2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty Single-cab chassis review

The Ford Ranger Super Duty is a ute that must be respected. 

Not so much from the impressive end result, writ large when you experience it, but more so from the depth of engineering development and changes that Ford has undertaken to break new ground (once again) in the ute segment.

Let's firstly run through what makes this Ranger Super Duty so special, and how many changes Ford has squeezed into the same wheelbase and general size.

Along with a beefed-up chassis with more crossmembers and wall thickness, we’ve got bespoke independent front and leaf-sprung rear suspension that eyes load-lugging durability. Widened body panels (which are different to the Raptor, by the way) help accommodate the eight-lug hubs, which are connected to bigger locking differentials. 

The front differential comes from the Ford Bronco Raptor – which is made by Dana and has a 210mm ring gear.

Up the back, things get bigger. There’s a 9.75-inch ring gear, which is a massive 248mm in the new money. It’s stolen from the big Ford Transit van for useage here, albeit with a beefed-up housing to suit the Super Duty.

In between, you’ve got a transfer case that’s been to the gym and an upgraded cooling system for the diesel V6 up front. 

There’s a 90mm bump in the track width over a regular Ranger, and roughly the same in overall added width. Its suspension gives more height, making it feel akin to the Ranger Raptor from behind the wheel. 

All of these changes give the Ford Ranger Super Duty the ability to go to 4500kg in terms of gross vehicle mass (up from 3350kg) and a 4500kg braked towing capacity (up from 3500kg).

The gross combination mass gets boosted as well from 6400kg to 8000kg.

That’s a lot of numbers, but the bottom line is: this ute does more ute things than other utes. And there’s a great range of cool technology to help bring all of this together. 

But if you’re not dipping into these actual capabilities, then you’re probably wasting your time and money with the Super Duty. It’s too excessive for most, and brings negatives that you need to honestly weigh up. 

Let me explain.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Ford Ranger Super Duty is the fact that it drives so similarly to a regular Ranger.

It’s not a straight facsimile, of course. This beast is wider, taller and heavier – all things you can feel from behind the wheel. 

But when you compare the Ranger Super Duty to something like a Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series (or even more so, a cab-over light truck), you’ve got an astonishing amount of compliance, car-like control and refinement. 

The steering is well-mannered, and allows the car to get through corners and around the suburbs without any real toil from behind the wheel. 

But still, it feels heavier, wider and less nimble than a regular Ranger. Because, you know, physics.

While you certainly notice the 30-odd kilowatts that have gone missing under the bonnet compared to a V6-powered regular Ranger, Ford’s 3.0-litre diesel V6 provides easy and lazy progress with the well-mannered 10-speed automatic transmission and four permanently driven wheels. 

If you want a ute that feels salaciously speedy, this certainly ain’t it. 

The 154kW is decent, and the 600Nm is better, but there’s a good chunk of extra weight to manage here.

It’s tricky to get a good idea of how much heavier the Ranger Super Duty is, but bear with me. 

A single-cab 4x4 Ranger XL cab chassis has a listed kerb weight of 1893kg, whereas the Ranger Super Duty we have here has a listed kerb weight of 2518kg, some 625kg more. The same weight as a Morris Minor 850. To top it off, that 2518kg kerb weight does not include a tray either.

Now, going from the twin-turbocharged four-cylinder engine to a V6 would indeed contribute to the increase. But the diffs, the chassis, the hubs, wheels and tyres will also account for a lot.

And this needs to really be considered. While extra weight changes the driving nature a little, you’ve got a much thirstier vehicle, too. I averaged around 13 litres per 100 kilometres during my time with the car, which included a range of loaded and unloaded driving through the suburbs and highways, as well as a bit of off-road driving.

For reference, this is a good few litres-per-hundred more than what you would expect out of a four-cylinder Ranger, and a couple better than the more powerful V6 Ranger.

