Ford Ranger PHEV

New plug-in hybrid version of Ford's top-selling pick-up truck offers a more affordable alternative to a traditional diesel On sale Now Price from £40,841 (exc VAT)

- DAN JONES

PLANETS IN THE Goldilocks zone are defined as ones that aren't so close to a star that they're too hot but aren't so far away that they're freezing. As in the fairytale, the ideal outcome is to find a middle ground between extremes.

Pickup trucks are on a similar quest, with brands looking for the balancing point between compliance with efficiency laws and what works best for buyers. Diesel pickups are now pricey for company car drivers to run, and the few electric models you can get in the UK don't really stack up as viable alternatives, despite their lower benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rating. The new Ford Ranger plugin hybrid (PHEV), then, might well be in the Goldilocks zone for pickups.

There's certainly no compromise when it comes to power. Its turbocharged 2.3-litre petrol engine and electric motor pump out a combined 278bhp, whereas the 3.0-litre diesel V6 version of the Ranger makes do with 237bhp.