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Times
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Times
Ford Ranger PHEV review — plug into the pick-up revolution
T he world of cars has become stupidly complicated. Every niche seems to have been filled, and some vehicle types seem to have been shoehorned in between two traditional categories for no obvious reason. Think of the coupé SUV, for example: hulking great vehicles taking up the same amount of space as a small house but with the back sliced off in a vain attempt to improve the looks and aerodynamics. In reality it does little to either, but does have the effect of reducing the car's potential for carrying luggage. Better to have two cars: a gorgeous lightweight sports car for fun and a small van or estate for load-lugging. Perhaps a 4×4 for those adventurous families who like to get off the beaten track at the weekend. • Read more expert reviews, news and insights on cars and motoring Better still is one vehicle that can do it all. A pick-up truck, for example. Some see these types of vehicle as the automotive equivalent of a mullet, except instead of being 'business at the front, party at the back' a pick-up is business during the week and party at the weekend. With a double cab (five-seat) version, small business owners can throw their tools in the load bed, collect colleagues on the way to a worksite and treat it roughly from Monday to Friday, then head to the beach with the family on Saturday and go mountain biking on Sunday. A four-wheel drive model adds go-anywhere flexibility. Ford has added a PHEV version to the Ranger, which is the bestselling vehicle in its class in the UK and across Europe Which sounds appealing, but which to go for? Of the many pick-up options out there — Toyota Hilux; VW Amarok; Isuzu D-Max; KGM Musso — the Ford Ranger is the one most buyers gravitate towards. It's the bestselling vehicle in its class in the UK and across Europe, while in Australia they love Ford's 'ute' so much that it outsells every other vehicle full stop. Fair dinkum. And now there's a new version that Ford reckons is going to further its appeal: the Ranger PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). This combines a 2.3-litre Ford Ecoboost petrol engine — proven in Rangers outside Europe and found in the UK under the bonnet of non-V8 Mustangs — with a 75kW electric motor and a lithium ion battery, which can be charged up by plugging into a power socket or by the petrol engine during use. Why? Well, there are a number of claimed advantages for the owner, which we'll come on to. But it surely can't have escaped your attention that car makers are being made to reduce the overall CO₂ output of their combustion vehicles while also increasing the proportion of fully electric options for consumers. And going plug-in hybrid means Ford can continue selling the Ranger until 2035, five years after sales of new cars powered by more traditional petrol and diesel engines are banned. The Ford Ranger PHEV can tow up to 3.5 tonnes Not that Ford mentioned any of that on the vehicle launch, of course. Instead we were simply told about how, in developing the Ranger PHEV, the engineers wanted zero compromises compared with the existing powertrains, and that, in fact, the PHEV outperforms the rest of the Ranger stable in almost every regard. To look at, it's business as usual. Same length, same wheelbase, same ground clearance and overhangs as the other Ranger double cabs (you can't get the PHEV in single cab configuration). There's a small reduction in load-bed capacity, as the 11.8kWh battery pack sits under the floor, raising it by 20mm. But you barely notice, and the Ranger PHEV has all the same capabilities as the diesel Ranger — a payload of up to one tonne (and resulting business tax breaks); the ability to tow up to 3.5 tonnes; and four-wheel drive with a low-range gearbox. Inside the Wildtrak version I tested, there's a pleasing mix of digital screens and proper buttons (actual dials for the temperature and volume controls!), with a reassuringly chunky drive select lever and more physical controls for the drive modes and off-road settings. The cockpit is well organised, and the digital display features a 12in vertical touchscreen We'll knock marks off for a slightly low-rent rotary dial for those drive modes (Normal; Eco; Sport; Tow; Slippery; Mud/Ruts; Sand), which had a distinctly bargain bin squeak when you turned it, but it did function properly, and the multiple camera views and 4×4 info available on the touchscreen was top notch. While some of the controls might not be 'premium' in feel, there's a high level of sophistication to the ride of the Ranger PHEV. Out on the road, it feels more like a car than a commercial vehicle, with accurate steering and suspension that is pliant over bumps but not overly rolly in corners. Ford has always had a knack for this stuff, and it makes the Ranger amazingly adaptable — capable of handling pretty tricky off-road terrain, potholes and road humps, while also being pleasing to steer on silky-smooth asphalt. There's a reassuringly chunky drive select lever and more physical controls for the drive modes and off-road settings The drivetrain is smooth, too, despite having two power sources, four wheels to send that power to, and eight gears to send it through. Hybrids are nothing new, it's true, but this is a particularly sophisticated set-up, despite the Ranger's workhorse roots, and the way the car switches between electric and petrol is almost seamless. You barely even perceive the engine and gear changes most of the time, so creamy is the management of it all. The new Ranger's seats are plush and comfy, and the vehicle is perfect for taking the family out at the weekend Ford told us at the press briefing that Ranger customers are small business owners who like to balance work with play, using their vehicle for jobs during the day and then for taking the family out over the weekend. Well, the engineers nailed it, because it's a beast on the rough stuff (we tried it out off-road in Iceland), with a tough chassis and hard-wearing materials inside, yet the seats are plush and comfy and the refinement in