Ford is going to great lengths to ensure the Ranger Super Duty is as tough as it promises, and that customers of all kinds won’t be disappointed.
We’ve previously seen it shaken on rough surfaces and playing around in the mud, but to truly test its 850mm wading depth Ford took it not only to its own You Yangs proving grounds but also the Victorian High Country.
“We had to prove this truck could go to the next level of capability and decided to target 850mm, it had to be about more than just what looked good as a concept sketch,” said Ranger Super Duty program engineer, Drew O’Shannassy.
“We started shallow – 50 millimetres – because each depth tells a different engineering story. With significant force acting on the front of the vehicle during deep water wading, every seal must perform flawlessly so that not a drop of water gets where it shouldn’t.
“Our controlled water bath allows us to repeat our tests for accurate validation, but the real proof comes when conditions become unpredictable.”
Speaking of the notorious Crooked River Track near Dargo, vehicle integration engineer Tim Postgate said, “The first crossing always gets your heart pumping”.
“You’ve done all the maths, run all the controlled tests, but there’s something about watching the nose of the truck disappear into rushing water that makes engineering very real.”
Not only does the Ranger Super Duty’s 850mm figure make its wading ability 50mm better than the standard Ranger, but the addition of a Safari snorkel as standard equipment aids its water-crossing ability.
“We wanted something that looked like it belonged there from day one,” said the Ranger Super Duty’s chief designer, Max Tran.
“Our collaboration with Safari created something we’re all very proud of – a snorkel that maintains peak engine performance while integrating seamlessly with Ranger Super Duty’s design language. This represents purposeful engineering that looks as capable as it performs.”
As previously reported, the Ranger Super Duty will offer a 4500kg towing capacity, 4500kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) and an 8000kg gross combined mass, while also offering a 130-litre long-range fuel tank and a modified version of the regular Ranger’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 with upgraded cooling.
Ford is due to launch the Ranger Super Duty in Australia with single-, Super- and dual-cab chassis variants early in 2026, before a dual-cab pickup is added by mid-year. It will be available in two trim levels, the standard Ranger Super Duty and the Super Duty XLT.
Pricing starts from $82,990 before on-road costs in single cab-chassis form, $86,490 plus on-roads for the Super cab-chassis (offering more interior space), while the range-topping dual cab-chassis starts from $89,990 before on-road costs.
Its 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine produces 154kW at 3250rpm and 600Nm at 1750rpm, down 30kW on the V6’s output in the standard Ranger, however the Super Duty features the same torque output. Ford claims it’s upgraded the Ranger Super Duty’s cooling system to be 25 per cent more efficient than the standard V6’s.
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