Ford Ranger Advice

Sound has never been a hotter topic in the world of cars than it has been in the past decade. From the introduction of hybrid and electric vehicles to even the more muted soundtrack of modern F1 cars, the noise cars make has become a major talking point.

There are some states where the very existence of unmarked police cars seems almost as illogical as it is cruel, while in others, like Victoria, it’s a surprise that every second vehicle isn’t a cop car in disguise.

So, you’re heading on a road trip! What fun, but also… kind of a headache if you don’t have the right vehicle.

The Ford Ranger was the best-selling vehicle in the country for the second consecutive year in 2024.And now there’s another Ford ute on the horizon that looks set to shake up the ute market in Australia.Due on sale here in 2026, the Ford Ranger Super Duty has been touted as a mid-sized ute with “next-level, work-ready capability”, according to Ford.Purpose built for those with harsh job requirements, including emergency service operators, farmers, utilities and forestry workers, miners and infrastructure technicians, the Super Duty will have a 4500kg braked towing capacity, a 4500kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) and an 8000kg gross combined mass (GCM) rating.Let’s take a deep dive into everything we know so far about the Ford Ranger Super Duty.Read on.The Ford Ranger Super Duty is a mid-sized ute intended to be capable of tackling extremely tough work duties that no other standard mid-sized ute is capable of doing straight out of the factory.Details and specs remain somewhat sketchy, but the Super Duty will be, according to Ford, a new ute that's engineered from scratch for heavy-duty applications. It will also be the first mid-size ute to carry the Super Duty badge in Australia.Ford reckons its Super Duty project is a direct response to Aussie customers who want a gung-ho ute capable of hauling big loads, but in a vehicle size that is easier to manoeuvre than a bigger US-style pick-up.The new Ford Ranger Super Duty is intended as a heavy-duty work vehicle for emergency service operators, farmers, utilities and forestry workers, miners and infrastructure technicians, as well as having lots of potential as a recreational 4WD touring vehicle and towing platform due to its “enhanced off-road capability”, so sayeth Ford.The factory-built Ford Ranger Super Duty is covered by a full Ford warranty, and has been designed, developed and engineered in Australia by a 1500-strong crew.Recent testing has been conducted in Australia.If its claimed GVM (4500kg), GCM (8000kg) and towing capacity (4500kg) turn out to be accurate, then the Super Duty is going to be a bloody beast on work sites everywhere, for lugging loads, and for weekend wanderers who want to tow boats, horse floats and the like.For quick reference, in comparison, the Ford Ranger XLT turbo-diesel V6 4x4 has a listed GVM of 3280kg, a GCM of 6400kg and maximum braked towing capacity of 3500kg, and Ford’s long-wheelbase F-150 pick-up or truck offers lower GWM (3265kg) and GCM (7315kg), but equals the Super Duty’s 4500kg braked towing capacity.In terms of styling, the Ford Ranger Super Duty will have new wheels, wider arches than a standard Ranger, an all-new grille design, replete with a new off-road-style front bumper, as well as substantial underbody protection.There are no details about what powertrain the Super Duty will get, but perhaps the Ranger’s 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine (184kW at 3250rpm and 600Nm from 1750-2250rpm), along with the line-up’s 10-speed automatic transmission, will be a good fit. A power and torque boost may even be on the cards, in order for the Super Duty to handle the much-touted heavier loads it may be burdened with.Australia’s Super Duty will likely sport the eight-stud, 18-inch steel wheel and 33-inch all-terrain tyre package of the US Ford F-250 Super Duty.Also, it could be in line to share the Raptor's wheel track, which is 50mm wider than the standard Ranger.No word on suspension yet, but upfront it may be fitted with new front control arms (similar to the Raptor’s cast-alloy units), and it will likely have a leaf-sprung rear axle rather than Raptor-esque coils, as the Super Duty is a vehicle intended for load-carrying and towing.It may also have job-specific accessories such as push-button Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, Trailer Navigation (aimed at ensuring your vehicle and trailer go via a route that the combination will be able to physically travel through) and even on-board scales.The Ford Ranger Super Duty – or Ford Super Duty Ranger as some have dubbed it – will be manufactured at the same Thai facility as most made-for-Australia Rangers.The Ford Ranger Super Duty is expected to be unveiled sometime later this year and is tipped to be on sale here in 2026.An all-new ute sporting major hardware upgrades, resulting in impressively uprated payload and tow ratings, being sold in a ute-hungry market? Name your price…At time of writing, there were no clear indications of what the Ford Ranger Super Duty’s eventual price-tag would be, but expect to pay upwards of $75,000.It will be bigger and built more robustly for heavier duties than those undertaken by standard Rangers.And it will likely be in a price range comparable to the Raptor.Keep reading CarsGuide.com.au to stay up to date with news on all upcoming vehicle releases, including the Ford Ranger Super Duty, which is due to be launched here in 2026.

The most economical car argument is still a valid one, despite the fact that oil prices have stabilised around the world.

Let’s talk sleepers. In fact, what is a sleeper car? In the motoring world, a sleeper is a vehicle that hides its performance potential from the world, only revealing its true potential when the driver nails the throttle.

Utes have become the Swiss Army knives of the vehicle world. People love utes because they can be used for a multitude of different real-life purposes. Utes can carry people and loads and do it all safely and smoothly. And Ford Rangers are among the most popular utes around.

When it comes to an aftermarket long range fuel tank Ford Ranger owners are well catered for. But there’s always room for improvement, right?

There are several reasons to upgrade the suspension of your Ford Ranger (or any other type of off-road vehicle). Better ground clearance, more towing or load carrying capacity or simply a tougher look are the main reasons and they all have their pros and cons.

Ford’s Ranger continues to be a hugely popular vehicle with legions of happy customers. But when it comes to in-service issues, the Ford Ranger engine is far from immune to the common problems of modern, common-rail turbo-diesel powerplants. On top of that, there are also a few watch-outs specific to the Ranger’s engine line-up, and it pays to be aware of these when shopping for a Ranger.