Meet the Ford Ranger Super Duty. As Ford puts it, the Super Duty is designed for those with ‘the toughest jobs’ to ‘carry, tow, and do more’, thanks to its ‘incredible versatility and immense capability’.
The new truck features 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain tyres, has a wider track and increased ground clearance. It gets a unique bonnet design with ‘SUPER DUTY’ stamped into the leading edge while the new grille ensures better air flow. It has pumped guards to accommodate the track increase, there’s a new design for the sealed installation snorkel and it gets bigger mirrors.
The overall chassis dimensions are the same as Ranger, but Ford says the Super Duty runs a unique frame engineered to provide increased strength and load carrying capacity. It is thicker, while suspension mounts, box mount brackets and tow bar mounts have been reinforced. This allows Ranger Super Duty to achieve its quoted 4500-kilogram GVM rating, with an 8000kg GCM.
Also enhanced are the front and rear driveshafts while a new heavy-duty rear axle provides enhanced load carrying capacity. The new rear differential is bigger and stronger too. The Ranger Super Duty gets eight-stud wheel hubs with larger bolts.
There is a 130-litre long-range fuel tank fitted as standard and it is protected by a thick steel shielding. There are other high-strength steel bash plates underneath as well. Differential, transmission, fuel and transfer case breathers are all mounted up, giving Super Duty an improved water wading depth (no figure quoted however) compared to other diesel Ranger variants.
Super Duty runs with the 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 that is ‘calibrated for heavy-duty emissions standards’ with EU6.2 compliance for global markets. It has improved cooling while operators can delay the automatic diesel particulate filter (DPF) regeneration and then manually initiating the clean at a time that suits, helpful in high fire risk environments.
Ranger Super Duty comes with 4A (Automatic 4WD) as the permanent setting to ensure the vehicle ‘always delivers the maximum amount of torque to provide enhanced traction and control on both high and low grip surfaces and under load’.
Ranger Super Duty’s two-speed transfer case features larger, stronger components than other Rangers, Ford saying the low-range gearset has been upgraded to match the F-Series Super Duty. Front and rear locking differentials are standard on all variants, the one upfront being a modified version of that used by the Bronco Raptor. Ranger Super Duty offers six selectable drive modes (Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Mud/Ruts, Sand and Rock Crawl).
Standard on all variants is a 12-inch infotainment screen with auxiliary switches located in the overhead console. For those that need to use a larger screen or device in the cabin, an optional Integrated Device Mounting system can be installed on the passenger side of the vehicle for mounting devices up to 4 kilograms.
Ranger Super Duty gets front and rear parking aids, 360-degree camera, blind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage, forward collision warning, auto emergency braking as well as reverse brake assist with cross-traffic alert, and much more.
The Super Duty has a recalibrated integrated trailer brake controller and gets Ranger’s Pro-Trailer Backup Assist. It debuts Ford’s Smart Hitch and Onboard Scales. According to Ford; ‘Smart Hitch helps customers better understand the weight on their vehicle’s towball and how to adjust the load in the trailer to ensure optimum load distribution and avoid under or overloading the towball.
‘Sensors mounted in the suspension on all four wheels means that Ford’s Onboard Scales can help customers estimate their payload as they add items to their vehicle, it also allows for customers to specify additional load for inclusion in payload estimation. Customers can monitor the weight being loaded into the load box via the SYNC screen.’
Initially the new truck will be available in various cab chassis formats but a Double Cab wellside is also coming mid-2026. Just two trim levels are offered; Super Duty and Super Duty XLT. The latter sounds a bit more foreman orientated, Ford saying it is ‘for those who need refined long-distance capability’ and it comes with ‘unique alloy wheels and touring-focussed upgrades’. XLT will only be available on Double Cab chassis and pick-up variants only.
Orders for Ranger Super Duty in New Zealand open later this year with arrivals in dealerships expected in 2026. Price is TBA.
