DFB
Well-known member
- Aug 12, 2019
- 5,560
- 4,416
Needing a distraction, today I went down to my local dealer to have a look at the new Ford Ranger Super Duty.
This is the first time the Super Duty name has been used outside of the F-Series. For the US guys, the Ranger Super Duty has been created to fill a massive gap in the market for a seriously capable tow and offroad machine without having to get a heavy-vehicle licence. That means it will cater to the various fire departments, government fleets, and mining companies, as well as the lucrative touring and caravan markets. The key here being a vehicle with extremely high load and tow ratings without having to buy an unwieldy commercial truck or a massive F-Series/RAM/GMC type vehicle. Ford also put a lot of emphasis on off road ability, in particular making it safer and easier to operate, a high priority of large mining fleets.
It may look like a Ranger, but don't let that fool you. Externally, all front panels are new, there is a standard factory fit snorkel, pumped out fender flairs, steel front and rear bumpers. The 10-speed auto and 3.0 V6 Powerstroke diesel have been recalibrated for the role, a massive upgrade over the ancient and now 4-cylinder only 70-Series Landcruiser. But it's the underbody where all of the work has gone. All but a few minor parts remain, everything else is new or repurposed from other Ford vehicles. Think Bronco Raptor steering rack, F-250 front suspension, a modified 10-inch diff from the Transit. More on that shortly, but the videos below cover it all -
At my local Ford dealer, two Super Duty's were on display. Both were double cabs, one in Arctic White with the black steel tray, and one in Seismic Tan with the black steel tray and an ARB Summit Bull Bar. Single Cab and Super Cab versions are also available, and later in 2026, Ford will offer styleside box versions.
Surrounded by other high-end Rangers, including three Raptors and countless Wildtrak's, I have to say the Super Duty doesn't seem to have the presence it does in the press shots. It's certainly bigger and taller, but it could easily be mistaken for just another Ranger. Of course, the majority of customers buying these things are buying a tool, not a show piece. In that regard, mines, fire departments, government authorities, they don't care what the vehicle looks like.
Having said that, I really love the chunky grill treatment they went with, which is repeated in the beefy side steps. The hood is unique to Super Duty and the stamped nameplate is supremely cool. Overall, the hood has a prouder, more defined appearance. I also like how integrated the snorkel is, very much an OEM finish and the opening is massive. That snorkel can be NCO deleted if you wish. In my opinion, the whole Super Duty package looks the most commanding in single cab guise, the tray and cab length are in proportion and gives it a tougher overall look.
As mentioned, both vehicles had the matte black steel tray, however body colour and galvanised finishes are also available. The tray situation is quite interesting actually. Price wise, the galvanised tray is the cheapest, ranging from $5996 to $7121 (double cab - single cab), followed by the body-coloured version at $7176 to $8331, the matte black being the most expensive at $8116 to $9376. If it were me, I would strongly advise against the black version as matte paint tends to age very quickly and actually absorbs dirt and grime that can never be removed. Be warned.
I do really like the super thick check plate bed, which has integrated tie down points. It appears you can unscrew and replace the bed material if the need arrived. Another plus, they haven't bothered painting the bed base, which always ends up looking tatty within a short period of use without some form of rubber protection mat.
Now, those tray prices don't include the 25-litre water tank and dust/water-proof storage pod fitted to both vehicles. These are dealer-fit accessories that Ford doesn't actually publish a price on their website. I'd say they'd be at least $1000 each.
https://www.ford.com.au/trucks-and-vans/ranger/superduty/accessories/
Those tray prices give you crappy incandescent rear light assemblies. These things date way back to the 90's Mazda Bravo / Ford Courier days, which must be fitted on the line because even my 2016 Ranger with a custom tray came with them fitted. They do the job, but a little cheap considering the retail price of these vehicles. The counter argument being they are cheap/easy to service or replace if damaged in the field. Take that how you want, but its not like LED is something to be frightened of in terms of cost these days, not when shelling out $100k on a car.
