Ford Australia announced the new Ranger Super Duty today, the first time the Super Duty name has been applied to something smaller than a large U.S.-spec heavy duty truck. The Ranger Super Duty gets a toughened chassis, greater hauling abilities, more off-road ability, and a recalibrated 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6, along with styling enhancements. The Super Duty transformation increases the Ranger’s towing capacity with a new maximum of 9,921 pounds, an increase of 2,421 pounds over the U.S.-spec Ranger. Neither payload capacity nor curb weight are currently available for the Ranger Super Duty, but it does come standard with four-wheel drive, 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires, and a friggin’ snorkel.
Other standard rough-and-tumble features on the Ranger Super Duty include a frame-mounted heavy-duty steel front bumper, a long-range fuel tank with steel shielding, and high-strength steel “bash plates” for the underbody, or skid plates to us Americans. Eight-lug wheel hubs and larger brakes contribute to the Ranger Super Duty’s increased hauling capacities, as does a frame made from thicker steel complete with extra bracing. The Super Duty script on the nose, a taller and wider track, and other visual enhancements telegraph this Ranger’s ability to handle super duties.
F-150 capabilities from a Ranger? Not in the U.S.
The Aussie Ranger Super Duty is capable of towing heavier trailers than the F-150’s standard 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, and nearly as much as its other engine options. There are a slew of likely reasons why the Ranger Super Duty won’t make its way to the U.S., but whether Ford admits it or not, it probably doesn’t want a lowly Ranger compromising the superiority of the almighty F-150 and the larger Super Duty we get.
Another likely reason for the Ranger Super Duty’s absence from the U.S. is its powertrain. Ford says the Super Duty comes with a recalibrated version of the current Aussie Ranger’s 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6, with improved cooling for handling heavy loads and for Australia’s intense terrain and weather conditions. America isn’t too keen on diesel powertrains in anything other than full-size heavy duty pickup trucks, and even on most of those behemoths the torquey diesel engine option is a pricey extra.
Ready for the Outback
Ford decided to produce a Ranger Super Duty because fleet operators told Ford they needed a compact truck with big capabilities, and many of those fleet operators need their trucks to handle demanding conditions. As such, the standard 4WD system has front and rear differential lockers, and a two-speed transfer case to endow it with low range for the really tough stuff. That front differential is a modified version of the Bronco Raptor’s front diff, but it’s been upgraded for enhanced load capacity. The truck’s air box features an inbuilt water drain, and the fully sealed snorkel combines with the big tires and increased ground clearance to give the Ranger Super Duty super water fording capabilities, though no maximum depths are provided.
Just because it’s a tough truck doesn’t mean it has to be spartan. Ranger Super Duties come standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and it’s available with a built-in onboard scale to weigh trailers and payload to prevent overloading. It features Trail Control for maintaining steady off-road speeds, and the Bronco’s Trail Turn Assist to tighten its off-road tuning radius.
The Ranger Super Duty will be available in four configurations: Single Cab chassis, Super Cab chassis, Double Cab chassis, and Double Cab pickup. No prices have been announced yet, and neither have power outputs. Americans will have to settle with the Ranger Raptor‘s awesome capabilities, or go for the full-fat Super Duty models.
Ford
