There are some crazy modern trucks on the market these days, with roomy interiors, luxurious appointments, and the kind of power figures that would make your priest question whether God or the devil were involved in their construction. These vehicles often make tradeoffs though, and sometimes the tradeoffs can be pretty embarrassing. Imagine realizing your 2025 Ford F-150 Raptor is rated to haul a lower payload than a hacked-up French car from 40 years ago.
The Ford F-150 Raptor is a mean machine, to be sure. It boasts a twin-turbo V6 good for 450 horsepower, which will fling it to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds. The bonkers Raptor R bumps up to a V8 with 720 horsepower and does the same sprint in just 3.6 seconds. All that, and it will gladly haul five people at a rapid pace over whatever nasty desert terrain you care to throw at it. And yet, the Raptor is limited somewhat when it comes to one fundamental point—it’s got a payload capacity of just 1,400 pounds — over 1,000 pounds shy of other F-150 models. That means it technically has a lower payload rating than some rather less truck-ish machines; especially one.
Enter the IKCO Arisun 2. Imagine someone took a Peugeot 405 sedan, hacked the back off, and replaced it with a tray (bed) —because that’s exactly what Iran’s biggest automaker did. Now, you might think this chopped-up, compromised ute would be outperformed in every way by the brawny American pickup. And yet, it’s rated to haul a bigger payload than the Ford any day of the week.
The figures are even more surprising when you look at the relative spec sheets of our two contenders. The Arisun 2 weighs just 2800 pounds, but has a payload capacity of 1653 pounds (750 kg). Compare that to the 5,710-pound curb weight of the F-150 Raptor, which steps up to 6,090 pounds for the Raptor R. Each is only rated for a payload of 1,400 pounds.
It’s worth remembering that payload generally includes passengers. The more friends you’re carrying, the less capacity you’ve got for stuff. With only two seats up front, the Iranian ute comes out ahead in that regard. You can bring one friend, and that’s it.
OK, it’s important we’re up front about the comparison. We know very well that Ford determines payload and tow ratings using the Society of Automotive Engineer (SAE) guidelines. As for IKCO, their methods are less clear. Thus, we can’t say definitively that the Arisun 2 actually outperforms the F-150 Raptor when it comes to hauling a payload. What we can say is that if you asked each automaker, the Iranians would be happy for you to haul more in the Arisun than the Americans would approve for the Raptor. Indeed, even if you’re buying an F-150 Raptor in one of the Middle Eastern countries where they’re on the market, the payload rating remains the same—at just 1,400 pounds. So if you’re in Iran shopping for a truck based on payload figure, looking on the literature alone the Arisun would be right there with the Raptor.
The older models from the Iranian automaker did even better with payload. The original Arisun could handle a payload of up to 1829 pounds (830 kg) in petrol guise. It would still carry a healthy 1653 pounds (750 kg) if you bought the version that ran on compressed natural gas.
These older Arisun models were built from 2015 to 2022, and also looked like the classic Peugeot 405. However, they were actually based on the IKCO Paykan, which was effectively a rebadged Hillman Hunter. They used a longitudinally-mounted engine driving the rear wheels, and were basically a mid-1960s car with a Peugeot 405 bodyshell stuck on top.
It’s amusing to compare the mighty Raptor with the humble and weird utes of Iran. It’s not necessarily a fair comparison, and not just because we don’t know how the Arisun’s figure is calculated. Unlike the Iranian products, the Ford F-150 Raptor is not necessarily intended to be an out-and-out working vehicle. Ford made compromises to the payload rating, but it was in the quest for performance. The F-150 Raptor has a chassis and suspension built around soaking up bumps at speed and maximizing off-road performance. To achieve a supple ride with great control in challenging terrain sometimes means compromising how much weight the truck can take.
Regardless, Ford’s desert runner can still can do real work. It’s rated to tow 8,200 pounds, so you can hook up a trailer and move some serious weight. It’s nowhere near as good as the rest of the F-150 range—even the hybrid model can drag 12,700 pounds without breaking a sweat. However, it dominates the unibody Arisun 2 in this regard; the Iranian contender can only tow a trailer up to 1653 pounds (750 kg); no surprise given the whole truck weighs barely any more than a Miata.
Let this be a lesson in first impressions. If you were looking at both trucks, and you had to haul 1500 pounds of cement, you’d probably be thinking the brand-new Ford would be the right choice. And yet, you’d technically be operating it outside its rated capacity, particularly when you add on the weight of the driver and passengers. Meanwhile, the dinky-looking Peugeot ute would actually be within its rated capacity. And looking at the two vehicles, I bet nobody would have guessed that.
Image credits: IKCO, Ford
My ’98 Ranger has a payload capacity of about 1200 lbs, but in practice it is infinite…
The utes will probably see more actual off road than most raptors too
Oh, some Peugeot 504 pick ups from the ’80s and ’90s are laughing with their 1.3-ton rate.
Nearly 40 years ago, I put ~1800 pounds of paving stones in the back of my ’86 Nissan pickup and then drove 20 miles to my home. After a couple of harrowing miles on the freeway, front wheels barely in touch with the pavement, I took the next exit and drove surface streets the rest of the way. The rear suspension was constantly hitting the bumpers. Once unloaded, the Nissan shrugged it off as if it never happened.
