Driven. 2025 Ford Ranger Super Duty - Launch Drive

The Ford Ranger Super Duty is here, and it’s not taking prisoners. The latest variant in the Ranger lineup, it joins the recently launched plug-in hybrid, best-selling diesels and the barnstorming Raptor.

Each has its target market and has enjoyed enviable success, with the nameplate topping vehicle sales charts in Australia 2 years running.

The Super Duty takes proven Ranger DNA, intense market feedback and testing, and delivers a formidable competitor for “heavy duty” mainstays like Toyota’s 70 series.

The idea spawned from a meeting between Ford Australia CEO Andrew Birkic and a large commercial customer, where discussion turned to the specific vehicular challenges of the operation. Birkic cites leaving the meeting with the bones of the Super Duty in mind.

It wasn’t an easy sell to Michigan; application of the Super Duty moniker isn’t a decal-on-the-side job – rather a title that needs to be earnt. But the local team were resolute, and what ensued was a 6-year project to launch. To the uninitiated, the name plate has been available for over 25 years as a variant of the F-truck range and has also been used to delineate industrial V8 engines since 1958.

Stateside it is characterised by wider, taller vehicles with stronger frames, uprated suspension and beefier driveline hardware. The design intent is to handle jobs that a “basic” F-truck can’t. Think industrial service bodies and public services like Paramedics, Firefighters and the like.

According to Special Projects Manager Jeremy Welch, the first step was engaging with the US team to understand what it takes to build a Super Duty. A prudent first step, but this isn’t the United States. So, the team took on a local user-driven approach to design, resulting in a ground up rethink of what we knew the Ranger to be.

The output of the feedback is evidenced in removal of the stop-start function, a requirement of the mining industry where vehicles must remain powered for the purposes of GPS tracking around dump trucks. Delayable DPF burns were a requirement from Firefighters and Forestry following the devastating bushfires of 2020, a move to ensure the vehicle doesn’t inadvertently start a grass fire. Whilst Off-road and towing user groups supported the development of the on-board scales – an Australian first in this segment.

Incorporating a class leading 4500kg GVM, 4500kg braked towing capacity and monstrous 8000kg GCM starts with the chassis. Far from a couple of extra brackets and spot welds, only 6% of the chassis is what you’ve expect to see underneath a “garden variety” Ranger. 

A de-bodied rolling chassis was a novel way to demonstrate the use of higher strength steel and thicker chassis rails, reinforced mounting points across the suspension, engine and gearbox, along with a towbar mounted directly to the chassis to support the increased towing capacity.

The latter forms part of the steel Rear Driver Assist Technology Bar, which houses a host of technology to facilitate a full suite of ADAS features which would previously be reserved for style-side body customers.  A neat solution that is designed to work with various service bodies available through Ford’s Pro Convertor Partnerships.

The exposed chassis also showcased the bespoke suspension architecture, deploying what Ford coined as “going out, when going up”. In layman’s terms this translates to increasing the track to improve stability following a suspension lift.

Aluminium control arms up front house uprated springs and shocks along with a revised leaf/shock combination in the rear, resulting in up to 299mm in ground clearance in the Single Cab variant. That represents a 75mm increase compared to a 4X4 single-cab-chassis Ranger XL.

The 90mm track increase is facilitated up front by a Bronco Raptor-sourced diff and axle combination and is matched in the rear by a monstrous rear diff assembly. It not only looks impressive, but also houses larger driveshafts and a transition to full-floating rear axle bearings.

Diffs on both ends are lockable and able to be deployed separately, with 18-inch brake discs at each corner bolted to a heavy duty 8-stud hub. They’re driven by an electric brake booster capable of varying brake feel pending total weight and proximity to the 8-Tonne GCM.

They’re covered by 18-inch steel wheels based on four-wheel-drive community preference to be able to repair a wheel trackside, and are wrapped in light-truck General Grabber all-terrain rubber.

Rounding out underbody differentiators is a 130-litre long range fuel tank, which along with much of the underbody, is protected by steel bash plates. The plating under the fuel tank measures an impressive 4 mm, which can take the entire 2675kg kerb weight if needed. 

Water crossings are a mainstay of four wheel driving, and the team have this covered with a sealed snorkel built in collaboration with Safari snorkels. It added a layer of confidence as we tested the vehicle through water both at the test track and a running river during our time.

Three body styles are available: with a Single, Super and Dual-Cab configuration. Each have varying degrees of minuter variations in weight carrying capacity along with approach, ramp over and departure angles. All better the Rangers’ credentials comfortably.

Stepping inside reveals an all too familiar affair. The cloth covered seats are equally comfortable and supportive, and the same 12-inch infotainment screen features for vehicle controls, wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The only real deviation is the integrated device mounting system – a useful amenity that could secure a tablet for off-road mapping or a laptop for service workers.

