2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty spotted in Australia

A prototype version of the Ford Ranger Super Duty – a tougher, trade-focused version of Australia’s best-selling vehicle – has been spotted on local roads in single-cab guise for the first time.

In the Official Next-Gen Ranger Group Australia Facebook group, poster Brock Gregg uploaded images of the Ranger Super Duty in Victoria, with camouflage covering its front end.

While everything from the A-pillar to the B-pillar appears to be the same as the current Ranger single-cab/chassis, the camouflage is hiding wider front guards, beneath which sit larger wheels with hub covers.

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It’s possible that the Ranger Super Duty’s wheel track could match the Ranger Raptor, which spans 1710mm between the axles – or 90mm more than the Ranger Wildtrak.

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In November 2023, Ford confirmed the Ranger Super Duty will be fitted with eight-stud hubs – sourced from the North American F-250 Super Duty – which 18-inch steel wheels and 33-inch all-terrain tyres will be secured to.

“The eight-stud configuration offers a significant advantage in terms of load capacity and ensures an even distribution of weight across the wheel,” said Drew O’Shannassy, Ford’s Ranger Super Duty engineering program supervisor.

“This is important for a vehicle like Ranger Super Duty which will be expected to frequently carry and tow heavy loads. The wheel and tyre we’ve selected provide a great combination of strength, grip and reliability that our hard-working customers need.”

At the rear, a leaf-spring rear suspension setup appears to be retained underneath the long tray, while the rear differential is visually larger than that in the current Ranger lineup.

The Ford Ranger Super Duty is due to arrive in Australia in 2026, boasting figures which rival not only the F-150 but also other large American pickups such as the Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Toyota Tundra.

This includes a 4500kg braked towing capacity (when fitted with a 70mm tow ball), a 4500kg GVM and an 8000kg gross combined mass (GCM), which determines the maximum recommended weight of what’s in the ute and what it’s towing.

While the Ford F-150, the brand’s largest vehicle on sale in Australia, already has a 4500kg braked towing capacity (or 3500kg with an optional 50mm tow ball), it doesn’t match the Ranger Super Duty’s GVM or GCM figures.

Payload is yet to be announced, but the Super Duty’s GVM and GCM figures guarantee it will eclipse the Ranger dual-cab’s current maximum (1158kg) and step even further ahead of the F-150’s (878kg).

Ford is also yet to detail what’s under the Ranger Super Duty’s bonnet, but it could be an engine with more power and torque than what’s in the current lineup.

Flagship versions of the Australian-market Ranger are powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 that produces 184kW of power and 600Nm of torque.

The performance-focused Ranger Raptor’s twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine makes 292kW and 583Nm, though given the Super Duty will be targeted towards load-haulers, it’s more likely to go diesel.

A shadowy teaser of the Ranger Super Duty previewed what could be an upcoming facelift to the wider ute range, with a different grille, bonnet lines and wider wheel-arches than the current model.

It’ll be built in Thailand alongside other Australian-market Rangers, however, local engineering input has come courtesy of Ford’s 1500-strong IMG Product Development team based in Melbourne.

Ford Australia says it has also collaborated with fleet customers, with the Ranger Super Duty aimed at farmers, emergency service operators, and utilities and forestry workers.

MORE: Everything Ford Ranger MORE: Ford Ranger Super Duty: Tougher ute to get F-Series partsMORE: 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty to offer F-150, Ram-rivalling towing capacity