But the guy whose homework got eaten by a ruminant has the right idea.
Shit, my hybrid Maverick has a 1500lb payload even. Wild that any trim level of the F150 could be less than that.
LOL, my 2002 S-10 is rated for 1202 lbs, but I’ve had 1400 in it and nothing broke. I think I remember seeing the Mercedes 6×6 has a similalry pathetic payload.
At one point I owned both a 2011 Ford Raptor Super crew and a 1992 Peugeot 505 Wagon. No one believed me, but the Peugeot had a higher payload capacity than the Raptor by almost 300 pounds. My Raptor was rated at 1030lbs, the Peugeot at 1301 lbs. It was comical, and quite frankly, in some ways, the Peugeot wagon was the better truck, so I sold the Raptor and kept the Peugeot.
Everyone knows that the best hauling highest payload truck is Rental Truck. I’ve never actually checked but I’ve been told that Rental Truck has no payload limit.
Case in point… I wanted to pick up 2 yds of topsoil. Now, 2 yds doesn’t seem like much until you consider that it weighs 2-3k lbs per yd based on moisture content. Dude in the bobcat loader at the bulk yard (full bucket hovering over my truck bed) says he can’t load that much into my truck. All I had to yell over the noise of the loader is “Rental Truck”. Done deal, no questions asked, dumped it in. Now, granted, he said it was just 1.5 yds and I nodded that it was enough. But that’s still probably 3lbs at least.
Rental Truck is the most capable truck on earth.
Diesel cars are not allowed in Brazil. Only “utility” vehicles can use diesel, and only if they have a payload capacity of 1 metric ton (aprox 2.200 lbs in freedom units).
Sometimes, carmakers will use this “utility” thing to create some diesel cars. There were diesel Jeep Renegades here. And yes, they were rated with 1 metric ton payload capacity.If someone ever tested this is another story, but they rated it as a 1 ton cargo vehicle.
But even smaller pickups like VW Saveiro or Fiat Strada, which are derived from old subcompacts, are rated 750 Kg (~1650 lbs). By the way, Strada is sold in some markets as Ram 750.
Well, I bought my F-150 Super Crew with the Max Tow option (used) to tow my travel trailer. Closed inspection revealed that its rated payload was a rather pathetic 1617#. The astute buyer (certainly not the dude who ordered my truck), could have spec’s the Payload Package to up the payload to as much as 2190#. Sadly that option is not even available anymore.
The important takeaway here is that 4- 200# people in the cab leaves 899# or so for tongue weight and stuff. My 6900# GVW trailer is probably around 800# tongue weight, leaving approximately 0# for stuff. Yes, the truck gets overloaded on camping trips. Of course we usually only have myself and the spousal unit in the cab, so the overload isn’t as bad as it could be.
Yesc it’s rated to tow 10,000# +, but the payload restriction keeps far below that. It does ride nicely on the fabulously well maintained California freeways /s
It wasn’t legal but 5k lbs is the limit on oem tires my 04 f150 had per axle. Never cared at that wieght, the soft springs required airbags and 80psi was required by aftermarket tires. 30psi was empty spec.
That’s a nice sized ute.
I’ve never seen a Nissian Altima ute but I have to believe it would have more payload and be faster then both. Especially if car and driver both have meth injection.
Ratings shmatings.
https://www.thedrive.com/news/broken-ram-3500-dually-shows-a-camper-can-still-overload-a-big-truck
Meh. The highly desirable (yet sadly unavailable in the US) Toyota Hilux Champ has a metric ton of payload capacity, or 2200 lbs.
I’m not a scientist but I would say science and research would disagree with the claims made about this vehicle. I learned long ago from this site truck manufacturers lie about performance and yet hear they accept claims that are scientifically impossible.
Eh, payload ratings are more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules.
The hardest miles on most trucks are the 3rd+ owners. The amount of bent framed 20-30 year old trucks still rolling is astounding.
Well, the Arisun is built to do actual work. The Raptor is built to go to, I don’t know, where do millennial neo-yuppies go? There aren’t really any fern bars around anymore, and they don’t shop in department stores, because they just wear joggers and whatever athleisure brand their favorite influencer is promoting. The gym and Starbucks, I guess
Yes, it is actually very capable off road, but we all know how the majority are going to be used, lets not pretend here.
Suburban beer “gardens” with paved parking lots.
That feels right
The ones that pipe in that autotuned country-pop garbage about moonlight and tailgates, where the singers all affect fake southern accents.
you got it.
Fitting that ‘they paved paradise and put up a parking lot’.
Pfft. The outgoing 3rd gen Tacoma had a payload rating of 1150 lbs in certain configurations. And that’s not even on the off-road trims.
Shhhhhhh. We don’t need help driving the ‘taco prices up
I’m trying to drive them down for you! A Honda Ridgeline is more capable than a Taco! And the aforementioned Raptor, as well. 1500+ pounds payload
The off road trims would have less due to having suspension designed for driving off road, not hauling loads. That’s why the raptor has lower ratings.
I was considering a Tacoma a few years ago and every TRD 4 door I looked at had less than 1000, most in the 750-850 range.
No one who understands GVWR buys a Tacoma. Unfortunately, most people don’t even know what that stands for.