Ford Australia has announced the Ranger lineup will include a Super Duty variant from 2026, which is likely to bridge the gap between mid-sized utes and light-duty trucks.
Currently fleet operators wanting maximum towing and payload potential are forced to either buy up into a light-duty truck, or down into a mid-size ute – but the figures Ford released appear to bridge the gap with a best-of-both Ranger Super Duty option.
According to Ford, the Ranger Super Duty was born out of collaboration with fleet customers that wanted a tougher work-ready option with a factory-backed warranty, conceived for buyers like emergency service operators, farmers, utilities and forestry workers, miners, infrastructure technicians and more.
“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,” said Ford Motor Company General Manager, Global Truck, Sondra Sutton Phung.
“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.”
Ford Australia has so far been light-on with details, but did confirm the Super Duty will offer a car licence-suitable gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 4500kg, maximum braked towing capacity of 4500kg, and a gross combination mass (GCM) of 8000kg.
These numbers will put the mid-size ute model on par with a light-duty truck, with the majority of car-licence trucks offering a similar GCM figure and the same maximum towing capacity of 4500kg.
Ford has not yet revealed payload capacity of the Ranger Super Duty but, considering its substantial 4500kg GVM, even if the tare weight nudges 2500kg (more than a standard Ranger) this would leave a payload of two tonnes. Of course, we’re speculating at this point, but the numbers tell a promising story.
The productivity figures also put the Ranger Super Duty ahead of 1500-class utes on paper, with models like the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 offering a GVM of around 3500kg and a GCM of around 7500kg. The glaring issue with 1500-class utes is that, while they are capable tow rigs, their payload is typically capped at ‘1500’ pounds or around 700kg.
Based on the figures revealed, the Super Duty appears to be suited to both serious towing and carrying, while maintaining the manoeuvrability of a mid-size ute. If this is indeed the case, the model may become the swiss army knife of utility vehicles for fleets.
The company’s IMG Product Development team is developing the new model, led by a 1,500-strong group of designers, engineers and specialists based in Australia, and it will then be built in Thailand.
“Ranger Super Duty further strengthens our commercial vehicle portfolio, with an offering for all kinds of work,” said Ford Australia and New Zealand President and Chief Executive, Andrew Birkic.
“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.”
What does this mean for fleet buyers? Based on the numbers Ford has revealed, buyers will now be able to achieve truck-like levels of productivity and compliance with a mid-size ute. The kicker will be cost, which we don’t expect will be released for quite some time yet.
