Ranger Super Duty Confirmed for 2026

[Captain Stubing]

Hey, guess what? The Ranger Super Duty is confirmed for 2026! Wouldn't that be cool to talk about!

[FTE217]

It is quite funny though.
We came together long ago a bunch of Falcon enthusiasts and look what’s become lol
Super Duty spunk my pants not and wow what numbers per annum we’ll gizzzz over lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by whynot

I thought that the F150 has a "onboard scales calibration" option within the Ford FDRS software that the dealer could do after a suspension change.

Heres to hope that the suspension modifications done are actually taken to be recalibrated, and the suspension parts suppliers have the relevant information needed for the recalibration to work.

Originally Posted by whynot

Don't 70 series come with AC as factory fit these days?

Back in the 90's, nearly all motoring groups were pushing factory AC as an essential safety feature. Especially in the tropics where during a summer storm, no amount of demisting heat will clear the inside of a front windshield.

Likewise, AC helps reduce heat related fatigue on long drives in summer. See Driver fatigue and safety margins. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 39(1), 113-129 and Physiological and psychological responses to different room temperatures. Applied Ergonomics, 42(6), 865-871 and Hydration and cognitive performance. British Journal of Nutrition, 89(Suppl 2), S159-S166 for starters.

I don't follow your logic in the use of fact-less based opinions to support a nebulous argument.

I was illustrating how cars have managed to get heavier and heavier as the years rolled on, but you reckon I go off tangent?

FWIW, the reason so many cars didnt get aircon fitted at the factory was because it added to the cost, which then increased import duties, which then made the vehicle more expensive.
Somehow, dealer fitted air conditioning ended up being cheaper for pretty much all the manufacturers.

Originally Posted by whynot

Wow, you have gone off on a tangent there ... I was thinking of highly over boosted turbocharged four cylinder that specialises in flame throwing and back firing. There is a rash of them doing circle work in our suburb at 2AM in the morning of late.

Fantastic, a legitimate, although misguided reason to crack down on a particular segment of the car scene, hooning and potentially illegal modifications.

Originally Posted by whynot

Ahhh, so now the game plan comes to light. Truly frustrated Toyota fans are now arguing that the Ranger Super Duty is "too heavy" and implying that it is dangerous, so best restrict drivers to what a 70 series is rated for.

Would you rather I give the options of Navara/Patrol, Ranger/F-series?

I was comparing examples of medium duty VS heavy duty offerings that essentially do the same job, and how the heavy duty offering is built sturdier to keep doing the job better and for longer.
Personally I wouldnt have any iteration of the 79 series if you gave me one.

Originally Posted by whynot

Well, the C-class licence with its 4.5t weight limit has been around for nearly 30 years. Hasn't seemed to be a problem until the Ranger Super Duty made an appearance.

It has been a problem, sooooo many geriatrics with too much money, all the gear and painfully oblivious that they have no idea what theyre doing.....

Originally Posted by whynot

Edit: I would be much, much happier towing a caravan in an SDR that a NLR N-Series. When the bean counters at work took our F250 V8 line trucks off us, the replacement to drive around town was an anaemic Ford Traders, and that was five years too long.

Thats something you and I will always agree on.

My problem with the RSD is that it seems like a sneaky way to suck up to a market segment that is getting a bit on the ridiculous side of life

I mean, who really needs a 4.5 tonne caravan?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

I mean, who really needs a 4.5 tonne caravan?

I missed the bit about where caravans were the only trailer that could be towed by RSD.

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by prydey

I missed the bit about where caravans were the only trailer that could be towed by RSD.

Theyre not, but its my experience that trailer towing in the world(s) that the RSD is supposedly being pitched to, is becoming a bit of a dirty word

[Vekgib]

To each their own, but I'd still rather a 76 series if I could

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by whynot

We blew a number of engines (just outside the warranty period) due to split lower coolant hoses. The temperature gauge was isolated high and dry in auxiliary pipework, so that didn't bark once the water dribbled out of the top of the coolant loop. During the first year, my Trader spent an inordinate time at the dealer getting random stuff fixed. And didn't end up being as cost effective over the V8 as forecast. Ride quality was crap when compared to the F250. Cold barely hold 100 kph on the highway (were as the F250 would cruise along). Seat were uncomfortable. A much unloved work vehicle.

Think the problem with yours, was it wasn't painted the wrong colour.

Back to the subject of overloading, whoops, "Super Duty" wobble box pullers.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

Ford should really give it to Toyota.

Presenting the Ford Ranger Super Duty Troopy.

image

I didn't nail it, but you get the idea.

That actually looks sufficiently practical.

[Sprintey]

Super Duty looks to be a brilliant product.