the cabin is SUV-like. That includes hushed noise from the tyres, wind and engine. There was even a Bang & Olufsen sound system in our bright orange Wildtrak test car. Obviously the ability to run without pumping out exhaust emissions for up to 27 miles could be an advantage if you need to access a zero emission zone. But perhaps more useful for owners is the fact that the electric motor results in more torque (twisting force) than even the diesel models produce. That's not only about bragging rights on a building site; it genuinely makes a difference when it comes to negotiating tricky terrain while fully loaded, or towing heavy trailers. The load bed can be divided to facilitate careful packing There's some very clever tech associated with the towing abilities, too, with smart regenerative braking that senses the weight of the payload and helps to control speed while also recouping armfuls of energy to the high voltage battery. It can then deploy that on the next uphill section of road. Even cleverer — and we got a demonstration of this — is what Ford calls Pro Trailer Backup Assist, which automatically steers trailers of all sizes into spaces behind; you don't touch the steering wheel, and instead simply use the pedals and direct the trailer left or right by twisting the drive mode dial on the centre console. Even Clarkson could back up a trailer accurately with this tech. Perhaps the biggest selling point, though, is the ability to power electrical devices directly from the vehicle, using the high voltage battery pack. There's a 2.3kW system that Ford says is ideal for 'powering weekend trips to the trails' and can comfortably charge 'multiple e-mountain bikes and a portable fridge', or a more powerful 6.9kW system designed for heavy-duty equipment and work tools. The higher power on comes with two 15A outlets in the load box that have the capacity to power a compact cement mixer, angle grinder and flood lights simultaneously. There's no danger of running out of juice, either, as you can run the engine as a generator, if required. The 6.9kW Pro Power system is enough to run a compact cement mixer and angle grinder at the same time WILL DRON (TIMES MEDIA) There's more, because Ford claims the plug-in hybrid powertrain could save you money. In a purely dreamt-up scenario, the company said a German owner could save €850 (£726) a year versus the 3-litre V6 diesel Ranger, although that does come with caveats: charging off-peak every day and having a commute of 80km, for example. A UK business owner will have to do their sums, but it probably won't take long: that 3-litre V6 is actually more expensive up front, at £49,291 before tax in Wildtrak trim, while the Ranger PHEV in the same spec costs £46,241. The diesel also has less power, less torque, is slower to 62mph, and uses more fuel while creating significantly more CO₂ (officially). It's a no-brainer, mate. The new Ford Ranger PHEV is a great all-rounder But beyond the numbers is something less quantifiable. What Ford has created here, whether as a cynical future-proofing exercise or not, is a sensational all-rounder. More rugged than any vehicle you're likely to need, more practical than most cars, and more versatile too. If you could only buy one vehicle to do everything, it would be this. In other words it's the antithesis of the niche-within-a-niche cars being snapped up by people with more money than sense, which don't seem to have a point at all.
The Sun
7 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
The dangers of ‘parallel living' and how it's slowly killing your relationship
WHEN couples first get together, it's natural for them to be giddy and excited all the time as they fall in love. However, it's common for this initial excitement to dim over time, especially for those who have been together for many years. 3 3 And as life gets in the way, it can sometimes result in couples quickly falling into damaging patterns without even noticing it's happening. And there's one specific pattern that could actually be wrecking your marriage or relationship - parallel living. This habit happens when couples sit next to each other but barely interact, and over time, this kills the passion and the emotional bond between the two people. Relationship experts have found that huge numbers of people are falling into this trap at the weekends. And Steffo Shambo, Founder of Tantric Academy, has warned that it is slowly killing relationships. This silent killer takes hold when two people spend hours in the same room, but are glued to their phones the whole time. Couples think sharing a sofa means quality time, but most relationships drift further apart during weekends Steffo ShamboFounder of Tantric Academy They could also be watching different TV shows or doing solo jobs with hardly any real connection between them. Steffo said: "Couples think sharing a sofa means quality time, but most relationships drift further apart during weekends. "Sitting beside each other while mentally miles away has become totally normal but it's becoming increasingly harmful as it discourages any effort and in some cases, motivation from both parties to connect further." Phones and tablets cause most of the damage, according to the expert. I'm a dating expert - the 5 key signs your partner is cheating on you & the Instagram feature that'll tell you all you need to know The tantra coach added: "Look at a typical Saturday morning and you'll see two people in bed scrolling through social media. "The couples think they're together but they might as well be in different houses." The relationship specialist branded these periods as "parallel living", where partners occupy the same physical space without sharing anything meaningful. They continued: "Your brain starts to link your partner with feeling alone not feeling connected. "This process happens so slowly you never notice until one day you realise the desire and closeness have vanished. "Scrolling on your phone can become so addictive and devoid of any effort on the individual's part, but produces an instant high and feelings of gratification. "But eventually, the attention and time spent 'doom scrolling' replaces meaningful contact. "It's