2025 Ford Ranger Sport V6 evaluate

The Ford Ranger has been Australia’s best-selling ute, and the nation’s hottest new automobile general, for the previous two years. However the tide is starting to show.

For one, the Toyota RAV4 has been Australia’s best-selling automobile for the previous seven months straight, fell inside 4000 gross sales behind the Ranger in 2024, and completed 400 models forward final month.

Ford, in the meantime, misplaced third place in Australia’s general month-to-month gross sales to Kia in February, when its general gross sales had been down 12.9 per cent on the identical time final yr. Mild business gross sales had been additionally down 10.2 per cent year-on-year.

Then there’s competitors from different utes. Whereas there are a great deal of new fashions both having simply arrived or coming quickly, essentially the most threatening is the BYD Shark 6, which debuted in sixth general in February – albeit roughly 2000 models behind the Ranger.

Its closest match continues to be the Toyota HiLux, which positioned third in February with solely 400 fewer gross sales than Ford’s different regardless of nearing the top of its life cycle, with a brand new mannequin due subsequent yr.

And so the Ranger, whereas deserving of its segment-leading standing, is burdened with the unenviable process of not solely attempting to remain forward of the competitors but additionally propping up general Ford gross sales in Australia.

WATCH: Paul’s video evaluate of the 2023 Ford Ranger Wildtrak bi-turbo

With 62,593 gross sales in 2024, the Ranger recorded greater than double the deliveries of its closest stablemate within the type of the Ranger-based Everest, which was Australia’s top-selling giant SUV with 26,494 gross sales. The rest of Ford’s lineup struggled to crack even the 4000-unit mark.

Placing extra eggs within the complete Ranger basket, Ford will quickly bolster its ute choices with the hardcore Tremendous Responsibility and a long-awaited plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain to fend off the Shark 6, in addition to the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, however it in poor health be a lot dearer than each.

Within the meantime, right here we’re testing probably the most fascinating variants within the Blue Oval’s monumental ute lineup – the Ford Ranger Sport V6 – which can also be one of many most cost-effective geared up with the lusty six-cylinder turbo-diesel. However it nonetheless prices greater than $70,000 earlier than on-road prices, so is it the one to go for?

How does the Ford Ranger evaluate?

View an in depth breakdown of the Ford Ranger towards equally sized automobiles.

Ford

Ranger

How a lot does the Ford Ranger value?

Priced at $71,340 earlier than on-roads, the Sport V6 sits close to the highest of the diesel-powered Ranger dual-cab lineup, positioned above the four-cylinder Sport ($66,140 earlier than on-roads) and the XLT V6 ($66,840 earlier than on-roads), however under the Wildtrak V6 ($74,840 plus on-roads) and the Platinum V6 ($80,640 earlier than on-roads).

Ranger XL

Ranger XLS

Ranger XLT

Ranger Sport

Ranger Wildtrak

Ranger Platinum

Ranger Stormtrak

Ranger Raptor

To see how the Ford Ranger stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument

What’s the Ford Ranger like on the within?

Simply among the many best-presented in its section and comfy sufficient to maintain you cheerful.

First up, these with a eager eye will discover all Rangers as much as and together with the Sport get a ten.1-inch vertical touchscreen, which is smaller than what’s discovered within the Wildtrak and up.

In the event you’re coming from a Wildtrak right down to the Sport you’ll definitely see the distinction, however in isolation there’s nothing fallacious with this smaller unit and it’s nonetheless bigger than what plenty of the competitors provides. The display screen is sharp, however when you’re previous the thick black bezels, your subsequent process is to determine the way it all works.

It’s not instantly apparent the place to go or what to press. However after a little bit of poking and prodding you’ll finally discover the automobile settings shortcut on the high proper, which is your entry to all the automobile’s key capabilities.

It’s the place you’ll alter lots of the ute’s security options and lots of different capabilities, together with connecting a smartphone. That is finished through both wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, that are commonplace throughout the Ranger household.

To its credit score, the wi-fi CarPlay labored flawlessly in our week with the ute, and interacting with its interface on-screen was persistently snappy. We do want full-screen integration was commonplace as a substitute of sharing the area with a local weather panel, however it’s nonetheless clear as an entire.

The display screen’s native consumer interface can even toggle between mild and darkish modes relying on exterior mild ranges, although we discovered mild mode to be significantly jarring towards Apple CarPlay. Thankfully, you’ll be able to lock it in darkish mode by way of the automobile settings menu.

