Mahindra Pik-Up vs Ford Ranger

What's the difference?

Its sub-$40K pricing undercuts the cheapest Ford Ranger or Toyota HiLux 4x4 equivalents by $10-15K and it’s backed by a decent warranty and 60-strong dealer network (mostly regional). It’s also largely absent from the federal government’s vehicle-recall listings, which suggests solid build quality.

However, it’s also short on safety, has relatively high servicing costs and numerous design quirks. Fact is, such low pricing comes with compromises, so, if you can learn to live with those, this sturdy and willing auto-equipped workhorse could represent good value for those shopping on a budget.

The Ford Ranger Super Duty is an impressive ute. It has almost everything you could want in a ute straight out of the showroom - seamless driver-assist tech, reliably effective mechanicals, top-level comfort, confidence-inspiring off-road capability and an ability to tow real heavy loads.

Positives, including its equipment and comfort levels, as well as its capability and all-round driveability, far outweigh anything negative about it, which is mainly limited to its hefty price-tag.

If you’re cross-shopping the Super Duty against the 79 Series, its closest rival overall, then the Ford comes out on top in pretty much every way. And you do get a lot more for your money with the Super Duty.

The PikUp has a 3040mm wheelbase and 5175mm length, 1820mm width and 1915mm height.

So, compared to a Ford Ranger XL equivalent, it’s 230mm shorter in wheelbase, 195mm shorter overall and 98mm narrower, so it’s relatively compact for a dual cab ute.

Built on a traditional ladder-frame chassis, its twin-wishbone front suspension uses torsion bars instead of the more common coil springs, while under the tail is a leaf-spring live rear axle. Brakes are front discs and rear drums.

With 210mm of ground clearance, its steep 34-degree approach angle is excellent but its 15-degree departure angle is less than half that figure, so it's prone to tail-dragging in the rough stuff.

And its bafflingly large 13.4-metre turning circle (kerb-to-kerb) demands numerous three-point turns.

The interior appears to have a good standard of finish and provides a visually-pleasing mix of black and grey surfaces with satin chrome highlights throughout. Driver controls are easy to see and operate and the front bucket seats are comfortable.

The rear bench seat is quite firm with good lumbar support, but it’s a squeeze for three adults given its relatively narrow width.

Even so, there’s adequate kneeroom and heaps of headroom even for tall adults, which is no doubt appreciated by hat-wearing farmers and tradies.

The Super Duty is a regular Ranger but bulked up to the maximum.

At 5470mm long (with a 3270mm wheelbase), 2197mm wide (with mirrors), 1985mm high and a listed kerb weight of 2675kg (that’s without a tray), the Super Duty is a bigger-than-usual ute, if you’re used to seeing mainstream utes, rather than US-style pick-ups on the road and tracks.

It has a sealed Super Duty-branded snorkel, substantial front and rear recovery points (two at each end), a wider-than-regular wheel track at 1710mm (150mm wider than the regular Ranger’s), big side steps, 18-inch eight-stud steel wheels (from bigger ‘F Series’ utes), chunky General Grabber All-Terrain LT (275/70 R18) tyres and an 18-inch steel spare wheel.

This ute has plenty of presence on- and off-road. In fact, it can easily compete with the likes of the 79 Series on looks alone.

With its 2115kg kerb weight and 3150kg GVM, the S11 PikUp offers a 1035kg payload rating so it’s a genuine one-tonner.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer but given Mahindra doesn't publish a GCM rating (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) we don’t know if it can retain its maximum payload while towing that weight.

Strangely, the load tub does not have any internal load-anchorage points. The only option for securing ropes or straps are external hooks, which are located along both upper sides of the tub and across the tailgate.

However, these would be ineffective in securing loads that are lower than the tub sides.

Front cabin storage is limited, as there are only narrow bins and no bottle holders in the front doors and you won’t find any cup/bottle holders or storage for small items in the dash, either. However, there is a single glove box and an overhead glasses holder.

The centre console has an open storage tray at the front and single cup and bottle holders in the centre, which are fine for one occupant but not two.

In contrast to the front doors, there are no bins in the base of each rear door, but they do get a large-bottle holder and what looks like a phone holder at mid-height.

There are also pockets on each front seat backrest, but the fold-down centre armrest does not have any cup/bottle holders.

The rear bench seat’s base cushion is fixed, so it can’t swing up and be stored vertically (like many dual cabs) if more internal cargo space is required.

However, it does at least provide some open storage space underneath for soft items like jackets etc.

If you’ve spent any time in a Ranger cabin recently, you know what to expect. It’s a high achiever in terms of practicality and comfort.

The 12-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) is easy to operate while the screen is big enough and on-screen colours crisp enough that even my decrepit eyes could cope with it.

The driver and front passenger are afforded easy access to numerous storage options, including a centre console, cupholders, door pockets, a shelf for all of your pocket stuff and charging points, with a wireless charge pad upfront, as well as USB-A and USB-C sockets.

