Ford's new pick-up gets muddy!

It’s widely regarded as a great way to exfoliate, detoxify and hydrate the skin, while some believe it can provide relief from muscle and joint pain. But the type of mud bath Ford Australia has been applying to its up-coming Ford Ranger Super Duty is far from a therapeutic beauty routine.

Mindful of the fact our relentless cycle of ‘droughts and flooding rains’ appears to be intensifying, Ford has placed extra emphasis on the new high-riding, four-wheel drive’s ability to traverse extremely muddy conditions.

Ford has dubbed it the ‘Mud Pack Test’, designed exclusively for the Ranger Super Duty with the aim of “packing on as much performance-sapping mud as possible”.

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Mindful of the Super Duty’s potential customer base, including workers on remote mine sites and hardcore off-road enthusiasts, the test was fine-tuned by Ford Australia Product Excellence and Human Factors Supervisor Rob Hugo. 

“Mud is one of a truck’s greatest enemies. It can add significant weight, prevent airflow, and act as an insulator, causing components to heat up much quicker. 

“It’s highly corrosive and can clog up fans and alternators, preventing them from running correctly,” he said

To replicate this ‘occupational hazard’ the Ranger product team created a “mud hell” track at Ford’s You Yangs Proving Ground, south-west of Melbourne, featuring “a torturous variety of terrain, from deep ruts and bog holes to long, open sections of thick, sticky clay”.

Multiple days of validation testing allowed layers of mud to build up to the point where the vehicle was carrying an extra 600-plus kilos of mud.

At the conclusion of testing Rob Hugo said, “We knew we had to turn it up to 11. This trial by mud isn't just an engineering exercise – it's a promise the vehicle is built to endure.”

Featuring a strengthened ladder chassis and 4500kg braked trailer towing capacity as well as an upgraded suspension and strengthened axles, the 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel Ranger Super Duty is expected to hit local showrooms in early 2026. 

Offered in cab chassis form initially the line-up covers Single Cab-Chassis ($82,990), Super Cab-Chassis ($86,490) and Double Cab-Chassis ($89,990) variants (all prices before on-road costs).