Ford Ranger vs Suzuki Jimny

What's the difference?

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.

If you currently own a three-door Jimny and expect the XL to provide you with much beyond a more spacious second row (or luggage compartment overall), it might be best to hold on to what you’ve got.

And if you don’t own a Jimny and want one, there’s not much I reckon I’d be able to say to stop you if the resolve of anyone I know who’s ended up buying one is anything to go by.

If you’re a ‘get out on the weekend’ kind of person but you live a city Monday-to-Friday, it’s hard to look past the Jimny for simplicity, fun, and a competitive price.

Not to mention, of course, that it is also just so bloody cute.

The Ford Ranger is still one of the best-looking utes available, with a strong brand identity and a lack of design features that lean into trends - perhaps aside from the ‘C-shaped’ DRL signature.

There are only a few hints that any given Ranger you might be looking at is a plug-in hybrid, with the vehicle’s panels and general design features looking primarily the same.

The most obvious change is fender badging that outs the Ranger as a ‘PHEV’, though its lettering isn’t too ‘shouty’.

But to those more familiar with the Ranger, or anyone able to have a proper look around a PHEV, there are a couple of other giveaways.

For example, the Ranger plug-in has a new set of wheel designs that range from the 17-inch alloys on the XLT to the Stormtrak-specific 18s featuring 'Chill Grey' inserts as trim accents.

The Stormtrak can also be had in Chill Grey, the colour being exclusive to that variant along with the aforementioned unique trim design.

There are also plug outlets in the ute’s tub for access to the Ranger’s battery power. Harder to spot if you’re looking at one of the higher-spec variants that feature a roller cover.

Inside, it’s a similar story with the PHEV’s interior being standard Ranger fare aside from the button that controls its EV modes.

There will be no prizes for a ‘spot the difference’ between the Jimny and the Jimny XL. 

You may have spotted the extra doors (and the subsequent longer body, 3965mm over 3645mm, a 320mm increase according to the spec sheet), but did you spot the chrome accents in the Jimny’s grille? 

That’s right, it’s not just the doors… it’s the doors and the grille.

Of course, some more changes naturally follow the new body style - it’s rear-most side windows are now much narrower, though the second-row windows do a lot to prevent losing any visibility, and the longer side silhouette looks a little more ‘grown up’.

Even then, the Jimny XL is shorter than a five-door Mini hatch by 58mm, and only 50mm longer than a Mazda MX-5.

The Jimny’s body elements still remain the same though, down to the 15-inch alloy wheels, plus the spare on the back. It’s also shares its 1725mm height and 1645mm width with the three-door, although its wheelbase is now 2590mm instead of 2250mm.

Inside, the rugged nature of the 4WD blends with a little bit of youthful modern design. The steering wheel is borrowed from other Suzuki models like the Swift, and the big dial housing has a fun retro vibe.

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.

If practicality to you means plenty of spaces to put things or a lot of little additional features, you’re going to be disappointed by the Jimny XL’s cabin. But if you see it more as a ‘could be hosed out if something goes horribly wrong’ type of thing, then I have good news for you.

Okay, don’t hose out your Jimny, but the hard-wearing basic materials are clearly here to accommodate mess. We’re talkin’ plastic, we’re talkin’ cloth, we’re talkin’... plastic. Yep, not much in the way of soft-touch or supple armrests, but you wouldn’t want to accidentally tear a leather seat with a tent peg, would you?

In terms of actual ergonomics and user-friendliness, the Jimny scores pretty well once you’re across some of the slightly odd elements.

Its front window controls are below the climate controls, rather than with the rear window controls, for example, which I assume is due to the second-row windows not being part of the original design. 

There’s also not a huge amount of storage space, front or rear, for anything other than small items or the usual drink bottles.

Fortunately, the big change for the XL is noticeable. Being able to get in and out of the second row is now easier thanks to, you guessed it, doors! 

