Pick-up of the Year 2026: Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is the 2026 Auto Express Pick-up of the Year, with the Isuzu D-Max and Toyota Hilux commended
It's been eight years since anything other than the Ford Ranger has scooped our pick-up truck award, and with good reason. Ford’s offering has all bases covered, whether you need a utilitarian work vehicle, a go-anywhere machine ready for adventure, or even a powerful Raptor model that drives more like an oversized rally car. The arrival of the Ranger MS-RT has also added a sport truck offering as a road-biased alternative to the Raptor’s off-road focus.
While diesel is still the powertrain of choice, the arrival of plug-in hybrid power last year has helped the Ranger to remain at the top of the pick-up truck tree. The PHEV offers zero-emissions driving where needed, but it still maintains the same one-tonne payload capability and 3.5-tonne towing capacity as the rest of the line-up.
Changes to the tax rules around double-cab pick-ups mean that for 2026 a new commercial vehicle variant of the Ranger has been added to the line-up. While it retains the same shape as before, it does away with the back seats to qualify as a commercial vehicle once again.
Even if you do stick with the regular five-seater, the Ranger remains the most capable truck on sale. The top-spec models have plenty of luxuries, while there are versions throughout the range to suit different budgetary and lifestyle needs. Road driving is easy, while there’s enough off-road ability to keep going when the going gets rough.
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Our choice
- Ford Ranger 3.0 EcoBlue Wildtrak (£48,105 ex VAT)
Ford's strong V6 diesel is well suited to the Ranger, and means pulling power is effortless, irrespective of whether the truck is unladen, towing or carrying a full load in the bed. Wildtrak models are well equipped, too.
Commended
The Isuzu D-Max continues to deliver dependable reliability that is popular with fleet and agricultural users. Mid-range models offer plenty of standard equipment, while the new-for-2026 electric D-Max EV doesn’t compromise on payload or towing capacity.
Another truck that has taken the electrification route is the Toyota Hilux, and it comes either as an EV or with 48-volt mild-hybrid tech to assist the diesel engine. There isn’t as much variety as in the Ranger line-up, but good reliability will be a given.
See all the winners...
Click on the gallery below to see all the winners of our 2026 New Car Awards...
You can find all the information on our New Car Awards 2026 winners and the reasons why we chose them on the pages below. Just follow the links to read more…
New Car Awards 2026: the winners
Special edition of Auto Express
For the full New Car Awards experience, make sure you pick up a copy of our special 2026 New Car Awards collectors' edition of the Auto Express magazine, which is available in shops now.
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