absolutely essential that couples recognise when this is happening and put practices in place to prevent this breakdown." But if you've noticed you and your partner falling into this pattern, don't panic just yet. Steffo has revealed just how you can stop this habit and turn things around. SAVING THE LONG-TERM PASSION RESEARCHERS have also discovered that people find tasks feel more meaningful when they are done with their partner. For example, many people reported they felt that activities done with a spouse felt one and a half times more meaningful than solo activities. And people experienced 21 per cent less stress when their partner was actively involved. Many marriage counsellors report that couples wrongly believe simply being in the same house counts as quality time. Satisfaction plummets when people share physical space but focus on separate activities. Covid lockdowns made this problem worse for many relationships, with partners spending more time together physically while feeling less connected emotionally than ever before. Top relationship experts now say true quality time needs three crucial elements that most weekend routines completely lack: giving full attention, sharing activities, and including physical touch. Since weekends offer the biggest chunk of potential bonding time for most couples, transforming these hours from parallel existence to genuine connection could save their long-term passion. And the fix doesn't require expensive date nights or grand gestures. They said: "Try just 20 minutes every weekend morning with no phones and no distractions - face each other, talk properly or just enjoy comfortable silence. "This simple habit trains your brain to associate your partner with real connection instead of loneliness." According to the experts, weekend routines need a complete overhaul with activities that demand both partners' attention. For example, things like cooking together, taking phone-free walks, or doing chores together. Steffo said: "The magic formula for keeping passion alive combines new shared experiences with focused attention. "When couples stick with these practices, they notice major improvements in both emotional closeness and physical desire after just three weekends." 3
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Forbes
The Weekend Habit For Happier, More Productive Workweeks
Making leisure crafting a weekend habit, like playing golf with friends, can recharge your mind and ... More fuel a happier, more productive workweek. It's Sunday night, and despite spending the weekend binge-watching Netflix, scrolling through social media and catching up on sleep, you feel just as drained as you did on Friday afternoon. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Most working professionals default to passive recovery as a weekend habit, hoping that rest alone will recharge their batteries for the week ahead. What you should consider instead is "leisure crafting." A study published in the Journal of Leisure Research reveals that leisure crafting, a powerful weekend habit, can boost energy and well-being by more than 150% while also improving work performance, creativity, productivity and job satisfaction. Here's what it is and how you can use this powerful weekend ritual to transform your entire workweek. What Is Leisure Crafting? Leisure crafting involves approaching free time with intentionality and a growth mindset, focusing on goal-setting, human connection, learning and personal development. Unlike passive leisure activities like watching TV or scrolling through social media, this approach actively engages your mind and builds skills. The problem with passive leisure activities is that they don't provide the psychological resources we need to truly recharge. We're essentially running in place, maintaining our current state rather than enhancing it. This approach works because it provides three key psychological benefits that passive activities don't: According to research by occupational health psychologist Dr. Sabine Sonnentag, the ability to mentally detach from work during leisure time is essential for reducing stress, preventing burnout and enhancing both well-being and job performance. As Sonnentag explains, 'detachment from work during non-work time is crucial for employee well-being and performance.' Active, engaging leisure activities—especially those that foster mastery and a sense of autonomy—are significantly more effective at promoting psychological recovery than passive rest. The Benefits of Leisure Crafting So, what exactly can you expect from this weekend habit? Here's how adopting a growth mindset in your leisure time transforms your well-being and productivity: Creative weekend activities build what psychologists call "psychological resources." When you approach leisure with a growth mindset and complete a creative project or learn a new skill, you're building confidence that fundamentally changes how you feel about yourself and your capabilities. You approach Monday morning with a stronger sense of your own abilities and a more positive mindset. Beyond the confidence boost, these activities provide immediate weekend satisfaction that passive activities don't. Instead of ending Sunday night feeling like you've wasted your time, you finish the weekend with a tangible sense of accomplishment and personal growth. The cognitive flexibility required for creative activities enhances problem-solving abilities at work. When you're used to thinking creatively during leisure time, you naturally bring that same innovative thinking to professional situations. Research shows that the positive emotions, enhanced creativity and increased self-efficacy generated through leisure activities spill over into work performance and productivity. Employees who engage in structured creative activities report higher levels of work engagement, increased innovation and greater job satisfaction. This spillover effect works both ways—when you're more engaged and productive at work, you bring that energy back to your personal creative pursuits, creating a positive feedback loop. Research participants experienced a 1.6 times greater increase in overall well-being compared