Either way, I feel like these trays are very expensive. I guess it comes down to convenience for fleets, they want something that is setup right out of the box, and that's certainly the case here. However, you will likely get something better value if you shopped locally. For example, my custom steel tray was made in town and came with storage boxes and an under-tray tool draw at a 1/4 of the price Ford are asking. And it's made from thicker steel, has metal not plastic hinges, a full width window protector and is fully powder coated. No complaining here, just making note.
The biggest story with Super Duty is the chassis. Ranger always had the biggest, thickest chassis rails in the segment. Take a look at the chassis legs of a Hilux, D-Max or Triton, then check out a Ranger, you'll see what I'm talking about. So, for Ford to go another step beyond what Ranger already had is saying a lot here. It would appear the added strength comes from internally thicker steel rather than being externally bigger overall. The rear diff is massive, all mounting points strengthened and using heavy duty bolts.
The front suspension though is probably the most impressive chassis change. The lower wishbone is absolutely massive, both dimensionally and in thickness. The upper wishbone has also been beefed up too. Just check out the size difference between the Super Duty and a Ranger Raptor, there's no contest!
Raptor -
Super Duty -
I've been offered a drive at some point in the future. Even though I have no use for the Super Duty package, I'm a gardener not a mining contractor, I'd love to have one. Make mine a single cab in Command Grey with the body-coloured tray (or have a custom one made), no bull bar, and possibly the snorkel delete. At 100k, that is never going to happen, not when a standard Ranger with the same powertrain is half the price.
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Overall, Super Duty is an amazing package, one that could have only come from the Australian team. For decades, the local Ford engineers took what they had and made it the best they could. The Territory SUV being the most obvious example, a vehicle that hasn't been beaten as a flexible, clever and functional family car. Super Duty is another example of that. Also consider no other vehicle platform on sale today has been designed and engineered in Australia. If Ford can get the quality, reliability and dealer support right, then you'd be silly to buy the Toyota alternative.
This is the first time the Super Duty name has been used outside of the F-Series. For the US guys, the Ranger Super Duty has been created to fill a massive gap in the market for a seriously capable tow and offroad machine without having to get a heavy-vehicle licence. That means it will cater to the various fire departments, government fleets, and mining companies, as well as the lucrative touring and caravan markets. The key here being a vehicle with extremely high load and tow ratings without having to buy an unwieldy commercial truck or a massive F-Series/RAM/GMC type vehicle. Ford also put a lot of emphasis on off road ability, in particular making it safer and easier to operate, a high priority of large mining fleets.
It may look like a Ranger, but don't let that fool you. Externally, all front panels are new, there is a standard factory fit snorkel, pumped out fender flairs, steel front and rear bumpers. The 10-speed auto and 3.0 V6 Powerstroke diesel have been recalibrated for the role, a massive upgrade over the ancient and now 4-cylinder only 70-Series Landcruiser. But it's the underbody where all of the work has gone. All but a few minor parts remain, everything else is new or repurposed from other Ford vehicles. Think Bronco Raptor steering rack, F-250 front suspension, a modified 10-inch diff from the Transit. More on that shortly, but the videos below cover it all -
At my local Ford dealer, two Super Duty's were on display. Both were double cabs, one in Arctic White with the black steel tray, and one in Seismic Tan with the black steel tray and an ARB Summit Bull Bar. Single Cab and Super Cab versions are also available, and later in 2026, Ford will offer styleside box versions.
Surrounded by other high-end Rangers, including three Raptors and countless Wildtrak's, I have to say the Super Duty doesn't seem to have the presence it does in the press shots. It's certainly bigger and taller, but it could easily be mistaken for just another Ranger. Of course, the majority of customers buying these things are buying a tool, not a show piece. In that regard, mines, fire departments, government authorities, they don't care what the vehicle looks like.
