2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty review: XLT adds extra kit to capable off-roader
The Ford Ranger Super Duty is already a capable workhorse, but now it's added some creature comforts.
The aim of the Ranger Super Duty has always been to cut down compromise.
Why sacrifice off-road capability for payload or towing capacity? Yes, you can have an 8000kg GCM and 4500kg GVM and still be able to hit the gnarliest four-wheel-drive trails in the country.
It's a solid pitch, but one that was initially focussed on the commercial sector with basic trim and cab-chassis configurations as the only options.
Now, more compromises have been taken out of the equation with an updated line-up that should significantly broaden the appeal of the Super Duty.
The dual-cab Super Duty is now available in XLT trim to add a new level of comfort to the cabin, with single- and Super-cab versions due later this year.
There are the leather accented front and rear seats which also include heating and ventilation in the front, as well as carpet flooring and all-weather floor mats for the driver and front passenger.
Then there is the new option of a pick-up tub, available in both XLT and standard versions, making the Super Duty a more usable car from the moment it leaves the showroom floor.
The tub, paired with the Super Duty-branded XLT, 18-inch eight-stud alloy wheels, turns the Super Duty into a fantastic looking car. Proportionally, it may be the best looking Ranger in the entire range.
It gets even better in Traction Green, the new halo colour for the XLT.
The new line-up should take the Ranger Super Duty from being the ultimate work horse and turn it into a viable option as a daily driver, weekend warrior and holiday memory-maker... even if you're not a tradie.
So where does the Super Duty stack up in this broader market? To find out, we spent a few days with a fleet of Super Duties at Bendleby Ranges sheep station in South Australia.
The journey started with several hours of highway running getting out of Adelaide. There is no doubting the comfort of the XLT trim and as a highway cruiser, it is genuinely impressive in terms of open-road handling. Particularly given it's a rear leaf-sprung car with a huge payload.
It was much the same on a 40-kilometre stretch of corrugated gravel road that we tackled. The Super Duty soaked up the vast majority of what the road was throwing at it and left little coming through the leather seats.
The real test for the Super Duty, however, was on the station itself. The 35,000-acre property doubles as a four-wheel-drive park and has some of the best trails, climbs and descents in the country.
The trails we used were a mix of brutal rock climbs and descents and some beautiful shale riverbed runs. And at no point did the Super Duty let us down.
We're talking about serious climbs and descents too, like Pat's Peak, Bendleby's best-known track. We're talking about 30 degree angles up and down, the rock sliders and bash plates getting a proper workout. Using the rock mode there was nowhere it wouldn't go.
The ability to lock both the front and rear diffs independently is very assuring during these climbs, although one drawback is that the buttons are screen-operated. Something tactile to be able to grab without looking would be handy in the heat of battle with the side of a hill.
In the scheme of the car's capabilities, though, that's a minor gripe.
The Super Duty also has the trail assist function, which carries over from the Raptor. It's basically traction control, but for climbing mountains. Set a number (controlled by the same steering wheel toggle as cruise) and you can take your feet off both pedals and climb up or down a hill.
It's eerie but it does work. It's probably best-used in conjunction with manual input, particularly on descents. But a great party trick if nothing else.
One tip is to ensure the auto-hold on the brakes is disabled on descents. The feature simply works too well when you're trying to ease over big drops at the lowest speed possible. Once it grabs, you need throttle to get the car moving and it can easily over-speed (and give the bash plates more work to do than necessary) on the drop.
It is at least equal to the likes of the Ineos Grenadier and 79 Series Cruiser in terms of off-road capability in stock trim. Realistically it's probably got its nose ahead of the competition when it comes to leaving the showroom and hitting the slopes without having to make any upgrades.
Does the Super Duty have the same floating comfort on the road as, for example, Ford's own F-150? Or as much interior space? No it doesn't. But it's only a relatively small compromise on those comfort factors for the off-road capability.
You also have what is effectively the same footprint as a standard Ranger, so as a daily driver it's not a significant burden in terms of parking and suburban driving.
Then there's the bonus of it being around $15,000 cheaper than an F-150, which combined with the ability to be able to leave the caravan at the park and go four-wheel-driving makes the Super Duty an enticing option.
In fact, for the adventure-minded holiday makers, it's probably the best option on the market.
Jordan Mulach