to the control group. Beyond immediate satisfaction and work performance, this weekend habit addresses critical aspects of modern well-being by providing psychological detachment from work concerns, which is essential for preventing burnout. Regular creative engagement builds resilience by providing alternative sources of identity and self-worth beyond professional achievements. Dr. Petrou, the lead researcher on the leisure crafting studies, found that leisure crafting helps individuals improve their overall quality of life while also serving as a resource that enhances their performance in domains where it matters, such as at work. How To Put Leisure Crafting Into Practice The key is choosing activities that are physically and mentally engaging while providing a sense of accomplishment. These are just some examples: How To Make Leisure Crafting A Weekend Habit Building a sustainable weekend habit requires planning and a growth mindset: Schedule It: Block out specific time slots in your weekend schedule for creative activities. Treat this time as non-negotiable. Many people find Saturday or Sunday mornings work well when energy levels are high, and you can set yourself up for a productive week ahead. Create An Accessible Space: Keep your supplies visible and easily accessible. Whether it's a dedicated craft room or simply a basket of art supplies on your kitchen table, reducing friction makes follow-through more likely. Start Small: Begin with just 30 minutes of creative time per weekend. This feels manageable and helps establish the routine. As the habit becomes natural, you can gradually extend the time. Embrace Flexibility: Whether you live in a small apartment, have young children, or work irregular hours, you can adapt creative activities to fit your circumstances. For busy parents, creative activities can turn into family bonding time. For those with limited space, focus on activities requiring minimal equipment. Transform Your Next Weekend Small, intentional changes in how you spend your downtime can have significant payoffs in your work life and overall well-being. Leisure crafting as a weekend habit isn't about adding more obligations to your already busy life. It's about making your existing downtime more restorative so that you can have a more productive and satisfying workweek.
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
NYT ‘Connections' Hints And Answers For Saturday, June 21
Connections hints and answers are here. Looking for Friday's NYT Connections hints, clues and answers instead? You can find them here: Time for your first weekend Connections and I will admit, I found this one rather difficult. Though that may be some amount of brain fog given that I am on no sleep with a two-week old… How to Play Connections Connections is the second-most popular NYT Games puzzle game outside of the main crossword itself, and an extremely fun, free offering that will get your brain moving every day. Play it right here. The goal is to take a group of 16 words and find links between four pairs of four of them. They could be specific categories of terms, or they could be little world puzzles where words may come before or after them you need to figure out. And they get more complicated from there. There is only one set of right answers for this, and you only get a certain number of tries so you can't just spam around until you find something. There are difficulty tiers coded by color, which will usually go from yellow, blue/green to purple as difficulty increases, so know that going in and when you start linking them together. You pick the four words you think are linked and either you will get a solve and a lit up row that shows you how you were connected. If you're close, it will tell you that you're one away. Again, four mistakes you lose, but if you want to know the answers without failing, either come here, or delete your web cookies and try again. If you want to play more puzzles, you can get an NYT Games subscription to access the full archives of all past puzzles. So, onto the hints and answers: FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder What Are Today's Connections Hints? These are the hints that are laid out on the puzzle board itself, but after that, we will get into spoiler territory with some hints and eventually the answers. The hints for the Connections groups today are: What Are Today's Connections Groups? Alright, the full spoilers follow here as we get into what the groups are today: What Are Today's Connections Answers? The full-on answers are below for each group, finally inserting the four words in each category. Spoilers follow if you do not want to get this far. The Connections answers are: Connections Well, this felt like a puzzle that was going to be all about alcohol with different types of liquor and wines. But that is not at all what happened here, with the only drink being Brandy in the blue category with a bunch of other non-alcoholic apple productions. Well I guess cider can be alcoholic too. In college I may have put alcohol in apple sauce. Yellow group I thought was pretty straightforward albeit I thought that 'Firm" could be in there too, though I guess you would not call someone stocky that term, exactly, despite being in a similar category of words. I was confused by the green group as I just am not familiar with the term 'concern' used when it comes to the formation of a company. Turns out it's a type of business popular in Europe, which leads to the final group. Purple group had us going to some big and small European countries, albeit only half of them. We have Germany, Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal in a category that again, I thought had at least two words that had to do with wine. Tricky tricky. How did you fare with the puzzle today? Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
From a wild new drama about a notorious British family to a Downton star turned sleuth, our TV experts have rounded up the 20 best shows and films to stream this weekend
With another bumper TV lineup arriving this weekend, our experts have sifted through the latest offerings to bring you their pick of the top 20 shows to stream... Outrageous