The discussion on increasing weights of everything could well be another, valid, thread. When we did Oz for work 20 years+ back, it was with 2000kg HJ60, 1600kg, 16ft bed/bunk van with underslung axle and 110 towball downweight if I recall. Took a whole young family with that. That was what we could afford at the time and it was magic and earned our family lots of money, too!

We found that the more/bigger we took, the more it restricted us. And in surprising ways - like our rig being small enough to get into some of the parks' best, most waterfront sites, that bigger rigs had no chance of backing into. And being to scramble the whole rig up remote tracks to camp at the worksites with their narrow entries.

But as Prydey says, each to their own, it's a different time and different market now. We're sure to see it towing for people on the trip of their lives, as well as the commercial applications - to be remembered as a great work/mine ute.

And yeah, we were very lucky on our last run on the Eyre, got a gap with very little other traffic. The bit at the top of the Eyre peninsula between Ceduna and Kimba has some quite fun cornering when you are not stuck behind other things!

[prydey]

Heavy tow vehicle is a positive.

[prydey]

Ford are bringing to market a vehicle engineered from factory as a safer option than buying a lesser vehicle and heavily modifying it.

I really don't see what the issue is with the naysayers. Isn't it a good thing to have a vehicle come from the factory already suited to the task?

Instead there's questions about who really needs a vehicle like that.

I don't recall seeing these comments when Ford Australia kept bringing out more and more powerful sedans. Isn't that kind of the same argument? Who really needs all that performance?

It will be interesting to see how RSD takes off. Curious to see how the dimensions stack up against F series as well.

[CyberWasp]

Ford had the vision to build the Raptor and Bronco and are now leveraging off the hard work. Good on them...
Now.. if we could just get that focus onto some of the other vehicles in their stable...

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

Ford had the vision to build the Raptor and Bronco and are now leveraging off the hard work. Good on them...
Now.. if we could just get that focus onto some of the other vehicles in their stable...

I think its remarkable how far Ford have come in the last decade, basically all from Ranger and Everest.

Going back to 2013 and the announcement of the end of local manufacture, who would have guessed Ford would be sitting in number two position next to Toyota for monthly sales and leading the market and its segment with Ranger? For years Ford played second fiddle to GM/Holden, but again, who would have guessed it would be Ford that would go on to bigger and better things, and that the once untouchable red lion being taken around the back and shot dead?

Ford really didn't need to do a Super Duty Ranger, sales of the "standard" version have been strong, to the point of long waiting lists. But instead of sitting on their hands, they identified a rather lucrative market segment that has been relatively under served. The good thing for Ford here is that these will be repeat buyers as these fleets refresh and replace, in turn creating a steady demand. I suspect this is far more lucrative to Ford in Australia than trying to push models like Escape and Puma that compete in a flooded market.

So, credit to Ford for trying something different.

[PooDog]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

Ford had the vision to build the Raptor and Bronco and are now leveraging off the hard work. Good on them...
Now.. if we could just get that focus onto some of the other vehicles in their stable...

Do they have other vehicles.........

[smoo]

Originally Posted by prydey

I really don't see what the issue is with the naysayers. Isn't it a good thing to have a vehicle come from the factory already suited to the task?

Instead there's questions about who really needs a vehicle like that.

Depends what the task is.
If I want a tradie Ute that can comfortably take 1 to 1.5 tonne or so of tools then it’s a good proposition (price depending).

If I want to jump in one and hook 4.5t up to it with a high leverage fundamentally unstable trailer like a large camper or car trailer with the added potential for incorrect weight loading then that is where the concern is at.
Assuming me in a RSD weighs around 3 tonne, to have it pulling an extra 1.5 tonne behind it and it’s still on the same wheel base as a standard Ranger.
Also take into account how many of these will have custom trays that extend further rearward or the rear axle than the standard rib, with tow bar to suit which also increases the leverage point on the towing vehicle.
At the end of the day physics will always win.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by smoo

If I want to jump in one and hook 4.5t up to it with a high leverage fundamentally unstable trailer like a large camper or car trailer with the added potential for incorrect weight loading then that is where the concern is at.
Assuming me in a RSD weighs around 3 tonne, to have it pulling an extra 1.5 tonne behind it and it’s still on the same wheel base as a standard Ranger.
Also take into account how many of these will have custom trays that extend further rearward or the rear axle than the standard rib, with tow bar to suit which also increases the leverage point on the towing vehicle.
At the end of the day physics will always win.

Won't somebody think of the children...

The exact same argument got put forward when towing capacity was increased to 3.5t and yet there was no increase in carnage on the road directly linked to it.

Many argued about inexperienced drivers buying a 6-7t combo and how dangerous it was but history has proven that most of the bigger combinations are driven by those who have been towing for years.

