

The Cayenne Turbo GT's cabin is stunning in its plushness and modern surprises such as the passenger display, the hoodless instrument digital cluster, the lashings of Race-Tex upholstery everywhere. It's perfectly Porsche. High-performance meets high-end.

It's also highly practical. Let's talk about that.

The Ranger PHEV retains what’s good about the ‘normal’ Ranger: a practical and comfortable interior with busy tech.

In fact, the Ranger’s interior has become so familiar over the years that. with its clean layout and user-friendly setup, it’s an easy space in which to spend many hours.

The Sport gets leather upholstery and plenty of soft-touch surfaces mixed in with the life-ready durability of plastic sections.

Upfront, the aforementioned 12-inch touchscreen system is a labyrinth of menus and sub-menus, but it’s easy to get your head around if you give yourself enough time to figure out where everything is.

If it’s charging you’re after there are USB-A and USB-C ports upfront and a wireless charging pad.

Storage? There’s a centre console receptacle, bottle holders in the doors, and cupholders upfront, and in the back-row armrest.

This Ranger’s front seats are as comfortable as usual: supportive and adjustable in numerous ways to suit the user – power-adjustable for the driver, manual for the front-seat passenger.

There’s plenty of head room in this cabin, even with the optional ceiling-mounted panel of auxiliary switches fitted to our test vehicle to offer aftermarket-style operational versatility.

The rear seats are, as expected, not as comfortable as the front seats but are more than adequate. Passengers back there have access to cupholders in the fold-down armrest, as well as an air-con control panel, USB-A and USB-C ports, a 230V power outlet, and dual air vents in the back of the centre console.

As for the tub, it’s 1605mm long, 1520mm wide (1217mm between the wheel arches), 498mm deep and has a listed load height of 878mm.

For securing loads, it has four tie-down points, and the Adventure pack’s cargo management system (moveable tie-down points in rails on the tub’s inner sidewalls).

It also has two 15A power outlets (3.45kW each) in the tub, connected to this Ranger’s Pro Power On-Board system which uses the battery pack to provide power through those points, and it can provide up to 6.9kW of output via three 240V plugs and a 10-amp outlet inside the cabin with 2.3kW of output – for a total capacity of 6900W.

This Ranger does not have a 12V outlet in the tub.

While the raised tub floor reduces the tub’s packability and the battery weight affects payload, the benefit here is that you can use the Ranger as a job-site or campsite generator, letting it run/charge the battery even while the vehicle itself is switched off and locked.

You can charge the Ranger at home – a Mode 2 home charging cable is supplied – using a standard 240V wall socket. The 11.8kWh battery takes about seven hours to charge on a 10A outlet, or about four hours on a 15A socket. I charged it from 0 to 68 per cent in about five hours off 10A power at home.

The Ranger PHEV does not offer DC fast-charging, but you can use EV Charge mode when you’re driving and away from power as that effectively turns the petrol engine into a generator: great for when you want to use the onboard Pro Power set-up to run 240V appliances on your work site or in camp.

This ute’s optional full-size spare is mounted in the tub so that also impacts the tub’s packability, but you could always relocate – to the headboard or on the roof – if you get the urge.

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT only makes one compromise on practicality and that's the removal of the middle seat in the back, which, with just two kids isn't used all the time but on average we might need it once a week for school mates and cousins.

Instead of a middle seat there is a shallow tray, which will fit a phone or in our case leaves and rocks found at the park.

So, yes, the Turbo GT is a four-seater only, but this is a spacious, large SUV with good head and legroom, wide-opening doors for easy entry and exit, and air suspension which can raise and lower the height for easy access.

Storage is excellent with enormous door pockets in the front and back and there are four cupholders.

There's a wireless phone charger in the front and two USB-C ports as well, plus two USB-C sockets in the back.

Four-zone climate control means the kids in the back can set their own temperatures. They also have heated seats.

I was disappointed to see there aren't sunshades for the rear windows - pretty vital in Australia where it feels like we're only about 50 metres away from the sun.

