Review: 2025 Ford Ranger Stormtrak PHEV
“A pickup that rides like it’s been to finishing school.”
If you’d told me a few years back that I’d climb into a pickup and mutter, “Blimey, that’s comfy,” without a hint of sarcasm, I’d have assumed you’d slipped something into me brew. But here we are: the 2025 Ford Ranger Stormtrak PHEV has arrived, and somehow Ford has made a truck that rides like it’s been raised in a luxury spa, exfoliated twice a week, and taught how to pronounce “croissant” properly.
I’ll say this straight off the bat: the ride and comfort are in a different league to almost every other pickup I’ve driven recently. Only the Amarok matches it, and that’s hardly surprising, seeing as they share more DNA than two cousins in a remote farming village. But the Stormtrak PHEV isn’t just comfy for a truck; it’s comfy full-stop. Let’s get stuck in.
On-Road Ride
Pickups are usually judged on how little they rattle your spine loose when unloaded. Most of them still fail this test spectacularly. But the Stormtrak PHEV? Well, this thing feels like Ford secretly followed me around, took notes on what I moan about, and sorted the lot.
Unladen, the ride has actual compliance, not the “it’s fine as long as your kidneys regenerate” sort. The suspension smooths out potholes with a muted thud instead of the usual “HERE COMES PAIN!” that pickups tend to announce. Even on the smashed-up back roads up north, it keeps its composure like it’s wearing noise-cancelling headphones and doing mindfulness breathing exercises.
Add some weight, camping gear, recovery junk, a suspiciously muddy dog, pallets, and it gets even better. The handling stays planted without that wallowy, springy bounce many pickups treat you to. Body control is impressive, steering feels precise enough for a big square thing, and the whole experience is… well… relaxing. Honestly, that feels odd to write.
The hybrid powertrain adds an unexpected layer too. Electric torque fills in gaps, so pulling away is smooth and calm instead of “lurch, roar, hope”. Creeping around town in EV mode is whisper-quiet and strangely civilised.
Off-Road Capability
Fear not: Ford hasn’t accidentally built a soft-roader disguised as a pickup. The Stormtrak PHEV is still very much a Ranger, which is to say capable, confident, and equipped to drag you through a bog until you remember you left your posh trainers at home.
The electric motor’s immediate torque is actually a huge benefit off-road. That low-speed control lets you creep up rocks, over roots, or through sloppy clay with the sort of finesse normally reserved for ballet dancers and people defusing bombs. Combine that with the usual Ranger 4x4 system, locking rear diff, and decent clearance, and you’ve got a pickup that’s as happy on a green lane as it is parked outside Waitrose.
You’ll still want good tyres, obviously. No amount of electricity will get you through axle-deep sludge on road-biased rubber. But give it the right boots and the Stormtrak will get muddy with the best of them, hybrid or not.
Performance & Powertrain
Under the bonnet you’ll find Ford’s 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engine paired with an electric motor and battery pack. Combined output lands around the 281PS mark, depending on market spec, enough to make the Stormtrak PHEV one of the most powerful Rangers Ford has ever sold.
Acceleration is punchy without being silly. The electric motor smooths out the early shove, while the four-cylinder gives you the familiar “go on lad!” surge when you bury your right foot. It’s not trying to be a hot hatch, but overtakes are easy and joining a motorway doesn’t involve prayer.
The 10-speed auto does a decent job of shuffling cogs, though it occasionally seems keen to show off how many it has. It’s better behaved in hybrid mode where the power delivery masks some of its fussiness.
Electric-only range is… fine. Not mind-blowing, not embarrassing, just fine. Enough for short commutes, school runs, and creeping around campgrounds at silly o’clock without waking the neighbours. Ford reckons around 25–30 miles in the real world. If you’re heavy-footed, half that.
Interior
Ford has given the Stormtrak PHEV a cabin that feels far more SUV than agricultural tool. You get plush seats, quality materials, pleasant stitching patterns, and the now-traditional giant portrait touchscreen that looks like someone bolted an iPad on with self-tappers.
The driving position is spot-on, upright yet comfortable, and visibility is excellent unless you’re trying to see a low wall directly behind the truck, in which case all pickups are equally useless. Thankfully, cameras exist.