This may alter the hotbar on the high of the display screen, which homes the automobile settings, app menu shortcut, and primary information, in addition to the local weather display screen down on the backside.

We don’t thoughts the always-on strategy to a panel like this, however it appears particularly considerate right here given there are bodily controls fitted as nicely. It’s a good option to visualise the varied local weather settings whereas sustaining the helpful performance of precise buttons and knobs to be used on the transfer.

It’ll proceed to point out when the outside cameras are engaged and in different apps too, just like the Tesla-esque sketchpad fitted as a little bit of a novelty. All up, the show is sensible when you’ve had a while to get used to all of it, and its fashionable aesthetic is a lovely inside centrepiece.

Beneath it’s an fascinating association of plastic trim, although the ‘handles’ on both aspect aren’t fairly as sturdy as we’d like.

Beneath, there’s a cubby the place a wi-fi charging pad and particular person USB-A and USB-C ports are situated. It’s about so simple as it will get, and we like how the charger’s rubber floor retains telephones firmly in place – to not point out appropriately aired-out to maintain issues cool whereas charging.

Additional again is a slot to maintain keys and telephones out of the best way, in addition to two cupholders with spring-loaded enamel. They’re properly sized for bigger cups and bottles and linked by a big cut-out for additional versatility.

Additionally right here is the three-way drive mode selector and some easy buttons for off-road controls. What options prominently throughout all these high-touch areas is tough, boring plastic, which must be extremely hard-wearing and perfect for higher-impact use circumstances.

Then there’s the chunky gear selector. With its easy up-or-down movement there’s not a lot to play with right here, however there are guide shift buttons on the aspect of the gearknob, which can be utilized in Sport mode however are straightforward to push inadvertently.

Nonetheless, every thing right here is constructed round performance and is designed to face as much as abuse. Probably the most important piece of shiny plastic is discovered across the infotainment show, however we’re glad the buttons fitted right here preserve a boring end.

Shifting to the instrument show reveals a smaller unit than you could anticipate. At 8.0 inches, it’s harking back to one thing you’d discover in an Isuzu D-Max, thanks largely to the temperature and gas meters flanking the display screen.

It’s practical although, and provides sufficient configurability to seek out the display screen format you want finest. Its digital portion is clear and legible, whereas scrolling by way of the totally different out there layouts will reveal a great deal of info – or simply the essential bits like rev counts and speedos.

Our solely actual grievance is that its decision isn’t fairly as sharp as we’d like. That’s offset whenever you keep in mind each Ranger as much as the Wildtrak has the identical display screen, and it’s solely whenever you get to the rather more costly Platinum that you simply get the bigger 12.4-inch unit.

In entrance of it’s the steering wheel, which – disappointingly – isn’t leather-wrapped within the Sport. It nonetheless feels wonderful within the arms and doesn’t look low cost, and its measurement is suitable for a ute just like the Ranger.

We do suppose consumers deserve a leather-wrapped wheel when paying greater than $70,000, however in order for you one you’ll must fork out for the Platinum as a substitute.

You at the very least get “leather-accented” upholstery, which Ford describes as a mix of actual and artificial leather-based. There are good “Sport” engravings on the entrance seats to distinguish it from different fashions, although the Sport does miss out on seat heating and air flow capabilities.

There’s nonetheless powered driver’s seat adjustment as commonplace. That helps to get comfy with assist from an excellent diploma of adjustment from the steering wheel, whereas all the important thing contact factors are mushy sufficient for relaxed driving positions.

Tucked away within the armrests are the Ranger’s inside door handles. It’s a tidy answer to an issue that didn’t actually exist, however they will present a second of leisure when passengers attempt to discover them.

Storage choices are enough, although not as numerous as in a few of the different Rangers. A notable omission is the Wildtrak’s pop-out cupholders – a novel characteristic for the final word tradie-mobile.

In any other case, you get a decently sized central field, a typical glovebox with a small nook above, and bottle holders within the door playing cards.

Moving into the Ranger Sport is made simpler by way of the inclusion of aspect steps as commonplace, and there are handles on the A- and B-pillars to drag your self in. When you’re within the second row, you’ll discover there’s a good quantity of area round.

Rear headroom is sweet because of the excessive roof, although legroom will rely upon the place the entrance seats are positioned. With the driving force’s seat in my average-height place, I had no points sitting behind.