And once you’re in there, even if you’re an adult, you’ll find yourself in a space that you could probably survive a road trip in, even if loading up a tiny ladder-frame SUV with more than two people for a long drive should at least attract some kind of fine or other minor punishment. You literally couldn’t have five people in the Jimny, though, as it’s only a four-seater.

If you needed a reminder of how tiny the Jimny is even in XL form, the luggage space is listed as 332 litres, which is less than a Hyundai i30 hatchback by 63 litres.

Oh, and that’s with the seats down. Up? You get 211L of luggage space, which is about as much as a Mini Hatch.

What features does it come with, you ask? Not many - but that’s kind of the point in a mid-$30K off-roader, isn’t it?

While you can pick up a Jimny XL from $34,990 before on-road costs with a five-speed automatic, our four-speed auto here on test starts from $36,490. 

The list of accessories and parts Suzuki offers for the Jimny is extensive and allows you to essentially build your perfect little weekend getaway ride, but here I’ll focus on the standard gear rather than listing every type of cargo rack or body protection you can add-on.

The Jimny XL comes with a 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, up from the three-door’s 7.0-inch unit, which also adds wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It has a four-speaker sound system up from two in the standard Jimny, and it’s also the only Jimny that gets adaptive cruise control.

Just about everything else is standard Jimny fare - it’s got LED headlights, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera that does the job but isn’t crystal clear, a USB port and 12V outlets in the centre console and in the rear luggage compartment, plus physical dials and a digital display for the driver.

The Ranger PHEV remains an off-road-capable 4x4 ute, with all four wheels receiving power. But the drivetrain is not your standard Ranger gear.

Ford’s 2.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder 'EcoBoost' engine does the heavy lifting, aided by an electric motor mounted between it and the transmission.

The engine isn’t unproven in the ute game. In fact, it’s found in some variants of the current-gen Ranger’s cousin, the Volkswagen Amarok.

In the Ranger PHEV, it makes 138kW and 411Nm which, paired with the 75kW electric motor, contributes to a total 207kW and 697Nm output, transferred to all four wheels via Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission.

Of course, the ute’s 4WD system is able to be set to '2H', '4A', '4H' or '4L' and has a rear diff-lock to assist in traversing tricky terrain.

The Jimny XL uses the same 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine as the original.

It only makes 75kW and 130Nm, and even though the Jimny is a relatively light SUV (actually, relatively light for a car in general), it still doesn’t quite feel like enough for hauling around 1200kg of 4X4 plus a person or two.

Ford claims the Ranger PHEV sips 2.9L/100km according to NEDC testing, but like many plug-in hybrids that would be difficult to achieve without constantly stopping to charge.

It’s also only able to charge the 11.8kWh lithium-ion battery at a 3.5kW rate under AC power and it takes around four hours to do so. There’s no DC fast charging.

It’s got a 70-litre fuel tank, and requires minimum 91 RON petrol.

During the launch drive, the highest figure reasonable driving produced in terms of a fuel consumption on the trip computer was 9.6L/100km during battery charging.

So, while theoretical range is around 2400km, that closer to real-world number reduces the distance between fills to a still useful 730km.

Ford didn’t offer an expected general consumption figure for ‘low-power’ driving - i.e. while the battery isn’t being actively charged but also isn’t carrying enough juice to fully propel the ute.

Suzuki claims the Jimny XL, with the four-speed automatic transmission as tested, should consume 6.9L/100km on the combined cycle - the manual uses a claimed 6.4L, both figures are the same as the three-door equivalents.

On test, with primarily inner-urban and city commute driving, I saw the XL use 9.4L/100km. Anyone frequenting stop-start traffic can expect similarly high figures and, even though many owners will see lower figures, achieving the claimed 6.9L would be a solid effort even on long highway drives.

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.

The Jimny might be a little bit more work than you’re used to if you’re swapping out of a hatchback or small city SUV.

That’s not meant to sound like a scathing criticism, either, because despite its cutesy appearances and (whether intended or not) appeal to young inner-city types, the Jimny is a ladder-frame chassis off-roader. And it drives like one.