The Turbo GT's 576-litre boot just managed to fit our pram and a week's shopping, which is our minimum standard for living. Any more space is a bonus.

The Turbo GT is the king of Cayennes, so it shouldn't surprise anybody that it's also the most expensive with its list price of $364,700.

Lamborghini's Urus lists for $409,744  and is the Cayenne Turbo GT's not-so-subtle Italian cousin, sharing the same platform and engine.

Both are in my mind the best performance SUVs on the planet. It just depends how conspicuous you want to be.

Then there's Bentley's V8 Bentayga which isn't blessed with the Porsche's good looks but would still be all over the Cayenne if the two happened to meet at a race track.

So, why is the GT Turbo the king of the Cayennes? What makes it better? For all the reasons you'd think - it's the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most equipped Cayenne in the range.

We'll get into mind-bending engine and performance specs soon, but first let me take you through the standard features on a car that's anything but standard.

Coming standard and exclusively to the Turbo GT are 22-inch 'GT Design' wheels in satin 'Neodyne' with full-colour Porsche centre caps, an active rear spoiler, Turbo GT front apron, dual titanium exhaust, rear apron with diffuser, 'SportDesign' side skirts, wheel arch extensions, a lightweight carbon roof and tinted LED HD-matrix headlights.

Inside, and also exclusive to this grade, is the 'GT Interior Package' with 'Race-Tex' upholstery throughout with 'Deep Sea Blue' stitching on the front seats and centre console and the armrests and dashboard.

There's also the 'Carbon Interior Package' which includes dashboard and door trim elements.

Race-Tex trim is applied to the 'GT Sports' steering wheel, roof lining and gearshift, too.

The adaptive active air suspension, which can lower the car by 15mm, is standard and only available on the Turbo GT, too.

The soft-close doors are standard (a cost option on lower grades), as are the stainless steel pedal covers.

The rest of the features are also found on lower grades and include the 12.65-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, proximity unlocking, 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen with sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio, a 10-speaker Bose sound system, heated front seats, rear privacy glass and an auto tailgate.

Four-zone climate control is standard on the GT Turbo, too, and so are heated rear seats.

Our car had several options fitted such as the front passenger display ($2860) and the Deep Sea Blue Accent Package.

The passenger display is a crowd pleaser, but as a family car my kids felt like they were missing screens in the back seats, too. Well, in my day...

The Ford Ranger PHEV Sport has a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 138kW and 411Nm and an electric motor – producing 75kW (no torque figure available) – and a 11.8kWh battery.

This PHEV’s engine runs the show, with the electric motor (which is between the engine and transmission) on support duties, which is the opposite of how the Shark 6 and Cannon Alpha operate.

Maximum combined power and torque outputs in the Ranger PHEV – from combined petrol engine and electric motor – are 207kW and 697Nm.

For reference, BYD claims outputs of 321kW and 650Nm and a 100km electric range for the Shark 6, by way of a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, dual electric motors and a 29.58kWh battery. GWM’s Cannon Alpha PHEV has listed outputs of 300kW and 750Nm, as well as a 110km NEDC range from its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, single electric motor, and 37.1kWh battery.

The Ranger PHEV has a 10-speed automatic transmission, a rear diff lock, and full-time 4WD. This set-up has selectable two-wheel drive (2H), four-wheel drive high-range (4H), four-wheel drive low-range (4L) and four-wheel drive automatic (4A = 4Auto) that sends drive to the front and rear axles as needed, and which can be safely used on high-traction surfaces, such as bitumen.

The hybrid system has four drive modes – Auto EV, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge.

Driver-selectable modes include Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud/Ruts, Sand and Sport.

As a middle-aged parent with two children, a Porsche that I don't have to crawl into and out of like a cubby house is a great thing.

What's even better is that this ‘easy access' Porsche is every bit as brutally powerful and fast as the quintessentially ‘pure' Porsche, the 911. Actually, it's more powerful and faster.