The seats listed here are flat however nonetheless comfy sufficient, and so they’re upholstered in the identical leather-accented trim as discovered within the entrance. House with all three seats in use does turn out to be cramped, particularly as a result of center passengers should cope with a sizeable driveline hump on the ground, as per different utes.

There’s a fold-down centre rear armrest with cupholders, plus a single 12V outlet and twin air vents on the again of the centre console, although there’s no devoted local weather management panel.

In any other case, rear passengers get map pockets on the entrance seatbacks and bottle holders within the doorways. It’s a wonderfully useable area, simply nothing too particular.

Out the again is a sizeable tub that’s nonetheless among the finest within the enterprise. You get a mattress liner as commonplace, and it’s a wonderfully sq. space bar the small indents created by the wheel-arches.

There are steel cargo anchor factors fitted in every nook, however in any other case it’s a case of what you see is what you get. Whereas commonplace Ranger Sports activities are fitted with a steel sports activities bar, our tester featured Ford’s non-compulsory Versatile Rack System.

Sometimes a $2800 additional, the rack includes a smooth sailplane that may slide into numerous positions atop the mattress, making a strong possibility for securing lengthy objects to the roof that in any other case wouldn’t match.

It provides one other degree of practicality to the Sport, and it’s a worthwhile inclusion when you can spring for the elevated value. New Rangers will now even be out there with 400W shops within the mattress, and an “inside console” not seen in our tester.

To see how the Ford Ranger stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument

What’s underneath the bonnet?

There at the moment are 4 powertrains out there throughout the Ranger lineup, although one is reserved for the beefy Raptor flagship. Whereas the Sport may also be had with four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel and PHEV powertrains, our tester was fitted with Ford’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6.

Our week with the Ranger primarily concerned freeway driving, but our gas determine was noticeably thirstier than Ford’s declare, though it was nonetheless underneath 10.0L/100km.

To see how the Ford Ranger stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument

How does the Ford Ranger drive?

When you’re out on the street, it’s straightforward to see why the Ranger is as in style as it’s.

What’s underneath the bonnet is the large factor separating one Ranger from the following, and the V6 in our tester is, definitely, the preferable possibility.

Its power is in its smoothness. Having an additional two cylinders over the bi-turbo does wonders to iron out the coarse nature of most diesels, to the purpose the place it virtually doesn’t really feel like a diesel engine in any respect.

Throttle response can also be snappy, and that full 600Nm of torque is nothing to sneeze at when it’s virtually at all times on faucet. A lot in order that we discovered the rear-end of the Sport to be significantly free, even with out the non-compulsory all-terrain tyres fitted.

Undertake a heavy proper foot round a decent flip and also you’ll really feel the rear try to step out earlier than the steadiness management kicks seamlessly in. That’s most blatant unladen on a moist street, and though there’s much more traction within the dry or when laden, Ranger V6s really feel extra taily than many different utes.

After all, that’s solely when driving in rear-wheel drive, and every thing is nicely anchored with all 4 wheels engaged.

In regular driving, the Ranger displays SUV-like refinement. That is evident in its degree of cabin refinement, as street noise is saved to a minimal, although you’ll hear some wind noise when travelling at increased speeds.

Ford has additionally finished nicely to iron out a few of the trip high quality quirks that afflict most utes. You gained’t discover fairly as a lot bouncing or clattering as you’d in a few of the competitors, which is very spectacular when unladen.

Throwing some cargo within the tub smooths issues out much more, although a load isn’t required for a cushty trip. It’s subsequently greater than succesful as a day by day commuter whereas nonetheless being sensible sufficient for the weekend warrior and handyman.

Nonetheless, the Sport does lose a few of the Ranger’s hardy tradesman attraction.

It’s too good for business abuse frequently, which is why you see so a lot of them within the carparks of city workplace buildings. Its no much less succesful than another dual-cab, however be ready for potential inside harm or paint scratches when you’re placing a ute just like the Ranger Sport to work.

By way of dealing with, the Ranger Sport is surprisingly composed. You do lose some on-road finesse with all-terrain tyres fitted, however you gained’t discover too many complaints from the front-end round turns.

Its suspension is mushy sufficient to be comfy with out compromising physique management and, although it’d be unfair to anticipate racecar-like cornering capability from a ute, the Ranger continues to be the benchmark when it comes to trip/dealing with compromise.