During my time with the Jimny XL, each Instagram story I posted would garner at least a couple of responses in the vein of ‘What’s it like?’ or ‘Should I buy one?’ from people in their late 20s and 30s who I’m 70 per cent sure wouldn’t care much for off-roading.

Most of my responses were probably disappointing to them, because it drives like a small 4X4 and if you’re going to get annoyed by steering corrections, vibrations and noise, it might not be for you. 

But if the little Zuki’s off-road ability (or even just its irresistibly endearing looks) are appealing enough to you, the Suzuki is a fairly easy steer once it becomes second nature. In fact, its engaging nature is part of what makes the Jimny fun to drive. 

Reacting to strong winds or changing road surfaces should be familiar to those who grew up driving older, more rudimentary cars, and even though there’s a fairly noticeable ‘dead’ spot in the centre of the Jimny’s steering, it means you’re able to more subtly adjust (quite regularly, you may find) the steering wheel to keep aligned in your lane.

The suspension can feel a little soft and ‘jostly’ - lean to the side while you’re stopped at an intersection and you’ll feel the Jimny lean too - it’s also a decent reason to be a little cautious with your speed around corners. The Jimny will let you know if you’re going too quickly.

Sure, the longer wheelbase of the XL should help with stability over the three-door, but the nature of the Jimny doesn’t exactly encourage you to find out how much more stable exactly. But it’s fortunately not so much bigger that it sacrifices its advantage over most other off-roaders.

Its ability to get around inner-city areas in the Jimny is a plus if you live urban but need something that can head off-road on weekends - the XL is still relatively small compared to anything else that’s intended for the trails. It feels perfectly comfortable in Melbourne’s laneways and underground car parks in the CBD… as long as you’re okay with how heavy the steering can feel at low speeds.

For trips out of the city where you’ll be getting the Jimny’s tyres a bit dirty (hopefully, it’s what it was built for), just know that the Jimny doesn’t feel its best at highway speed. Its 75kW is pushed to its limit, 130Nm doesn’t inspire great overtaking confidence, its steering and suspension don’t feel massively dialled-in, and the four-speed automatic transmission has a whine to it that’ll bring back memories of watching the V8 Supercars cut laps in 2002.

But like I said, if you’re not looking for a car that’ll use sensors to sit you in the dead-centre of your lane while a leather seat massages your back, the Jimny’s simple nature is endearing, and most of the time quite fun.

As a side note, CarsGuide’s off-road expert Marcus Craft has published an in-depth off-road test of the Jimny XL, and gave it a thumbs up as a capable vehicle for tricky trails - it’s worth reading or watching if you’re considering the Jimny as an adventure companion.

While the Jimny’s safety features are fairly rudimentary and the XL hasn’t been specifically tested, there are some good points to the Jimny that might help potential owners decide if it’s the right decision for them.

First, the standard three-door Jimny was crash tested in 2019 and scored three stars, primarily due to its lack of active safety features.

That lack of safety features remains for the Jimny XL, requiring drivers to be alert and react to hazards of their own volition, but if the XL’s occupant protection is anything like the three-door version (which scored 73 per cent for adult occupant protection and 84 per cent for children), it should do a decent job of keeping passengers safe in most nasty situations.

The XL comes with front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, electronic braking assist, stability control, traction control, hill hold and descent control, AEB, lane departure warning, weaving alert and rear parking sensors.

It’s missing some active gear like lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring or driver monitoring.

Ford’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty applies to the Ranger PHEV, but like all electrified Fords there’s an eight-year or 160,000km warranty on the high-voltage battery.

Ford also has set pricing for the first five years of servicing at a reasonable $399 per service, with the recommended interval set at 12 months or 15,000km.

The Jimny XL’s covered by Suzuki’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with intervals every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

The services range from costing $349 to $589, but average out at $453 per service. You’ll spend $2265 servicing your Jimny XL over its first five years, assuming you do it by the books (as they’re currently written).