The Turbo GT's twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine makes 485kW and 850Nm with drive going through an eight-speed transmission to all four wheels.

In comparison, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, arguably the most brutal and anti-social 911, has 386kW/485Nm.

I haven't made a mistake. Those are the real numbers. And it's only when you step on the accelerator in the Cayenne Turbo GT, and it feels like somebody's sat down on your chest, that you realise what a big deal this is.

That is such a colossal amount of oomph that this 2.2-tonne family SUV can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds.

The 911 GT3 RS can do it in 3.2 and it has a roll cage and a fixed rear wing the size of a bedroom door.

And yes, we're now coming into a digital age where Teslas and other electric SUVs are quick, too, but can they go around corners like a Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT?

Do they have the same rumble and roar as a twin-turbo V8 that's terrifying and enticing at the same time.

The correct answer is, absolutely not.

Official fuel consumption is 2.9L/100km on a combined cycle and official battery-only driving range is 45km.

Energy consumption is a claimed 18.7kWh/100km.

On this test, I recorded 9.6L/100km (it takes 95RON) and an average of 35km of EV driving range.

The Sport has a 70-litre fuel tank so, going by that fuel figure – and a claimed EV range of 45km or so – I reckon you could reasonably expect a combined driving range (petrol and electric) of about 774km (729km plus 45km), or 764km (729km plus 35km – based on on-test figures).

For reference, the Ranger PHEV's smaller battery has 11.8kWh and a claimed electric-only driving range of 45km. The BYD Shark has a 29.58kWh battery for 100km of claimed electric driving range (battery will only go as low as 25 percent), while the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV has a 37.1kWh battery (in two parts) for a claimed 110km of EV driving range.

Seriously? This is a 2.0-tonne twin-turbo petrol V8 with a 90-litre fuel tank. Even the Porsche specs sheet doesn't understand the question because in the column for fuel efficiency there are three letters - tbc.

My own testing saw me record 22.5 L/100km at the fuel pump, which means I enjoyed driving the car very much.

A little digging around reveals Porsche globally claims the Turbo GT will use 12.6L/100km, over a combination of open and urban roads.

You might not have as much fun as I did but easing back a little might get you closer to the 700km of range this more frugal consumption figure appears to offer.

While efficient it isn't, I'm not going to mark the Turbo GT too much here because compared to its petrol rivals the fuel consumption is what I'd expect from such a high-output heavy SUV.

From the get-go – after climbing in via chunky side steps and using a substantial grab handle for assistance – the PHEV offers a very similar driving experience to the ‘normal’ Ranger in terms of handling and ride quality.

And that’s to say, impressive.

It’s composed on the road with smooth acceleration and response through its engine-and-electric-motor setup and it’s also very quiet, courtesy of the EV side of operations.

The reach-and-rake adjustable steering has a nice balance to it and though this Ranger is a heavy vehicle and not particularly dynamic on-road, it’s an easy-driving ute.

The hybrid system has four drive modes – Auto EV, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge – which all pretty much do what you think they do. It quickly becomes obvious the Ranger’s electric-only driving range is reached around the 30-35km mark. You can recharge the battery through regen braking and selecting the ‘EV Charge’ mode.

So, it’s decidedly smooth, comfortable and refined on-road, but how does it perform off-road?

The standard Rangers are very capable 4WDs, so there’s no need to doubt the PHEV’s bush-ability.

It’s a big ute with a 12.9m turning circle so it takes some considered driving to work it through the bush, especially if tracks are grown-over, but it handles most off-roading scenarios with aplomb.

The suspension setup – independent, double wishbones, and coil springs at the front and live axle with leaf springs at the rear – yields soft, mostly controlled ride and handling, but this ute becomes somewhat unsettled though more severe ruts, corrugations and mudholes.

The full-time 4WD system gives the driver the option of selecting 4A (four-wheel drive auto, centre diff unlocked) which means you can drive it in 4WD on sealed/high-traction surfaces without risking transmission wind-up.