There’s ample space inside for the driver and the passengers, front and back. The seats – cloth to cope with real life dirt and grime – are supportive and comfortable up front and only slightly less so in the back row. There’s also more-than-adequate room back there. At 172cm I'm a modest amount below average height and sitting behind my driving position have plenty of space.

The driver’s seat is eight-way manually adjustable, while the front passenger seat is four-way manually adjustable.

Second-row passengers have air-con vents and controls, as well as a fold-down centre armrest, door pockets and map pockets.

The tray on the test vehicle measures 1790mm long, 1890mm wide, and 270mm deep. It has a load height (from ground to the tray floor) is 1065mm. It also has metal window-protection and a chequer-plate base. The full-size steel spare is mounted under the tray.

In terms of practicality, the Super Duty bests the likes of Toyota’s 79 Series LandCruiser.

For the 2026 model year the Ford Ranger Super Duty is available as a single cab chassis, super cab chassis and double cab chassis. A 2026.5MY double cab pick up and premium XLT variant, are due to arrive later this year.

Our test vehicle is the Ranger Super Duty Double Cab Chassis with a manufacturer listed price of $89,990.

For reference, a 79 Series LandCruiser costs $77,300 (WorkMare) and $81,500 (GXL), both before on-road costs at the time of writing.

Standard features in the Super Duty include 12-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), wireless charging and a suite of driver-assist tech.

The Super Duty has onboard digital scales for live load measurements, so you'll never have to guess how much weight you have onboard your ute.

Its 130-litre fuel tank, 4.5 tonne towing capacity, 4.5 tonne gross vehicle mass and 8.0-tonne gross combined mass are also crucial in this ute’s list of standard features.

Price as tested for our review vehicle is $100,157 because it has a few options onboard including 'Shadow Black' paint ($750), a matt black steel tray (including a 20-litre water tank and lockable tool box - $9048), an integrated device mounting system ($232) and all-weather floor mats (front and rear - $137).

Paint choices include 'Absolute Black' (aka Shadow Black, on our test vehicle), 'Aluminium', 'Arctic White', 'Command Grey', 'Seismic Tan' and 'Traction Green', each of which cost $750.

In terms of standard features for the price, the Super Duty bests what may be considered its closest rival, Toyota’s 79 Series LandCruiser.

The latest version of the S11’s 'mHAWK' 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel meets tough Euro 6b emissions standards using AdBlue.

Armed with an intercooler and common-rail fuel injection, it produces a modest 103kW at 3750rpm. Its 320Nm, available across a 1300rpm-wide torque band between 1500-2800rpm, highlights good flexibility particularly under load.

It’s coupled with an equally refined Aisin-sourced six-speed torque converter automatic transmission, driving the rear wheels and offering the choice of sequential manual-shifting.

There’s also a Borg Warner part-time dual-range 4x4 transfer case and an Eaton automatic rear diff-lock.

The Ford Ranger Super Duty has a 3.0L V6 turbo-diesel engine producing 154kW at 3250rpm (30kW less than the regular V6 Ranger) and 600Nm at 1750rpm and has a 10-speed automatic transmission, full-time 4WD as well as front and rear diff locks.

For reference, the 2.8L four-cylinder turbo-diesel 79 Series LandCruiser produces 150kW and 500Nm.

Driver-selectable modes in the Super Duty include 'Normal', 'Eco', 'Tow/Haul', 'Slippery', 'Mud/Ruts', 'Sand' and 'Sport'.

This engine and auto makes a smooth and highly effective combination in all driving circumstances.

The Super Duty’s gutsy powertrain eclipses the 79 Series for general driveability.

Mahindra claims an official combined average of 9.3L/100km. At the conclusion of our 265km test, which was conducted without a load and in mostly city and suburban driving, our ‘real world’ figure based on fuel bowser and trip meter readings came in at 9.4 which is lineball.

So, it should deliver an excellent driving range of around 850km from its 80-litre tank.

The Super Duty does not have an official fuel consumption figure because it is an N2 light commercial vehicle.

An N2 light commercial vehicle is “A goods vehicle with a ‘Gross Vehicle Mass’ exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12.0 tonnes”. The Super Duty is category NB2 - “over 4.5 tonnes, up to 12 tonnes ‘Gross Vehicle Mass’.”

On this test, I recorded 13.7L/100km. The Super Duty has a 130-litre fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 948km from a full tank of diesel.

The fold-down inboard armrest combined with the door’s armrest allows the driver to evenly rest both elbows, which reduces strain on shoulders and arms particularly during long highway hauls.

This set-up could work even better if the wheel had reach adjustment in addition to its adjustable height.

There’s no rake adjustment in the seat’s base cushion, either, but fortunately there’s a big left footrest to help the driver to maintain a comfortable posture.

The driving position is high relative to the bonnet and the tops of the doors, which is ideal for vehicle placement when off-road driving as it provides commanding views over the front and out the sides.

Unladen ride quality is quite firm, as you’d expect of a 4x4 designed to carry one tonne of payload, but is supple enough to provided acceptable comfort.

The steering weight is linear with easy turning effort; handling and braking response is satisfactory and engine and tyre noise are pleasantly low.

