Ford has announced that the best-selling vehicle of 2024 in Australia, the Ford Ranger, will soon be offered as the Ford Ranger Super Duty. In a nutshell, this “Super Duty” variant of the Ranger is higher than standard models, has a wider track with flared fenders, and rides on 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires. It features a frame-mounted steel front bumper, attachment points for auxiliary driving lights, a standard front bash plate, and a redesigned hood bearing “Super Duty” text.
Set to arrive in Australia in 2026, this newly unveiled mid-size truck is designed for demanding tasks, aiming to serve a wide range of commercial and industrial clients who require higher towing and payload capacities. Born from collaboration with fleet customers, the Ranger Super Duty represents a more robust alternative for operators in fields such as emergency services, agriculture, utilities, forestry, mining, infrastructure, and people like us overlanders. It has been engineered with advanced features intended to handle greater gross vehicle mass (GVM), gross combined mass (GCM), towing, and off-road performance.
According to Ford, the new model has been specifically developed and tested by the company’s IMG Product Development team, which includes 1,500 designers, engineers, and specialists in Australia. Once production is in full swing, the Ranger Super Duty will be manufactured in Thailand and made available to global markets seeking a mid-size truck capable of tackling heavier workloads. The truck’s capabilities stand out in three key areas. It can tow up to almost 9,900 pounds with braked towing capacity, carry up to 9,900 pounds of Gross Vehicle Mass, and achieve a 17,600 pounds Gross Combined Mass. These figures place it in a different category than most mid-size trucks, making it especially appealing to customers in need of serious hauling and payload power, such as those towing off-road trailers.
“Ranger Super Duty blends the smart features and advanced safety of our award-winning Ranger with heavy-duty capability and delivers what our buyers told us they needed but couldn’t get anywhere else. This work-ready vehicle will give owners the flexibility they need to get the big jobs done, with the confidence of a factory-backed warranty,” said Sondra Sutton Phung, General Manager, Global Truck, Ford Motor Company.
She emphasized that the Ranger Super Duty has been refined with the direct input of fleet operators, allowing Ford to offer a truck built for real-world conditions and specialized commercial requirements.
President and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand, Andrew Birkic, underscored the vehicle’s importance to the brand’s commercial lineup. “Ranger Super Duty further strengthens our commercial vehicle portfolio, with an offering for all kinds of work. As we move closer to launch, we will continue to work closely with fleets and vehicle modifiers across Australia to be sure that Ranger Super Duty does everything they expect it to, and so much more,” he said. By conducting ongoing collaborations and tests, Ford seeks to ensure that this truck fulfills a variety of applications and withstands the rigors of intense daily use.
So, why will we not be offered the Ranger Super Duty in the US? Despite this new model’s capabilities, Ford has indicated that it is unlikely to appear in the United States. The primary reason is that the F-Series already dominates America’s heavy-duty pickup market, which reduces the necessity for a souped-up Ranger. Launching a more rugged mid-size truck could also create overlap or confusion alongside the F-Series, a lineup that already offers robust towing and payload capacities.
Additionally, overseas markets such as Australia and South Africa have differing emissions standards and customer demands, making a heavier-duty Ranger more viable there. In contrast, stricter US regulations and an apparent strong preference for half-ton pickups limit the market potential for a heavily fortified mid-size truck (I think they might be asking the wrong Americans). Finally, the development, testing, and certification costs necessary to introduce a specialized Ranger for the United States may not be justifiable, given the popularity and widespread acceptance of the F-150.
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