The Ranger’s combination of off-road traction control, driving modes, dual-range transfer case, and rear diff lock make it very effective in the dirt or on sand.

While its ground clearance (listed as 228mm), off-road angles (approach: 30.1 degrees, departure 24.7 and rampover 20.6 degrees) won’t set any serious 4WDer’s imagination on fire, if it’s driven well this Ranger can cope with a vast scope of off-road challenges.

With a wading depth of 850mm we had no strife driving through a series of knee-deep mud holes on our test track.

I drove up and down several steep rocky hills without the need to lock the rear diff, and this Ranger did it with ease and control.

Engine braking in this hybrid is lacklustre, but thankfully hill descent control makes up for some of that.

The bonus with this ute though is that you can drive it in 4WD high-range in 'EV Now’ mode, which offers up instant torque – there’s no messing around trying to get your revs up – and that means there’s plenty of oomph to tackle hill-climbs.

In general 4WDing, there’s more than adequate torque available and it’s delivered in an even-handed manner. And the Ranger’s suite of off-road-focussed driver-assist tech is comprehensive and effective.

Even the Ranger’s all-terrain tyres (General Grabbers) are decent enough, though better suited to light to moderate off-roading than hardcore 4WDing.

In terms of load carrying and towing capacity, the Ranger PHEV Sport has a listed payload of 934kg (at 2566kg kerb weight, or 805kg payload at 2695kg maximum kerb weight) and is rated to tow 750kg (unbraked), and 3500kg (braked).

For comparison, the BYD Shark’s payload is 790kg, unbraked towing capacity is 750kg and braked towing capacity is 2500kg; while the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV has a payload of 685kg, unbraked towing capacity of 750kg and braked towing capacity of 3500kg.

Remember, start adding people, gear and pets – not to mention aftermarket accessories – and you’ll swiftly be over legal limits. Always keep those figures in mind – gross vehicle mass, payload etc. – because all of those numbers come in handy when you're trying to figure out how much you can legally carry onboard your vehicle.

GVM (gross vehicle mass) on the Ranger PHEV Sport is 3500kg and its gross combination mass (GCM) is 6580kg.

Never have I met a car this powerful and superbly athletic that is as pleasurable to drive alone on great, fast roads as it is to pilot at 50km/h in the suburbs with a family on board.

It exceeds my understanding of engineering that something this large can move so quickly. That in an instant can turn and tip into a corner with such precision and effortlessness.

Yet it can switch seamlessly and happily to coping with speed bumps and potholes, delivering a ride so comfortable it'll send babies off to sleep. And it did.

The only issue, and this is such a tiny thing, is the dash-mounted gearshift, which means having to reach up and select Drive or Reverse or Park, which, when executing a three-point turn, is necessarily frustrating.

Still, I'm giving the Turbo GT a 10 out of 10 for driving under all conditions, and we didn't even go off-road, which of course you can do, as long as it's not too wild.

The Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT hasn't been locally crash tested and so doesn't have an ANCAP rating.

That's quite normal for super high-end cars. But, when this third-generation model first arrived in 2017 it was tested by ANCAP's European equivalent, Euro NCAP, and was awarded the maximum five stars.

There's AEB which operates at city, urban and highway speeds, and lane keeping assistance, and lane change assistance which is a form of blind-spot warning, and adaptive cruise control. You can option rear cross-traffic alert, as well.

A space saver spare wheel is under the boot floor.

The Ford Ranger PHEV is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the battery.

Capped-price servicing applies for the first five years – $399 per service (reasonable) – with service intervals recommended at 12 months or 15,000km.

Ford Australia has about 200 dealers across the country with a decent spread across metro, rural and regional areas. Ford dealers are also service centres.

The Cayenne Turbo GT is covered by Porsche's three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is lagging behind in terms of duration even compared to other luxury brands such as Mercedes-Benz, which offers five years.

Servicing is recommended annually or every 15,000km, although there isn't a capped price maintenance plan with final costs determined at the dealer level (in line with variable labour rates by state or territory).