- Ford used a robot to drive the Ranger Super Duty on a punishing durability test track.
- The track features 300 bumps of varying shapes randomly spread across the surface.
- The tests simulated years of harsh driving with no human driver inside the cabin at any point.
Ford is taking its midsize truck game to the next level for overseas markets ((sorry, America, this one’s staying abroad) with a version that trades comfort for capability and looks built for the kind of work that makes most vehicles retire early. It’s called the Ranger Super Duty, and it’s shaping up to be the most capable model in the Ranger lineup when it comes to towing and payload.
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Set to begin deliveries in 2026, the Ranger Super Duty is already making the rounds behind the scenes. Ford recently shared footage from its development testing at the You Yangs Proving Ground in Australia, where the truck faced an especially punishing series of trials.
Robot Test Driver
Like any good workhorse, the Ranger Super Duty had to prove it could take a beating. However, the prototypes weren’t always driven by human beings, as Ford employed a specialized robot for the job.
The robot took control of the steering wheel and pedals, eliminating the need of human intervention. It drove the Ranger Super Duty at maximum GVM of 4,500 kg (9,921 lbs) on the Silver Creek durability track. That course is littered with 300 randomly placed bumps of various shapes and sizes, each one designed to test the structural integrity of everything from the suspension to the door hinges.
As you can imagine, driving a fully-loaded truck on this rough terrain wouldn’t be a pleasant experience for the driver and the occupants. That’s where the robot came in, tirelessly pounding the course around the clock to simulate “years and years of punishment.” According to Ford, one lap on Silver Creek triggers more than 2,000 suspension movements, though the test primarily targets the durability of engine mounts, body mounts, joints, and connectors.
Justin Capicchiano, program manager, Ranger Super Duty, said: “Silver Creek is our toughest man-made durability track. It stressed the Ranger Super Duty from the wheels to the roof, simulating the wear and tear you’d typically experience across a decade of driving on the world’s harshest road conditions.”
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More Than Just a Beefed-Up Ranger
Visually, the Ranger Super Duty doesn’t hide its mission. It stands apart from the rest of the Ranger lineup with wider fender flares, chunkier 33-inch all-terrain tires, a tweaked hood, unique grille, off-road bumper, oversized mirrors, snorkel, and a set of exclusive emblems.
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More importantly, the truck benefits from a reinforced chassis, with a higher ground clearance and wider tracks. Ford added a larger fuel tank, onboard scales on the rear bed, as well as front and rear differential locks for improved performance on rough terrains. It’s still powered by the familiar 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel engine, though it’s been revised to meet heavy-duty emissions standards.
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All this hardware translates to real gains. The Ranger Super Duty can now tow up to 4,500 kg (9,921 pounds), a full 1,000 kg (2,205 pounds) more than the standard model.
Despite its appeal, the Ranger Super Duty won’t be making its way to North American showrooms. Ford says the model is targeted at select markets, with Australia confirmed as one of the recipients.