It's just chicken little arguments made by those with an axe to grind.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by prydey

Won't somebody think of the children...

The exact same argument got put forward when towing capacity was increased to 3.5t and yet there was no increase in carnage on the road directly linked to it.

Many argued about inexperienced drivers buying a 6-7t combo and how dangerous it was but history has proven that most of the bigger combinations are driven by those who have been towing for years.

It's just chicken little arguments made by those with an axe to grind.

Says who, there’s plenty of dash cam vids of large vans going tits up.
And what average speed are most of these towing at, most of them aren’t even getting to 90kmh, because the loading and stability is wrong the drivers are shit scared to go near the speed limit.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by smoo

Says who, there’s plenty of dash cam vids of large vans going tits up.
And what average speed are most of these towing at, most of them aren’t even getting to 90kmh, because the loading and stability is wrong the drivers are shit scared to go near the speed limit.

There is dash can vids of every type of vehicle going tits up.

As for the second statement... Nah, not going to bother.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by prydey

There is dash can vids of every type of vehicle going tits up.

As for the second statement... Nah, not going to bother.

False equivalencies, as I mentioned earlier, a lot of those clips show when the SHTF, theres no saving it and good luck to anyone who might be in the path of an uncontrollable 7 tonne combination.

You haven’t told us why having a towed vehicle at up to 50% heavier than the vehicle doing the towing, is a good idea.
Or can boomer bob who’s just sold an investment property to fund the big lap after doing 40 years of a 9-5 and hitting the open road once a year, defy physics?

[Travesty]

I'm not one for towing, but I'd be keen for the Supercab in XLT trim. Think about it, if the kerb weight is 2500kg, that leaves 2000kg payload. If it can take an 8ft tray... epic win.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by smoo

False equivalencies, as I mentioned earlier, a lot of those clips show when the SHTF, theres no saving it and good luck to anyone who might be in the path of an uncontrollable 7 tonne combination.

You haven’t told us why having a towed vehicle at up to 50% heavier than the vehicle doing the towing, is a good idea.
Or can boomer bob who’s just sold an investment property to fund the big lap after doing 40 years of a 9-5 and hitting the open road once a year, defy physics?

Hypotheticals are just that. They're not real.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by smoo

False equivalencies, as I mentioned earlier, a lot of those clips show when the SHTF, theres no saving it and good luck to anyone who might be in the path of an uncontrollable 7 tonne combination.

You haven’t told us why having a towed vehicle at up to 50% heavier than the vehicle doing the towing, is a good idea.
Or can boomer bob who’s just sold an investment property to fund the big lap after doing 40 years of a 9-5 and hitting the open road once a year, defy physics?

This is what I was trying to get at earlier in the thread. It's not necessarily hating on caravans or people of a certain age. Caravaning is not for me, but I can see the appeal and why people love the freedom it brings.

But as highlighted, its concerning that someone can go from never towing in their life to suddenly piloting a massive caravan and tow vehicle. But as someone else said earlier, it would be a brave government to introduce some sort of prerequisite system for those new to towing. Because at the end of the day, it's not just themselves being put at risk should something go wrong, but also other drivers.

And I say that as someone who drives performance cars with speed potential well above the average car. But we are talking about vehicles that also have big brakes, responsive steering and a high level of chassis composure. You can't say that about a large, top-heavy SUV/Pickup lugging a long, wide and top-heavy van. Again, its not to say that these towing rigs are wrong, but there does need to be some thought put into regulating and educating for the safety of ALL road users.

[naddis01]

Originally Posted by Travesty

I'm not one for towing, but I'd be keen for the Supercab in XLT trim. Think about it, if the kerb weight is 2500kg, that leaves 2000kg payload. If it can take an 8ft tray... epic win.

A regular Ranger dual cab V6 XLT is 2349kg. Surely this will be significantly heavier.

[XR Martin]

Originally Posted by naddis01

A regular Ranger dual cab V6 XLT is 2349kg. Surely this will be significantly heavier.

Yup. Steel bumpers, larger tow bar, full length bash plates, bigger diffs, bigger wheels, bigger fuel tank, stronger chassis, bigger brakes, more cooling, heavier duty springs etc.
If its under 2800kg I'd be surprised.

[Sprintey]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

This is what I was trying to get at earlier in the thread. It's not necessarily hating on caravans or people of a certain age. Caravaning is not for me, but I can see the appeal and why people love the freedom it brings.

But as highlighted, its concerning that someone can go from never towing in their life to suddenly piloting a massive caravan and tow vehicle. But as someone else said earlier, it would be a brave government to introduce some sort of prerequisite system for those new to towing. Because at the end of the day, it's not just themselves being put at risk should something go wrong, but also other drivers.