At least the standard 130-litre fuel tank still gets you around 1000km of driving range. Just don’t forget to top up the AdBlue tank before you go remote. 

That extra weight could rear its head in many other ways, though. Service costs are higher, brakes and tyres won’t last as long, and everything is generally working harder under the extra weight. 

Our test vehicle was the single-cab variant equipped with a heavy-duty galvanised steel tray. It’s bolted together for more durability, comes with a stout headboard and recessed tie-down points, and even a small water tank (with soap) for washing your hands. From my impressions, it's a well-built tray that will endure plenty of abuse.

The tray costs a smidge over $7000 on its own, but can also be included as a part of an option pack.

Because don’t forget, most of the Ford Ranger Super Duty trim levels are offered as a cab-chassis model, with a nude frame behind the cab.

So by the time you get some kind of tray or canopy onto the back of the vehicle (either factory or aftermarket), you’ve got a significant bump to the on-road costs. 

There’s also a bullbar, which is a quality unit from ARB, and our spec included a Warn Zeon winch with a weighty steel cable. 

The starting price for the model we had is $82,990 plus on-road costs. Just adding the tray would see the car go up to around $90,000 before on-roads, and just shy of $100,000 by the time you’re on the road.

With the bullbar and winch, we’ve got a further increase in price in our test model. It’s not exactly the same as what you get with the so-called Adventure Pack, but it’s also not far from it.

For that, you’re looking at a cool $20,000 of extra cost over the cab-chassis starting point. So, we’ve effectively got a $110,000 car here.

This is your next consideration here to overcome: cost.

Compared to a Ram 1500 or Isuzu N-Series Truck, the Ranger initially feels like good value in terms of capability bang-for-buck. And compared to a Ford Ranger with the associated costs and complexities of an aftermarket GVM upgrade, it rates well.

But, compare it to the likes of a better-equipped Ranger Wildtrak or Platinum, and you quickly realise all the equipment that you’re missing out on in order to get all of that extra capability. 

If you don’t actually need that capability, then you’re doing yourself a disservice. The Super Duty has less nice stuff, costs more to buy, and costs more to keep on the road.

It’s kind of the same story for off-road driving. With twin diff locks, 33-inch all-terrain tyres and improved ground clearance, the Ranger Super Duty is a clear improvement over the regular fare in terms of raw off-road capability. It’s a big advantage over a larger American truck, especially in terms of size and manoeuvrability. 

One could modify a regular Ranger with suspension and tyres to get something similar and come out on top. It won’t be as holistically good, and isn’t ready from the showroom floor. 

But what we have here is a four-wheel drive with excellent capability. There’s plenty of rubber for airing down, which is helped by the durable light-truck construction. The 17-inch steel wheels are a sturdy choice as well, and the increased ground clearance, protection and traction all add up to make the Ranger Super Duty feel right at home off-road.

It might be beaten by a Jeep Wrangler in truly tricky and rough terrain, but you’ve got something here that feels good compared to a LandCruiser 79 Series. 

The suspension handles loads well, and the range of driving modes is a handy addition on top of the mechanical upgrades.

Although, it’s worth saying the addition of the locking differentials plasters over some of the shortcomings experienced with Ford’s off-road traction-control system. Which is decent, but also not as good as others out there.

On the face of it, the Ranger Super Duty does feel like bringing a bazooka to a knife fight for a lot of Australian buyers.

The extra payload and towing capacity are excellent, don’t get me wrong. But for most people, it’s simply not required.

There is a clear business case for buying this car from a commercial perspective, especially with a focus on safety and welfare. Caravanners and serious remote four-wheel drivers will lap up the Super Duty as well, where the increased capability, heavy-duty underpinnings and showroom-ready features make it feel like a square peg going into a square hole.

But, buyers need to be honest with themselves. Do you really need all of this ute? Or do you just like the idea of it?

Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures. Off-road writer of the Year, Winner - Sam Purcell

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