We’ve all gotten a ute dirty before, but have you ever packed on 600kg of mud?
That’s what Ford has done in torture-testing the tougher Super Duty version of its top-selling Ranger, with the goal to pack on as much mud as possible.
Why? To test how the Ford Ranger Super Duty performs once hundreds of kilograms of wet dirt and clay has found its way into every nook and cranny.
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“Mud is one of a truck’s greatest enemies,” said Rob Hugo, product excellence and human factors supervisor at Ford Australia.
“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.”
Ford used a specially designed track at its You Yangs Proving Ground in Victoria, a “purpose-built mud hell” with deep ruts, bog holes, and long, open sections of thick, sticky clay.
It then sent the Ranger Super Duty through it day after day, allowing the mud to build up each time instead of hosing it off.
Ford weighed the prototype vehicle before and after testing to confirm just how much mud it packed on. The end result? More than 600kg of packed-on mud or, as Ford notes, the equivalent of a full-grown Brahman steer.
Engineers then continued to drive the vehicle to see how it coped with having mud smothering key components.
“Our mud-pack testing is a key part of our ‘Built Ford Tough’ validation,” said Mr Hugo. “So, for the Ranger Super Duty, we knew we had to turn it up to 11. We packed more mud onto this vehicle during development than we ever have before.”
Ford says this test simulated the type of extreme conditions a customer might face, for example on a remote mine site or during recreational off-roading.
The Ranger Super Duty will be priced from $82,990 before on-road costs – before a tray is fitted – when it goes on sale in local showrooms in early 2026.
It offers the highest towing and payload capabilities of any Ranger offered to date and gives Ford a uniquely capable option against key rivals including the Toyota HiLux and newcomers like the Kia Tasman and BYD Shark 6.
The Super Duty lineup will use the 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine already offered in other model grades, making 154kW of power at 3250rpm and 600Nm of torque at 1750rpm – the same torque figure, but down 30kW in power.
Ford announced pricing in June for the Single Cab-Chassis, Super Cab-Chassis and Double Cab-Chassis body styles, which will be the first Super Duty models on sale.
The company has confirmed the Ranger Super Duty Pickup and XLT Super Duty will follow, joining the initial cab/chassis models in Ford Australia showrooms in late 2026.
The cab/chassis pricing doesn’t include a tray, with Ford offering three different types: a galvanised steel tray, body colour steel tray or a matte black steel tray.
Depending on the tray type and variant, you’re looking at an extra $5966 to $9376 including fitment.
That brings the Super Duty Double Cab-Chassis price to $98,156 before on-road costs with the most expensive tray added.
It comes with 295mm ground clearance and a payload of up to 1825kg.
All three Super Duty variants have a 1710mm track width – matching that of the Ranger Raptor, which is 90mm wider than the rest of the Ranger lineup – and a braked towing capacity of 4500kg.
They also have a front axle load rating of 1900kg and a rear axle load rating of 2800kg – compared to a best of 1450kg front and 1959kg rear on other model grades including the Ranger XLT dual-cab.
Ford says it has upgraded the cooling system for the Super Duty to improve performance and reliability with its increased towing as well as its higher 4500kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) and 8000kg gross combined mass (GCM).
The size increase also gives the Super Duty 50mm higher water fording capability, with all three trim levels announced so far boasting a 850mm wading limit.
Pricing
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
|---|---|
| 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty Single Cab-Chassis | $82,990 |
| 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty Super Cab-Chassis | $86,490 |
| 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty Double Cab-Chassis | $89,990 |