The steering really feel is properly weighted, with sufficient suggestions to provide you a transparent thought of what you’re driving over.

Visibility out of the Ranger can also be good. Its seating place is pretty excessive, which lets you look out over the expansive bonnet and plenty of different site visitors on the street.

Its aspect home windows are giant sufficient for simple headchecks, whereas the bathtub doesn’t get in the best way of the view out the rear window. And if objects are obscured, there’s a big selection of sensors and cameras to help you – the surround-view digicam included within the $1650 non-compulsory Touring Pack is very helpful when parking.

The identical can’t be stated for all the Ranger’s security gear although, as there have been just a few quirks that popped up whereas on the transfer.

One we’ve skilled earlier than in different Fords is a matter with the lane-keep system. In the event you’re travelling for prolonged durations on straight items of freeway, the automobile will immediate you to maintain your arms on the steering wheel – even when you by no means took them off.

It’ll throw the identical warning when you stray too near the lane markings, which suggests it may be complicated to know what you’re really doing fallacious when it pops up out of the blue.

A minimum of there are not any points with the driving force monitoring system, and there’s nothing else to beep at you whilst you’re motoring alongside.

We respect the sleek operation of adaptive cruise management and lane-centring, which work nicely sufficient to be relied upon throughout longer drives.

It’s nonetheless price paying consideration because the ute tends to often veer in the direction of the lane’s edge, however it’s not dangerous sufficient to contemplate it a problem and it reacts nicely to slight steering inputs from the driving force.

All up, the Sport delivers a formidable driving expertise. We just like the Ranger’s on-road maturity, bolstered by its clean trip high quality and competent dealing with – to not point out how nicely it’s all put collectively.

Its seats are comfy and adjustable, whereas the excessive seating place is right for a ute of this measurement. The big aspect mirrors imply you gained’t miss what’s occurring round, and there are these sensors that can assist you out if want be.

The V6 is definitely is the choose of the Ranger’s two diesel engines because of its smoothness and energy. That would change when the PHEV arrives, however for now we’d a lot relatively have this than the also-strong bi-turbo 4.

For a full breakdown of the Ranger’s off-road capabilities, watch Paul’s video check under.

To see how the Ford Ranger stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument

What do you get?

The Sport sits in the midst of the eight-grade Ranger lineup.

2025 Ford Ranger XL gear highlights:

• Acoustic windscreen
• 16-inch metal wheels
• All-season tyres
• 16-inch metal spare wheel
• Entrance disc and rear drum brakes
• Heavy-duty suspension
• Black grille
• Halogen headlights
• Halogen daytime working lights
• LED central high-mounted tail mild
• LED tail-lights (pickup solely)
• Tailgate with raise help (pickup solely)
• Built-in tailgate step (pickup solely)
• 10.1-inch Sync4 portrait touchscreen infotainment system
• Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Embedded modem
• Distant begin through FordPass app
• 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• Tilt and telescopic steering column adjustment
• Ebony fabric upholstery
• Eight-way guide driver seat
• 4-way guide entrance passenger seat
• Vinyl ground overlaying
• Energy rear home windows (double cab solely)
• Single-zone local weather management
• Electronically locking rear differential (4×4 fashions solely)
• Typical gear selector
• Mechanical handbrake

XLS provides:

• 400-Watt energy inverter
• 16-inch Darkish Sparkle Silver alloy wheels
• Black aspect steps
• Halogen entrance fog lights
• Black grille with silver accents
• Carpet flooring
• Driver ground mat
• Drive mode choice
• Tow bar
• Trailer mild verify
• Built-in trailer brake controller
• Physique-colour door handles
• Six-speaker sound system
• Proximity entry with push-button begin
• Twin-zone local weather management
• Rear seat air vents
• Satellite tv for pc navigation
• DAB+ digital radio

XLT provides:

• 17-inch Darkish Sparkle Silver alloy wheels
• 17-inch metal spare wheel
• Rear disc brakes
• Digital handbrake
• Leather-based-wrapped ‘e-Shifter’ gear selector
• 4×2 locking rear axle
• Entrance grille with chrome central bar
• LED headlights
• C-shaped LED daytime working lights
• Entrance-mounted tow hook
• Black sports activities bar (pickup solely)
• Rear tub illumination (pickup solely)
• Bedliner with 12V socket (pickup solely)
• Spray-in bedliner with 12V socket (tremendous cab solely)
• Electrochromatic mirror
• Rain-sensing wipers

Word: Acoustic windscreen will not be featured on XLT and above.

