Ford has officially launched its Ranger Plug-In Hybrid pickup, which will deliver considerably more power and lower emissions than its diesel-burning brethren.

Scheduled to hit UK roads next spring, its petrol-electric powertrain marries a 2.3-litre Ecoboost four-cylinder with a 75kW electric motor positioned in the bellhousing.

The resulting 275hp and 690Nm puts the 240hp/600Nm V6 diesel Ranger to shame and brings it within striking distance of the lairy Raptor.

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In fact, despite the Raptor packing a socking 3-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol, it only holds 13hp over the PHEV and makes do with almost 200Nm less torque.

As for economy, Ford reckons the hybrid will deliver similar fuel consumption to its V6 diesel counterparts, for which the firm quotes figures of about 28mpg.

© Ford

In a similar vein to other vehicles in this genre, drivers will be presented with a series of operating modes.

The default is an automated hybrid setup, where the car doles out the battery assistance as it sees fit.

But it’s also possible to drive it purely on petrol, use the engine to charge the battery, or run on electrons alone.

Electric-only driving

For the latter propulsion method, the 11.8kWh battery pack will provide up to 27 miles of engine-less driving.

A nifty geofencing system is also in the offing, allowing the truck to automatically engage and disengage EV mode as it drifts in and out of low emission zones.

Regenerative braking puts some charge back into the battery during driving and, as mentioned earlier, there’s the option of getting the car to recharge it.

Nevertheless, the most efficient way of topping up is by plugging into a single-phase 16amp charger, which will get the cells back to full strength in less than four hours.

And, thanks to a scheduling function, owners can keep a lid on electricity bills by making the most of cheaper overnight tariffs.

Like most high-spec Rangers, a 10-speed automatic transmission ferries power and torque to the axles via a transfer case with high and low ranges.

© Ford

The firm’s e-4Wd system also features, with its banks of sensors that automatically vary the amount of torque sent to each wheel depending on how much grip they have.

Drivers can either sit back and let the system do its thing or get involved by selecting from a series of modes that best describe the upcoming task or terrain.

Examples include “tow haul” that gears the truck up for pulling trailers and “slippery” that helps it deal with loose surfaces.

But for tougher conditions where electronics won’t cut it alone, there’s a good old manual locking rear differential.

Suspension has also been carefully tuned to account for the extra weight of the hybrid system.

Running power tools

One of the perks of the hybrid battery is that owners can harness up to 6.9kW of power for running tools that would normally require a generator.

This is fed to two 15amp outlets in the load area, which have sufficient oomph for running power-hungry gear such as a 9in grinder or for charging EV dirt bikes and ATVs.

If this is a little overkill, the stock option provides a 10amp supply to each of these outlets.

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The Ranger PHEV is being produced in Silverton, South Africa, and comes in three spec levels.

XLT is billed as the workaday option, yet still comes kitted out with 18in alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers, a heated windscreen and 12in touchscreen display.

Next up the pecking order is the Wildtrak – complete with part-leather trim, keyless entry and adaptive cruise control – with the top spot reserved for the limited-edition Stormtrak.

This sports upgraded Matrix LED headlights, a 10-speaker B&O audio system and 360deg camera, as well as custom interior and exterior trim.

Prices are yet to be confirmed, but it’s safe to say it will be significantly more expensive than the V6 diesel, which starts at £40,350 in Wildtrak guise.