Our only major gripe is the huge turning circle, which is nudging that of a full-size American pick-up. The need to often do three-point turns, in situations that you really shouldn’t have to in a vehicle of this size, is annoying (and in some situations embarrassing).

Although its 2.2-litre diesel has modest outputs, it provides decent performance in city and suburban driving with its smooth-shifting auto.

It’s also a low-stressed highway cruiser, requiring less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h which is comfortably within its peak torque band.

We didn’t get to do our usual GVM test due to a hiccup with our weight supplies, but we have previously tested a cab-chassis PikUp with just under one tonne of payload (990kg) which it hauled with an all-round competence that belied its relatively small engine output.

The Super Duty is a smooth-driving ute on road; comfortable and composed. At 1710mm this ute’s wheel track is 150mm wider than the regular Ranger’s and is the same as the Ranger Raptor’s, giving it a supremely settled feel over most road- or track-surface imperfections.

The wheelbase is unchanged (at 3270mm), but the Super Duty is substantially heavier than the ‘normal’ Rangers and thankfully its confidence-inspiring driving feel on the blacktop is retained when you drive off sealed surfaces.

It remains settled and even refined on the dirt. It's quite stiff (level some of the blame at its heavy-duty chassis) and the Super Duty’s ride on bush tracks can be jarring if corrugations and potholes are on the wrong side of deep.

Otherwise, it's a very comfortable driving experience. So even though it is heavier and more robust and it has a stiffer chassis than the regular Ranger, the Super Duty is quite comfortable on- and off-road.

Steering has a nice weight to it and visibility to the front through its big windscreen is generally good, although the big bonnet obscures the driver’s forward view on more severe obstacles such as steep hills and rock-climbs. But the Super Duty’s onboard camera system, which is able to present a 360-degree view around the vehicle, negates that somewhat.

Throttle response is good, low-range gearing is reliable and the Super Duty has a front and rear diff lock for when the terrain becomes particularly challenging.

This ute has grippy Light Truck construction all-terrain tyres, which are more robust than standard all-terrain tyres. The Super Duty also has a comprehensive toolbox of driver-assist tech – including hill descent control and a variety of drive modes (Slippery, Mud/Ruts and Sand), all aimed at improving your off-road ability.

It handles steep, tricky technical hill-climbs with ease as long as you drive with consideration. It is a bigger and heavier vehicle than a regular-sized ute and it has a 13.6m turning circle so it requires extra concentration on tight bush tracks.

In terms of physical dimensions the Super Duty is well suited to off-road duties. I have confidence in the listed 300mm ground clearance and 800mm wading depth having driven this ute on some decent rock steps and through various mud holes. The Super Duty also has some substantial underbody protection as standard.

Approach angle is 36.3 degrees, departure is 29.3 degrees and breakover is 26.9 degrees. For reference, the 79 Series offers off-road-relevant angles of 35 degrees (approach), 25 degrees (departure) and 23 degrees (rampover) with 235mm of ground clearance and a 700mm wading depth.

What’s more, the Super Duty fills a niche between regular-sized utes and US pick-ups by offering much more flexibility for towing and touring than a regular Ranger and most other mid-sized utes.

In double-cab chassis guise, the Super Duty has a listed payload (at minimum kerb weight, which excludes the tray) of 1825kg, as well as the aforementioned 4.5 tonne gross vehicle mass (GVM), 4.5 tonne towing capacity and 8.0-tonne gross combined mass (GCM), which are all impressive figures for a ute that’s not as big as US pick-ups.

For reference, the dual-cab 79 Series LandCruiser has a listed payload of 1310kg, can legally tow 3500kg (braked trailer) and has a listed GCM of 7010kg. So the Super Duty wins out in all of those comparisons.

The Super Duty does not have an ANCAP safety rating because it has not been tested (as of Feb 2026).

As standard, it has nine airbags (front, side, knee and full-length curtain (driver and passenger) and far side driver (front airbag) and, while its lack of an ANCAP safety rating may work against it for some potential buyers, the Super Duty has a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech including AEB, adaptive cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring and front and rear parking sensors.

For child seats there are two top tether points and a pair of ISOFIX anchors across the rear seat.

Warranty is five years/150,000km. 12 months roadside assist is renewable with each scheduled service at Mahindra dealers.

Service intervals are 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first.

Capped-price servicing for the first four years or 55,000km totals $2296, or a pricey average of $574 per service.

The Ford Ranger Super Duty is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty which is now the average offering in the mainstream market.

Roadside assistance is included free for the first 12 months and continues for seven years if you have your vehicle serviced by Ford.

Service intervals are recommended for 12 months or 15,000km and capped price servicing is available. If you pre-pay that’ll cost you a total of $2100 for five years. It's $2345 if you don’t, which equates to $469 per service.

For comparison, Toyota recommends the 79 Series LandCruiser is serviced every six months or 10,000km, with each of the first 10 workshop visits costing $545 (for a five-year total of $5450).

Ford Australia has about 200 dealers across the country with a decent spread across metro, rural and regional areas. Ford dealers are also service centres.