And I say that as someone who drives performance cars with speed potential well above the average car. But we are talking about vehicles that also have big brakes, responsive steering and a high level of chassis composure. You can't say that about a large, top-heavy SUV/Pickup lugging a long, wide and top-heavy van. Again, its not to say that these towing rigs are wrong, but there does need to be some thought put into regulating and educating for the safety of ALL road users.

Yep. The point about weight I'm trying to make, and perhaps I've been misunderstood, is that both the cars and the vans are substantially heavier/bigger dimensions today. Heavy tow vehicle good, understood. Are humans commensurately 30% bigger than they were in 2000?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

This is what I was trying to get at earlier in the thread. It's not necessarily hating on caravans or people of a certain age. Caravaning is not for me, but I can see the appeal and why people love the freedom it brings.

But as highlighted, its concerning that someone can go from never towing in their life to suddenly piloting a massive caravan and tow vehicle. But as someone else said earlier, it would be a brave government to introduce some sort of prerequisite system for those new to towing. Because at the end of the day, it's not just themselves being put at risk should something go wrong, but also other drivers.

And I say that as someone who drives performance cars with speed potential well above the average car. But we are talking about vehicles that also have big brakes, responsive steering and a high level of chassis composure. You can't say that about a large, top-heavy SUV/Pickup lugging a long, wide and top-heavy van. Again, its not to say that these towing rigs are wrong, but there does need to be some thought put into regulating and educating for the safety of ALL road users.

This isn't a new argument.

Statistics don't back it up though.

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

This is what I was trying to get at earlier in the thread. It's not necessarily hating on caravans or people of a certain age. Caravaning is not for me, but I can see the appeal and why people love the freedom it brings.

But as highlighted, its concerning that someone can go from never towing in their life to suddenly piloting a massive caravan and tow vehicle. But as someone else said earlier, it would be a brave government to introduce some sort of prerequisite system for those new to towing. Because at the end of the day, it's not just themselves being put at risk should something go wrong, but also other drivers.

And I say that as someone who drives performance cars with speed potential well above the average car. But we are talking about vehicles that also have big brakes, responsive steering and a high level of chassis composure. You can't say that about a large, top-heavy SUV/Pickup lugging a long, wide and top-heavy van. Again, it’s not to say that these towing rigs are wrong, but there does need to be some thought put into regulating and educating for the safety of ALL road users.

While all of this is true, we know that governments normally react when there’s a rise in crash data
but what concerns me is how they react and how the causes of those crashes are assessed and filtered.

If there are more caravan crashes happening, that could simply be due to more of those types
of vehicles or it could be symptomatic of an underlying problem. Simply enacting new
rules, regulation and training may not be necessary to the majority of drivers who will never
tow anything larger than a box raider or a builders trailer, or even jet skis. So one size fits all
type regulations in case you might do something is probably not what people want.
When a change comes, I just hope they don’t over react and cause more problems…


Anyways, I don’t think caravanning is the main thrust of Ford’s Super Duty push but could be wrong,
it is a more capable vehicles that can cover many things the older Landcruisers were used for and liked.

One thing for sure, a more capable vehicle that gives you a fighting chance against accidental overload
but never underestimate the ability of people ignorant of rules or physics to put their’s and other’s life’s at risk.

[Travesty]

Originally Posted by XR Martin

Yup. Steel bumpers, larger tow bar, full length bash plates, bigger diffs, bigger wheels, bigger fuel tank, stronger chassis, bigger brakes, more cooling, heavier duty springs etc.If its under 2800kg I'd be surprised.

Still epic proposition if that's the case, nothing else has 1700kg payload in C-class licence category.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by prydey

It's just chicken little arguments made by those with an axe to grind.

Seems to be regular chicken little stories in every Owner Driver magazine for quite some time.
Just a drive down the Hume and Pacific will usually confirm this.
National Road Transport association have been calling on some form of licence upgrades for years.

Not to mention all these stories that regularly pop up.
https://www.drive.com.au/news/calls-...y-boom-report/

Also hasn't been helpful with some "camping" at truck stops.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Travesty

Still epic proposition if that's the case, nothing else has 1700kg payload in C-class licence category.

Plenty of proper light trucks do. My little 36 year old Trader (2.2T tare) carries 2.3T of granite (scaled) out of the quarry on a regular basis. (GVM 4495) Registered as a C class light truck.

Though my licence covers HR for the other trucks.

There is no such thing as a 4.5T GVM vehicle in Oz.

Just my opinion but I wouldn't drive anything loaded to capacity without dual rear wheels over 3T. I've experienced and seen enough rear tyre blow outs to not do it.