Sport provides:

• 18-inch machine-faced and Asphalt Black accent alloy wheels
• 18-inch spare wheel
• Darkish accent grille
• Darkish exterior accents
• Two front-mounted tow hooks
• Skid plate
• Entrance ground mats
• Rotary drive mode selector
• Wi-fi cellphone charging
• Off-road display screen
• Ebony leather-based upholstery with ‘SPORT’ embossing
• Eight-way power-adjustable driver seat
• Six-way guide entrance passenger seat

Our tester featured the non-compulsory Versatile Rack System ($2800).

Is the Ford Ranger secure?

All variants of the 2024 Ford Ranger lineup, other than the flagship Raptor, have a five-star ANCAP security ranking.

Commonplace security gear consists of:

• 9 airbags
  • incl. driver, passenger knee airbags
  • incl. front-centre airbag
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Automotive, pedestrian, bicycle owner detection
  • Junction help
• Adaptive cruise management
• Blind-spot help
• Rear cross-traffic alert (pickup)
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep help
• Reversing digicam (pickup)
• Rear parking sensors (pickup)
• Trailer Protection (with non-compulsory Tow Pack)

Ranger XLS provides:

• Entrance parking sensors
• Prolonged blind-spot monitoring with trailer protection

Ranger XLT provides:

• Adaptive cruise management incl. cease/go
• Blind-spot monitoring incl. Trailer Protection
• Lane-centring help
• Visitors signal recognition
• Tyre stress monitoring

The non-compulsory Touring Pack ($1650) provides a surround-view digicam.

How a lot does the Ford Ranger value to run?

The 2025 Ford Ranger is roofed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, like the remainder of the Ford vary.

In comparison with its rivals, servicing prices are aggressive. The Toyota HiLux is roofed by the identical guarantee and three years of capped-price servicing, totalling as much as $1740 – although it has shorter six-month, 10,000km intervals.

The D-Max, in the meantime, is backed by a six-year, 150,000km guarantee and 5 years of capped-price servicing. Upkeep is required each 12 months or 15,000km, and every service prices $469 for a complete of $2345 over 5 years.

Although indirectly comparable, the BYD Shark 6 is roofed by a six-year, 150,000km guarantee. Servicing is required each 12 months or 20,000km, and prices a complete of $2489 over 5 years.

To see how the Ford Ranger stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Ford Ranger

The Ford Ranger stays the benchmark in Australia’s dual-cab ute section, and the Sport is without doubt one of the best examples.

It seems to be the half and feels pretty premium inside, with high quality supplies and intuitive tech. There are nonetheless some reminders it is a jack-of-all-trades ute, however plenty of its utilitarianess has been filtered out to create a automobile that feels rather more like a passenger automobile.

Whereas it’s spectacular that Ford Australia has managed to create such an aesthetic feeling business automobile, the Sport occupies a bizarre area within the Ranger lineup and gained’t be for everybody. Do you go for a Ranger that’s cheaper and harder-wearing however a bit much less comfy, or pay a bit extra to go additional into the SUV-with-a-tub life-style?

There are alternatives to go each methods. The Ranger XLT can also be out there with all three commonplace powertrains (together with PHEV), provides a lot of the essential options, and is just a little cheaper, higher geared in the direction of work and feels much less afraid to get soiled.

Conversely, the Wildtrak isn’t that large of a step up price-wise when you think about the additional gear you get.

The Sport is definitely an ideal ute that drives nicely and nails the standards for a so-called life-style ute, arguably higher so than any of its competitors, which it simply outdoes when it comes to refinement, functionality and suitability, each on- and off-road.

That stated, we expect spending a little bit of time weighing up what it’s you really want out of your ute will in all probability land you on both the XLT or Wildtrak as a substitute – and you actually gained’t lose out by going for a kind of as a substitute.

The electrified petrol Shark 6 and shortly the Cannon Alpha and the Ranger itself will definitely upset the established order with regards to diesel-powered utes, however plenty of Australians will nonetheless desire a Ranger simply as it’s, and proper now the V6 diesel continues to be the engine to go for.

Fascinated with shopping for a Ford Ranger? Get in contact with one among CarExpert’s trusted sellers right here

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