Ford Ranger vs Toyota Hilux: the pickup duel
Updated Report an error By Oleksandr Hnatiuk
Ford · 2022–present
Ranger P703
- Power
- 151 kW205 PS
Toyota · 2015–2025
Hilux AN110/AN120/AN130
- Power
- 150 kW204 PS
Verdict Opinion
The Ranger is the more modern and more versatile truck. It offers the stronger V6 diesel, a plug-in hybrid, the Raptor and a more recent safety rating. It has also led the European pickup market for a decade, with 60,400 registrations and 43.6 percent of the segment in 2024. In Germany it started at €43,780 in October 2025, with the double cab from €46,755.
The Hilux counters with a long record in hard use (a seventh-generation truck even reached the South Pole in 2011–2012) and a simpler diesel range. For plain work duty it remains a sound choice; for mixed private and business use the Ford is the better all-rounder.
- Oleksandr Hnatiuk
Outside North America, the Ranger and the Hilux are two of the best-known names in the mid-size pickup class. The Toyota Hilux has been built since 1968, received four-wheel drive with its third generation in 1978 and had sold 17.7 million units worldwide by 2017. The Ford Ranger in its current form dates from 2011, when Ford Australia engineered the T6 platform as one global truck to replace the Mazda-based Rangers.
Ford revealed the current P703 Ranger in November 2021 and started production in Thailand and South Africa in 2022; the second Volkswagen Amarok shares its base. The eighth-generation Hilux was unveiled in Bangkok and Sydney on 21 May 2015, and a ninth generation, including a battery-electric version, premiered in Thailand in November 2025. The comparison below concentrates on the trucks most buyers find at dealers today.
Ford Ranger vs Toyota Hilux: engines, towing and safety
Diesel engines
Toyota relies on two four-cylinder GD diesels. The 2.4 has 110 kW (150 PS) and 400 Nm; the 2.8 originally had about 130 kW, and its 2020 update raised it to 150 kW (204 PS) and 500 Nm with the automatic. A 48-volt mild-hybrid version followed in 2023. Ford offers a 2.0 EcoBlue with 125 kW, a bi-turbo version with 151 kW (205 PS) and 500 Nm, and a 3.0 V6 diesel with 177 kW (240 PS) and 600 Nm. At the core of each range the two are almost level, 151 against 150 kW; the V6 gives the Ford 100 Nm more at the top.
Petrol and plug-in versions
Ford also sells the Ranger as a plug-in hybrid, pairing the 2.3 EcoBoost with an electric motor and an 11.8 kWh battery. Auto Zeitung quotes 207 kW, 697 Nm and as much as 43 km on electricity. The Raptor uses a 3.0 twin-turbo V6 petrol engine with 215 kW in Europe. The Hilux range has no plug-in hybrid.
Towing and payload
Both are rated for a 3,500 kg braked trailer, the Ranger PHEV included. Toyota quotes up to 1,240 kg of payload for the eighth-generation Hilux, depending on version. The Ranger Super Duty, shown in April 2025, raises towing to 4,500 kg and payload to 1,982 kg.
Off-road hardware
Both trucks are built on a separate ladder frame. The Hilux has part-time four-wheel drive with low range and a locking rear differential. Toyota stiffened its frame by about 20 percent for the eighth generation and improved the approach and departure angles to 31 and 26 degrees. Four-wheel-drive and Hi-Rider Rangers can wade through 800 mm of water.
Euro NCAP: five stars against three
The P703 Ranger received five stars at the end of 2022, with 84 percent for adult occupants. The Hilux tested in 2016 earned three stars in basic form and five stars only with the optional safety package, according to German Wikipedia.
Full specifications
| Ford Ranger | Toyota Hilux | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Version | Ranger P703 · 2.0 EcoBlue bi-turbo diesel · 151 kW (205 PS) | 2.8 D-4D (1GD-FTV, 2020 update) · diesel · 150 kW (204 PS) |
| Production years | 2022–present | 2015–2025 |
| Body | Pickup | Pickup |
| Country | United States | Japan |
| Performance | ||
| Power Why it matters: More power means stronger acceleration and easier overtaking, especially with a full load. | 151 kW (205 PS) 202 hp | 150 kW (204 PS) 201 hp |
| Power, all versions | 88–302 kW (120–411 PS) 118–405 hp | 110–150 kW (150–204 PS) 148–201 hp |
| Torque Why it matters: Torque is the pulling force you feel when accelerating from low revs, towing or climbing hills. | 500 Nm 369 lb-ft | 500 Nm 369 lb-ft |
| Engine and transmission | ||
| Fuel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Engine | 4 cyl | 2,755 cc 2.8 l |
| Engine code | No data | 1GD-FTV |
| Gearbox | No data | automatic |
| Drive | Four-wheel drive (4×4) | No data |
| Dimensions and weight | ||
| Length | 5,370 mm 211.4 in † | No data |
| Width | 1,918 mm 75.5 in † | No data |
| Height | 1,884 mm 74.2 in † | No data |
| Wheelbase | 3,270 mm 128.7 in † | No data |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP | ★★★★★ (2022) | No data |
These cars do not differ in the data we have.
Equal rows hidden (3): Body, Torque, Fuel.
† from another version of this generation.
In plain words
Ford Ranger has more power: 151 kW (205 PS) against 150 kW (204 PS) for Toyota Hilux. Toyota Hilux is the older design (from 1968); Ford Ranger arrived in 2011.
Which one to choose
Choose the Ford Ranger if you tow heavy trailers often and want the 600 Nm V6, if short trips suit a plug-in hybrid, or if you want a high-speed off-roader in the Raptor.
Choose the Toyota Hilux if a proven four-cylinder diesel is all you need, if you value the Hilux's long record in remote use, or if you prefer Toyota's simpler range without plug-in technology.
Both trucks are over five metres long as double cabs, so check your parking space with our garage fit tool. More versions are listed in the Ford catalogue and the Toyota catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Which tows more, the Ranger or the Hilux?
Each standard truck may pull a braked trailer of 3,500 kg. Only the Ranger Super Duty goes further, to 4,500 kg.
Is there a hybrid Ranger or Hilux?
The Ranger PHEV is a plug-in hybrid with about 43 km of electric range. The Hilux offers a 48-volt mild-hybrid diesel, which cannot drive on electricity alone.
How do the two score in Euro NCAP tests?
The Ford holds a 2022 five-star rating. Toyota's truck reached five stars in 2016 only when fitted with its optional safety package; without it the score was three stars.
Is there a new Toyota Hilux?
Yes. The ninth generation premiered in Thailand in November 2025 and includes a battery-electric version.