DUNTON, UK – Ford’s Ranger Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) has been named Parkers Pickup of the Year 2027. Parkers chose the Ranger PHEV because it combines plug-in hybrid driving with the core capabilities pickup buyers still need: up to 3.5-tonne towing, more than one tonne of payload, 800 mm wading depth and available onboard power for tools and equipment.
“For pickup customers, electrification works when it adds value and improves productivity without reducing the work capability they rely on," said Jim Baumbick, President, Ford Europe. "Ranger PHEV delivers all of this, from mobile power generation to the towing, payload, and off-road ability that make Ranger one of the most versatile tools in our customers’ toolboxes.”
The award, announced on 5 November 2026, recognises the Ford Ranger PHEV as a pickup that aims to make electrification practical for drivers who still need to work, tow and travel beyond the range of a typical daily commute.
For many UK pickup users, the key question is not simply whether a vehicle is electrified. It is whether it can still do the job: Can it tow a trailer or horsebox? Can it carry tools and equipment? Can it travel off-road? Can it power equipment on site? And can it work as a business vehicle during the week as well as a family or leisure vehicle at the weekend?
According to Parkers, the Ford Ranger PHEV answers those questions without giving up the qualities that have made Ranger one of the UK’s best-known pickups.
Parkers said the Ranger PHEV is “the most complete pickup on sale” because it adds a plug-in hybrid powertrain without compromising the capability expected from a diesel pickup.
The Parkers award comes at a time when tax changes have made many double-cab pickups more expensive to run as company vehicles. Parkers noted that the Ranger PHEV’s lower emissions can reduce the Benefit-in-Kind bill for a company-car driver compared with a diesel Ranger.
However, Parkers’ decision was not based only on tax. Its judges highlighted that the Ranger PHEV still tows up to 3.5 tonnes, carries more than one tonne and retains the same 800 mm wading depth as other Ranger models.
The battery is packaged beneath the load bed, rather than taking away the usable load area. This helps the Ranger PHEV retain the practical load-carrying ability that matters to tradespeople, farmers, outdoor businesses and drivers who need their pickup for work.
“The tax change hit pickup buyers hard, and the Ranger plug-in hybrid is one of very few genuine ways out of it," said Tom Webster, Head of Content at Parkers. "What’s impressive is that Ford hasn’t traded anything away — it still tows three and a half tonnes, still carries over a tonne, still goes everywhere a Ranger goes. It’s the most complete pickup you can buy.”
