The Australian Ford Ranger Super Duty Is a Right-Size Workhorse We Wish We Had

Ford Australia just launched one of the mightiest small trucks on the market—the Ford Ranger Super Duty. Up until now, if you needed your Ford pickup to be built extra tough, you’d need to step up to at least the F-250 to get a Super Duty. However, Ford got word from a bunch of Australian fleet owners and contractors who needed a more compact truck, but one that could still handle a heavy workload. And now they have it. But how does it compare to the normal Ranger we get here in the States?

I’m actually surprised it took this long for Ford to make a Ranger Super Duty, as it makes so much sense. It has all of the utility most people could ever need, but it’s smaller and cheaper than the F-250 version. While it’s still the same basic size as a normal Ranger, the Super Duty has a unique ladder frame chassis that’s thicker and has reinforced suspension, box, and bracket mounts. So not only is the frame stronger and more capable of towing more, but it can carry more weight, too. Despite its relatively compact size, the Ranger Super Duty’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is 9,920 pounds, versus the standard Ranger’s 6,170-pound maximum. It has a mighty maximum braked towing capacity of 9,920 pounds, while the standard Ranger tops out at 7,500 pounds.

The Super Duty also has a higher ride height, widened wheel track, and improved ground clearance, sporting 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires as standard. If you drive over some really dangerous terrain, and really stress that taller ride height, all of the Super Duty’s underbelly is covered in high-strength steel skid plates. To handle the added load, eight-stud wheel hubs with beefier bolts replace the five-stud hubs on the standard Ranger.

While Ford didn’t give it a new engine—its 3.0-liter V6 turbo-diesel is one of the Australian-market Ranger’s optional engines—it gets a few tweaks that allow it to handle tougher work. For example, all of the air intakes are mounted higher than normal, so the Super Duty can wade through deeper water. The all-wheel drive system is permanently set to “4A” (automatic four-wheel drive), so that power is always being sent where it needs to be. Front and rear locking differentials are standard, but the front one is a newly modified version of the Bronco Raptor’s front diff that’s been designed for improved load capacity. Oh, and its two-speed transfer case got some beefing up, too.

No two workloads are the same, though, so the Ranger Super Duty gets some cab and bed customization. Australians can choose from Single, Super, or Double Cabs and they can even choose between a normal bed, a flatbed, or various different boxes for different workloads, like emergency services. It really seems like Ford listened to the requests of Australia’s workers.

It’s no surprise that the Ranger Super Duty is much more capable and much tougher than the normal one. Its name kind of gives that away. What is a surprise is why Ford hasn’t brought it to the States just yet. With those impressive specs and its heavy customization, the Ranger Super Duty offers all the capability most contractors or off-roaders will ever need in a smaller, more efficient, and cheaper package than the full-size Super Duty trucks offer here.

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