Seats? Lovely. Supportive. Heated. Cooled (depending on spec). Long journeys are easy; short journeys feel premium. It’s honestly better inside than some SUVs costing the same.
Storage is plentiful: big bins, giant cupholders, deep armrest box, sensible places to put keys, wallets, and half-eaten packets of wine gums.
The rear seats remain “fine” rather than “excellent”. Adults can sit back there without needing counselling afterwards, but as with all pickups, the backrest is a bit upright. Kids will be fine, dogs even more so.
Speaking of dogs: muddy beasts are welcome here. The rear mat is washable, the seats wipe clean, and the wide-opening rear doors mean you don’t have to post a Lurcher through a letterbox.
Practicality
Hybrid or not, the Ranger Stormtrak is still a proper work/play truck. Ford has also smartened up the load bed for modern life. Pro Power sockets in the back let you plug in tools, fridges, a small dishwasher or even a waffle iron if you’re that way inclined. And the sliding roll-bar, combined with the roof rails, gives you a fully-fledged roof rack in seconds, ideal for kayaks, ladders, or awkwardly long bits of tat that won’t fit in the bed.
Loading camping gear, folding tables, boxes of tat, or a sodden spaniel? No bother. The bed height is manageable and the step built into the tailgate helps those of us whose knees now sound like bubble wrap.
Charging cables come in tidy bags, though you’ll inevitably end up stuffing them into one corner of the bed or behind the rear seats next to the tyre inflator and those tent poles you still haven’t identified.
Fuel Efficiency
Thanks to the hybrid system, the Stormtrak PHEV is genuinely efficient for a pickup. You can get surprisingly good mileage if you lean on EV mode in town and let the hybrid boost fill the gaps.
Short trips? You might get away with using barely any petrol.
Longer journeys? Expect mid-30s mpg if you’re steady, high-20s if you’re not.
Towing? Yeah, forget everything I just said, you’ll still see teens.
But overall, it’s noticeably cheaper to run than a straight petrol or diesel equivalent, especially in mixed driving.
Tech & Usability
Ford’s infotainment system is slick and logical once you get used to it. The big screen is sharp, menus are sensibly laid out, and wireless Android Auto/CarPlay works perfectly. The digital dash is clear and customisable, with nice hybrid graphics that show where energy is going (or disappearing).
Driver aids are plentiful. Some are helpful (adaptive cruise), some are annoying (lane keeping), and some feel like they’re judging you (driver attention monitor). Thankfully, Ford usually gives you physical buttons or quick-access menus to tame the wilder safety tech without embarking on a touchscreen treasure hunt.
Heater controls are a mix of physical and digital, but crucially they’re dead easy to use while wearing gloves — something a few rival manufacturers might want to rethink.
Living With It
Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give the Stormtrak PHEV is this: it doesn’t feel like a compromise.
Hybrid pickups often risk trying to please everyone and satisfying no one. But here, Ford seems to have found the sweet spot where the electric boost enhances the experience without diluting the truck-ness.
Around town it’s smooth, quiet, and almost genteel.
On A-roads it’s comfortable, controlled, and confident.
On B-roads it’s shockingly stable for something this chunky.
Off-road it’s still a Ranger, which is to say, excellent.
And through it all, the comfort stands out. Genuinely SUV-rivaling ride quality in a pickup is a revelation, and it sets the Stormtrak PHEV apart.
Verdict
The 2025 Ford Ranger Stormtrak PHEV is, quite simply, the most comfortable pickup I’ve driven recently - bar the Amarok, but that’s basically its posh twin anyway. Ford has taken the already excellent Ranger and added a hybrid powertrain that improves refinement without spoiling the rugged charm.
It’s still a tough, capable truck with proper off-road bones, proper towing muscle, and proper versatility. But now, it’s also something else: a genuinely pleasant daily driver.
If you want a pickup that you can take green-laning on Saturday, haul gear with on Sunday, and commute in without shaking your fillings loose on Monday, the Stormtrak PHEV is absolutely worth a look.
And if you’ve always secretly wished your pickup felt a bit more like an SUV without giving up any of the utility… well, Ford’s already built it for you.
Website: Ranger Stormtrak PHEV
Price: From £49,800 Excl VAT