- A new midsize-yet-heavy-duty Blue Oval pickup is headed to some countries come 2026
- The Ford Ranger Super Duty boasts tow ratings of up to 4,500 kg (9,900 lbs), more than some F-150s
- The Thailand-built truck will launch in Australia, and it’s unclear if North America will even get it
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Have hankerings for a pickup truck with a midsize footprint but the capability to out-tow and out-haul the big guns? Then you’ll be interested to learn Ford is on the cusp of introducing a Ranger Super Duty, capable of towing nearly 10,000 pounds and perhaps scaring smaller trucks into submission.
Rather than burying the lede, we will let you know immediately that Ford has announced this truck for markets which aren’t named “North America,” specifically the environs of Australia and New Zealand, with manufacturing being set for Thailand. The company’s International Markets Group was apparently in charge of the project, led by a group of designers and engineers from Down Under. Alert readers will note such markets place its steering wheel on the opposite side compared to what is required in North America.
Ford says the new model was developed in direct collaboration with fleet customers. “Ranger Super Duty blends the smart features and advanced safety of our award-winning Ranger with heavy-duty capability and delivers what our buyers told us they needed but couldn’t get anywhere else,” said Sondra Sutton Phung, General Manager, Global Truck, Ford Motor Company.
It is a fact that markets such as Oz and South Africa have historically preferred so-called ‘utes’ or ‘bakkies’ to the monster pickup trucks which prowl North American streets and job sites, so adding extra capability to a Ranger in such markets is a smart play.
But will the model make it to our shores? That’s less clear. History teaches us the Blue Oval crew at Global Trucks don’t always (immediately) bring everything to truck-loving North American consumers, no matter how obvious the sales pitch may seem. Witness the original Ranger Raptor as Exhibit A. The same may be in store for a Ranger Super Duty. One must also note that Ford currently has a dandy truck lineup on this side of the pond, with the Maverick selling hand over fist in addition to the sales of Ranger and F-Series.
The spectre of a truck which can haul slightly above its weight class has a checkered history in North America; recall the relatively short-lived ‘heavy half’ square-body trucks such as those from GM in the late ‘70s; or, more recently, the F-150 “7700,” which had weirdo seven-lug wheels and stouter cooling, in addition to other upgrades.
Ford says it plans to build the Ranger Super Duty in 2026.
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