The familiar 3L turbodiesel V6 from the Ranger presents under bonnet but has come in for revisions. This includes addition of AdBlue amongst others, owing to the N2 classification the Super Duty falls into at its higher GCM. Resultingly, power outputs are reduced to 154Kw, but 600Nm of torque is maintained at 1750rpm.  It remains a willing and smooth unit in operation, aided by a revised calibration to the carry-over 10 speed auto.

It’s certainly not as spritely as a Ranger, but one needs to be reminded of the intent. It shifts smoothly, and at what feels like lower RPMs to match the engine. Whilst we saw an average fuel consumption of 13L/100km range give or take, media folk at a launch can be a little lead footed.

What 7800kg GCM looks like (with me in it)

We had the opportunity to test the unit laden across the tray and trailer, with a total GCM of roughly 7800 kilos. As expected, there were no traffic light sprints to be won with this configuration, but it also didn’t bother the Super Duty other than running the engine a little harder than preferred. Handling was solid unless cross winds or bow-wind from a passing semi came into play, the effect was like other heavily combinations I’ve towed.

Once at highway speed it had no issue maintaining, and the beefier braking hardware instilled confidence when it came time to pull things up.

Pro Trailer Backup Assist was also sampled behind the wheel of a Super Cab towing a Mustang GT on a car trailer. Backing a trailer isn’t an issue in these parts so using the drive mode dial to steer was a little odd to start with, but it’s a great option for those who struggle.

On and off-road standalone vehicle testing was unfortunately unladen, nevertheless it proved to be solid and capable in demeanour. In car-guy/girl vernacular, it felt like driving a “built” off-road vehicle.

On road, there was an uncanny flatness when cornering, with limited but predictable roll which settles mid-corner. It does feel bigger than a Ranger, but this only became evident when pushing harder than the intended purpose.

Ultimately It dispelled preconceptions of a bouncy and overly sprung setup given the payload, particularly in the dual cab with the extra weight.

Offroad driving across a test track and in the High Country revealed a tremendously capable driveline. This is where the notion of feeling “built” really came into its own.

It’s a solid and composed affair with various drive modes, and the added benefit of Trail Control Assist, which came in handy on rutted and loose inclines and declines. It works in concert with diff locks and allows 0.5km/h speed increments, freeing up the driver up to concentrate on steering.

It’s no Raptor, but articulation was strong through moguls and ruts, further aiding confidence and stability. On one rutted decline, a kiss of the underbody protection to terra-firma reminded us of what an asset it is to have out of the box.

It was also in these conditions where the increase track was well received. Anyone can lift a normal Ranger by two inches, and yes, you can compensate the track with negative offset, but then you’ve got potential challenges with the plod and your insurer.

And it’s this headroom that excites me most as a four-wheel driver. It’s already just over 2 inches taller and 90mm wider. This means you have all the legal increases available from that mark and the increased payload means you also have more room to modify or carry load. Importantly, there is a lot included that you don’t need to change, such as underbody protection, towbar and sidesteps.

I would suggest a front bullbar with hoops is a given for animal strikes, along with some driving lights. Outside of that, the remaining hardware is sufficient depending on appetite and usage. Given the factory bar is steel, the weight differential won’t be as large either, meaning you aren’t eating into the maximum 1982kg of payload as voraciously as a regular Ranger.

Ultimately the Ranger Super Duty gets a headstart given its bones. There’s very good reason why the Ranger is Australia’s best-selling car. It just works – and it does everything with poise, comfort and balance. I say this with modesty, having road tested a plethora of dual cab Utes in the last two months and beyond, including new entrants. Some are better in places, but none do a convincing enough job across the board.

Only 6% of this chassis carries over from the Ranger

The Super Duty is simply one more example of Ford’s willingness to deliver a compelling product, filling gaps in the market along the way. It’s punching in the same ring as the full-size ute market, many of which don’t have the same capacity credentials. Then there’s the price differential and use-case-driven challenge that comes with the larger footprint.

On cost, some will baulk at the $82,990 entry price for the Single Cab. But to make a determination on value there needs to be a comparable vehicle. You could buy a Ranger and do a GVM upgrade, but you miss the suspension changes, which can be alleviated yes, but then where are you at in terms of cost? You could do it all to a 70 series and youd be in the same boat. The truth is the Ranger Super Duty is incomparable anything on the market.

Which leaves the venerable 70 series Landcruiser as the closest competitor. A favourite amongst off-roaders and heavy industry alike, it continues to dominate with a platform that celebrated its 40^th birthday not that long ago. Time will tell how this battle plays out, but I know what I’d rather be stepping out of at the end of a 12-hour shift, 2000km drive, or a day out on the trails.

What I Like – Legality headroom afforded by improved capacity, Comfortable and composed to drive, Ranger DNA with a steroid injection

Not so much – Didn’t get to drive it loaded, skittish over pockmarked dirt roads at speed, where is the styleside?