Driven: 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty Pickup Core + XLT
I can’t remember when Ute’s became so popular in Australia. I’m not talking about the Falcons or Commodores of yesteryear, because they were utilities in the true sense of the word, outside of the performance variants of course.
I’m talking about is what is now known as a “dual-cab-ute”. Large, hulking machines packed with space, amenity and features. They’re often served with a dollop of capability across off-road, weight-carrying or towing.
I guess that last paragraph explains the “why” with respect to the original question; in that basically, they can do a little bit of everything. A jack of all trades if you will.
Then there are others that are far more specialised.
The Ranger Super Duty is a great example of such a unit. It forms part of a vast array of variants in the range, each with different purposes and target users.
Having attended the launch of the pickup and the XLT grade at the stunning Bendleby Ranges some time ago, it was good to get some time in both pickup grades to assess them in a far more urban capacity.
Launches are notorious for being curated to ensure the best possible experience, and it doesn’t come much more specialised than a few days going up goat tracks, but it often leaves a little ambiguity.
I’ve said it before, if I was buying a Super Duty, it would be the pickup. That’s not to say the cab chassis is anything but excellent, but I see them better suited for work or a large offroad build.
The Core grade was first up in the schedule, representing the base offering for the tubbed dual-cab. Walking up to it for the first time it felt taller than I remembered, with a defined forward rake in the suspension.
Externally there is little to discern it from the XLT specification, aside from the steel wheels wrapped in 33-inch General Grabber A/T rubber.
Many will cast shade on a steel wheel, but they can be an asset offroad. Steel bends and can be bashed straight depending on the damage. Alloy on the other hand will crack and break.
Ultimately vanity wins this argument for me; because in the place of the steel wheel, the XLT wears a chunky 8-stud monoblock “Super Duty” branded 18-inch alloy wheel. They must carry a little more negative offset, because this setup seems to fill the pumped guards more readily than the Core variant.
The Magnetite Grey finish is also the perfect complement for the Traction Green on the tested example, an XLT-only colour.
Visually you’re not getting anything else to differentiate the two variants.
Climbing in to reveal the cloth seating reminds you of the extra height in the chassis. They’re typical Ford-comfortable with manual adjustments.
Outside of the vinyl floors it’s difficult to delineate this from any other Ranger too, which is no bad thing. I’ve long considered the interior refinement, comfort, design and amenity a core reason for the Ranger’s success.
The XLT variant adds carpeted floors with rubber mats, along with leather-covered electrically adjustable seats which feature heating and ventilation.
What both variants share is extra-large rear-view mirrors which are a real asset, making for one less thing to spend on if you’re the modifying type. They both also have a switch bank on the roof, a great way to wire in aftermarket accessories.
The Safari Snorkel found on every Ranger Super Duty variant has a duality of purpose; adding protection, along with providing a delicious induction sound complete with wastegate flutter.
A great feature out of the box, which unfortunately impacts outward visibility around the driver-side A pillar. However, the reality is anyone who adds a snorkel aftermarket is going to have the same issue.
You do feel like you’re sitting higher in a Super Duty; in fact, there is something inexplicable in the experience that makes you feel like you’re in something special. I don’t expect this in any dual cab ute really.
That contagion only continues when you fire up the turbocharged diesel V6 standard across the range.
It settles quickly into a purposeful thrum in the background. The reduced power output and consequentially slower 0-100kmh times have been discussed ad-nauseum across the interwebs, and I commented on this in my launch article and video too.
Driving normally around town was easy work. It does feel as though the power and torque come in lower in the rev range, requiring minimal throttle inputs to conduct basic unladen duties.
Thankfully I didn’t try to race anyone at the lights, hit the track for some laps, or go for a run through the hills, otherwise my view may have been very different.
I did take the opportunity to carry load during my time in the Core, given that it was something we didn’t get to do at either of the launches. With the stockpile of firewood dwindling at home, a cubic meter of ironbark was deemed a great candidate for the test.
The load came in at about 500 kilos based on the onboard scales; well within the 1.825T payload. You could argue it wasn’t really testing the Super Duty’s mettle, and you’d be right.
Ultimately though, it’s the kind of number you would expect to see with basic modifications added, or tools loaded up.
It didn’t perturb the Ranger Super Duty at all; in fact, the weight settled the chassis. On that, the XLT felt far twitchier than the Core unladen, something I couldn’t work out.
What I did find was that the rear suspension sagged 5 mm when loaded with the firewood. In comparison, the same load in the Hilux SR dual cab chassis saw 8 mm of droop in the rear axle.
While the Hilux looked as though the rear was lower than the front, the Super Duty was flat. Nothing scientific here, just an interesting observation.
The weight also had little impact to the drivetrain, which simply chugged away through the ten-speed gearbox. Again though, thankfully I wasn’t stopping in at the track enroute, which is what everyone seems to think you’d do in a car like this when laden.
It was just as easy to doddle in both variants around town. Despite the extra height, urban carparks were a non-event, although the extra track did see me clip the General Grabbers a couple of times. What’s that saying about old tricks?
The reality is the Ranger Super Duty is just as easy a tool to undertake school pickup as it was traversing Pat’s Peak or towing a 4t hay trailer.
In the process it presents an option that is unmatched in the market. It does come at a price though, with the Core coming in at $93,990 and the XLT at 99,990 before on road costs.
And that alone will likely ensure a purchase decision driven by a need for the capability on offer. But rationality isn’t really a strong point for car people, is it? I’ll take my XLT in Traction Green thanks.
Like: Comfortable when laden or unladen, looks tough, what do you compare it too? Really?
Dislike: Entry cost, A-pillar visibility, XLT was a little skittish unladen
Car Guy Rating – 8
The Ranger Super Duty isn’t for everyone, and that’s by design. It’s built with an intention to work and be worked, hard. It proved its merit in that sense at both launches I attended – at a basic and short-term level anyway. But during a week in each variant of the pickup, I found that it can be just as easily used every day. In the process it feels and drives with purpose; you feel tough driving it, and that’s just cool. Would Buy
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