From its wheels to its chassis, from its upfitting capability to its enhanced powertrain, here are the Super Duty Ranger's 8 COOLEST features!
Most Capable Ranger Ever
The Ford Ranger Super Duty was revealed not too long ago as a bit of a surprise - a mid-size pickup that combines what is already an incredibly popular vehicle in global markets with some truly impressive capability generally reserved for trucks that are much larger.
Though it won't be sold in the U.S. - at least, not anytime soon - the Ranger Super Duty is a fascinating machine chock full of cool features that are well worth exploring. In this recent video from the YouTube channel MassAutoCar, we get a truly in-depth exploration of those features - here are our eight favorite of the bunch.
1. Towing and Hauling
For starters, the Ranger Super Duty touts some seriously impressive stats, on paper - 4,500 kilograms (9,920 pounds) of braked towing capacity, and up to 1,982 kilograms (4,370 pounds) of payload capacity, combined with a 4,500 kilogram gross vehicle mass.
For comparison's sake the F-150 offers up to 2,445 pounds of payload capacity and as much as 13,500 pound of max towing, though it's also much larger in every measurable way.
2. Off-Road Capability
The markets that the Ranger Super Duty will be sold in are known for having lots of rugged terrain, much of which owners must traverse on a regular basis - see Australia, for example. As such, it was critical that the pickup could handle just about anything in that regard.
It's certainly up to that task, with 299mm (11.8 inches) of ground clearance and a 1,710mm (67 inch) track width, plus a steel bumper and underbody protection, 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires, front and rear locking differentials, recovery hooks, and a snorkel, touting 850mm (33.5 inches) of water fording capability.
3. Wheels
One thing the Ford Ranger Super Duty shares with its F-Series Super Duty counterpart is a set of eight-stud wheel hubs with larger bolts, which "offers a significant advantage in terms of load capacity and ensures an even distribution of weight across the wheel," according to Drew O'Shannassy, 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 tire we've selected provide a great combination of strength, grip, and reliability that our hard-working customers need. Our testing is pushing this vehicle to the limit so that customers can be confident in its capability."
4. Upfitting Capability
Equally as important for many industries is the fact that the Ranger Super Duty is designed to be easy to upfit for all kinds of purposes. Ford offers an array of such things in-house via its Ford Pro Converter program, such as flat trays, cargo boxes, and even accessory packs, so owners can use their trucks to function in a variety of industries such as construction, forestry, agriculture, or just about anything one can imagine.
5. Beefed-Up Chassis
To help make the Ranger Super Duty as capable as it is, Ford went to town beefing up its chassis over the standard model. The chassis has been reinforced with thicker gauge steel and extra bracing, joining upgrades such as heavy-duty brakes, beefier front and rear differentials, and a fortified suspension.
6. Enhanced Powertrain
Of course, none of this would mean much if it wasn't motivated by a beefy powertrain, and the Ranger Super Duty has one of those, too. Ford opted to give the new model its turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine, which churns out 154 kW (207 horsepower) and 600 nM (443 pound-feet) of torque, the latter figure coming in at a mere 1,750 rpm for maximum grunt at lower speeds. As usual, it's mated to the 10-speed automatic transmission.
7. Tech
All of this is supported by pretty much all of the truck tech that Ford has in its current toolbox. That includes features like Pro Trailer Backup Assist, Onboard Scales, Smart Hitch, Trail Control, and Trail Turn Assist, making the tasks of driving off-road and hauling heavy loads of trailers much easier - and quicker.
The Ranger Super Duty even gets Ford's Integrated Device Mounting System inside the cabin, which mounts laptops, tablets, and devices in a more secure manner.
8. Sheer Size
Sold in Single Cab, SuperCab, Double Cab, and Chassis Cab configurations, the Ranger Super Duty has a notably larger track width than the regular model - 1,710 mm (67 inches), versus 63.8 inches. It measures in at (in its largest Double Cab configuration) 1,985 mm (78 inches) tall, 2,197 mm (86.5 inches) wide, and 5,644 mm (222 inches) long, with a weight of up to 2,675 kg (5,897 pounds).
For comparison's sake, the regular Ranger SuperCrew is 86.7 inches wide, 210.6 inches long, and 74.4 inches tall, with a weight of 4,408 pounds.
