As diesel utes cop big emissions fees, could petrol utes swoop in?

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The Ford Ranger is coming to the US but without diesel power.

Richard Bosselman/Stuff

The Ford Ranger is coming to the US but without diesel power.

About a year after it launched in New Zealand, Ford has debuted the Ranger for its North American customers.

Normally, this wouldn’t really warrant a full news story, as it’s basically the same ute as we get here, just with the wheel on the opposite side. But considering the Government’s recent Clean Car Discount changes as well as how diesel engines aren’t that popular Stateside, it provides an interesting look into the potential for alternative engines Ford New Zealand could look at bringing in.

The American Ranger is exclusively powered by petrol engines, starting with a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine rated at 201kW and 420Nm. The next step is a 2.7-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 making around 235kW/542Nm. Both engines are bolted to a ten-speed automatic transmission.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak X has been revealed to bridge the gap between the standard Wildtrak and the mighty Raptor.

Rear-wheel drive is the basic configuration, with electronic shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive available for those that want it. But is it worth the effort in bringing those petrol engines to New Zealand?

READ MORE:
* Tailpipe standards for cars are a ‘joke’, auto sector says
* Ford NZ to continue selling Ranger V6 despite Clean Car changes
* Road test: Ford Ranger Raptor
* Mazda tackles carbon ‘ute tax’ with new low-CO2 pick-up

According to official US government fuel information, the 2022 Ranger using the 2.3-litre engine and rear-wheel drive emitted 240g/km of CO2. Adding four-wheel drive to the mix upped the CO2 emissions to 255g/km.

The American Ranger shares its engines with the Bronco, including the 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6.

Supplied/Ford

The American Ranger shares its engines with the Bronco, including the 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6.

This is for the outgoing generation Ranger model, so there’s a chance these figures could change with the new model, but probably not by much.

Ford did make an effort in designing the new model to be more aerodynamic than before. Ford Australia design manager, and the person who sketched one of the first T6.2 styling proposals, Leigh Cosentino, told carsguide in 2022 the new Ranger was tested extensively at the Monash University wind tunnel facility in Melbourne as well as at Ford headquarters in Detroit.

It might not look like it, but the Ranger is actually quite a bit more aerodynamic than before.

Matthew Hansen/Stuff

It might not look like it, but the Ranger is actually quite a bit more aerodynamic than before.

New aero features include a special front dam, rear header, tailgate spoiler, exterior mirrors and wheel arches, while the shape and surfacing of the sheet metal also came under attention.

Compare those CO2 figures to the 211g/km (231g/km in 4WD trim) of the local biturbo diesel XLT, and you can see why Ford NZ isn’t keen. The local arm confirmed this to Stuff, saying there aren’t any current plans to go petrol.

Ford won’t bring petrol power to its ute but Volkswagen will.

Matthew Hansen/Stuff

Ford won’t bring petrol power to its ute but Volkswagen will.

But that isn’t stopping Volkswagen, which just debuted the new Amarok, a pick-up that shares platforms with the Ranger. Volkswagen used plenty of Ford parts in its new ute, including the underlying platform and a number of body panels, interior switchgear, engines and transmissions.

The German manufacturer confirmed yesterday that it will bring in a limited number of 2.3-litre EcoBoost-powered Amaroks to New Zealand, alongside the mainstream diesel options. Apparently, if uptake is good, the petrol could become a permanent fixture.

Petrol-powered pick-ups have struggled to gain traction in New Zealand historically, with a handful of exceptions. Amongst the latter is Toyota’s Hilux Workmate with its 2.7-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. A popular favourite amongst tradies, the Workmate has been quietly discontinued locally. For a while, SsangYong also offered a petrol version of its Rhino double-cab ute. Although it too quietly disappeared from the market.

Toyota Hilux utes with independent electric conversions are sprouting up around the world.

Supplied

Toyota Hilux utes with independent electric conversions are sprouting up around the world.

Regardless of its popularity (or lack thereof) locally, petrol-powered utes are likely to become a growing trend in the ute market over the next few years, particularly as brands unveil more electrified options.

It has been heavily rumoured that the next-gen Mitsubishi Triton will feature a plug-in hybrid petrol powertrain borrowed from the popular Outlander PHEV. This powertrain could also appear in the next-gen Nissan Navara, which will share the Triton’s platform.

It is expected that Toyota’s next-gen Hilux will also feature some form of electrification, potentially looping in petrol internal combustion assistance. Ford, has previously confirmed that it is working on some form of hybrid powertrain for its Ranger, although it is rumoured that the blue oval might shelve the model to focus on bringing a pure electric Ranger to market instead.

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