Having said that, I really love the chunky grill treatment they went with, which is repeated in the beefy side steps. The hood is unique to Super Duty and the stamped nameplate is supremely cool. Overall, the hood has a prouder, more defined appearance. I also like how integrated the snorkel is, very much an OEM finish and the opening is massive. That snorkel can be NCO deleted if you wish. In my opinion, the whole Super Duty package looks the most commanding in single cab guise, the tray and cab length are in proportion and gives it a tougher overall look.
As mentioned, both vehicles had the matte black steel tray, however body colour and galvanised finishes are also available. The tray situation is quite interesting actually. Price wise, the galvanised tray is the cheapest, ranging from $5996 to $7121 (double cab - single cab), followed by the body-coloured version at $7176 to $8331, the matte black being the most expensive at $8116 to $9376. If it were me, I would strongly advise against the black version as matte paint tends to age very quickly and actually absorbs dirt and grime that can never be removed. Be warned.
I do really like the super thick check plate bed, which has integrated tie down points. It appears you can unscrew and replace the bed material if the need arrived. Another plus, they haven't bothered painting the bed base, which always ends up looking tatty within a short period of use without some form of rubber protection mat.
Now, those tray prices don't include the 25-litre water tank and dust/water-proof storage pod fitted to both vehicles. These are dealer-fit accessories that Ford doesn't actually publish a price on their website. I'd say they'd be at least $1000 each.
https://www.ford.com.au/trucks-and-vans/ranger/superduty/accessories/
Those tray prices give you crappy incandescent rear light assemblies. These things date way back to the 90's Mazda Bravo / Ford Courier days, which must be fitted on the line because even my 2016 Ranger with a custom tray came with them fitted. They do the job, but a little cheap considering the retail price of these vehicles. The counter argument being they are cheap/easy to service or replace if damaged in the field. Take that how you want, but its not like LED is something to be frightened of in terms of cost these days, not when shelling out $100k on a car.
Either way, I feel like these trays are very expensive. I guess it comes down to convenience for fleets, they want something that is setup right out of the box, and that's certainly the case here. However, you will likely get something better value if you shopped locally. For example, my custom steel tray was made in town and came with storage boxes and an under-tray tool draw at a 1/4 of the price Ford are asking. And it's made from thicker steel, has metal not plastic hinges, a full width window protector and is fully powder coated. No complaining here, just making note.
The biggest story with Super Duty is the chassis. Ranger always had the biggest, thickest chassis rails in the segment. Take a look at the chassis legs of a Hilux, D-Max or Triton, then check out a Ranger, you'll see what I'm talking about. So, for Ford to go another step beyond what Ranger already had is saying a lot here. It would appear the added strength comes from internally thicker steel rather than being externally bigger overall. The rear diff is massive, all mounting points strengthened and using heavy duty bolts.
The front suspension though is probably the most impressive chassis change. The lower wishbone is absolutely massive, both dimensionally and in thickness. The upper wishbone has also been beefed up too. Just check out the size difference between the Super Duty and a Ranger Raptor, there's no contest!
Raptor -
Super Duty -
I've been offered a drive at some point in the future. Even though I have no use for the Super Duty package, I'm a gardener not a mining contractor, I'd love to have one. Make mine a single cab in Command Grey with the body-coloured tray (or have a custom one made), no bull bar, and possibly the snorkel delete. At 100k, that is never going to happen, not when a standard Ranger with the same powertrain is half the price.
Overall, Super Duty is an amazing package, one that could have only come from the Australian team. For decades, the local Ford engineers took what they had and made it the best they could. The Territory SUV being the most obvious example, a vehicle that hasn't been beaten as a flexible, clever and functional family car. Super Duty is another example of that. Also consider no other vehicle platform on sale today has been designed and engineered in Australia. If Ford can get the quality, reliability and dealer support right, then you'd be silly to buy the Toyota alternative.
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