Family Car Review: 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty Dual Cab Ute

How much does the Ford Ranger Super Duty cost and what are the options?

The Ford Ranger Super Duty Double Cab Pick-Up starts at $93,990 (excluding rego, stamp duty, etc.), and the premium XLT version pushes that to $99,990. That makes the Super Duty the second most expensive Ranger you can buy, sitting above the Platinum ($80,890) and just behind the Raptor ($90,690). Yes, you read that right: the Super Duty base model costs more than a Ranger Raptor!

So it's a lot more expensive but if you need to tow 4,500kg (rather than the standard Ranger's 3,500kg limit) and want the extra payload capacity (up to two tonnes), or just a ute that is more than ready to tackle off-road trips, the Super Duty is the only Ranger that can do it all.

The Super Duty comes with a snorkel, widened track (1,710mm), heavy-duty suspension, and an 850mm wading depth. Imagine the family adventures you can have in that!

The Super Duty tested here is the base Double Cab Pick-Up at $93,990, which comes with the hose-out interior, rubber floor mats throughout, and all the heavy-duty mechanical upgrades. If you want leather-accented heated and ventilated front seats, carpet flooring and 18-inch alloy wheels, step up to the XLT at $99,990.

Options for the Super Duty include Prestige Paint ($750), Rock Sliders ($1,850), a Dual Battery System ($1,850), a Digital Rear View Mirror ($1,250, must be ordered with a canopy), and several factory-fit canopy options ranging from $4,500 to $4,700.

One thing families need to know: the Super Duty's GVM of 4,500kg is at the maximum limit for a standard car licence in Australia. You don't need a truck licence to drive it..

How big is the tray of the Ford Ranger Super Duty?

Ford has only just started offering the Ranger Super Duty as a pick-up (previously it was cab-chassis only), so the one I tried had a proper heavy-duty tray with strong tie-down points. This set up would be perfect for families who want to mount a slide-on camper or canopy with a roof tent on top. My adventurous family loves to go off the beaten track, and the Ranger Super Duty seems like an exciting camping platform of endless possibilities!

As this review was done at Lang Lang in Victoria when I joined CarExpert and CarSauce as part of a huge 19-ute test I did not have my prams, shopping bags etc to test the tray of the Ford Ranger Super Duty today but will do when I test it with my family in the coming weeks. When empty, the tray of the Ford Ranger WildTrak will hold 30 shopping bags so we will see if there is any difference. For comparison, the Kia Tasman holds 31 bags, the Chevrolet Silverado holds 37 bags, the Ford F-150 holds 35 bags, and the Isuzu D-Max holds 25 bags.

How good is the storage in the Ford Ranger Super Duty for families?

Storage inside the Ford Ranger Super Duty is the same layout as the standard Ranger, which means it's practical for families.

In the back of the Ford Ranger Super Duty, there is a household plug socket and a 12-volt socket. These are on the rear of the centre console and are fantastic for families who go camping. You can plug in an esky, charge up a portable power station, or keep the kids' devices topped up on long road trips.

The best thing about the interior is the hose-out spec. The entire cabin is designed to be swept and hosed out, which is absolutely brilliant for families. Whether it's muddy boots from off-roading, sandy feet from the beach, or the general carnage of kids' crumbs and spilled drinks, you can clean this thing without stressing. The rubber floor mats throughout make it even easier.

There is a fold-down armrest in the central seat back with two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. Kids' drink cups fit in there too. There are map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold and conceal an iPad. The door bins in the back are a good size and will hold a refillable water bottle.

In the front of the Ford Ranger Super Duty, the storage is practical. There are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. And of course, there are still the dashboard cup holders. Don't panic, everybody, they're still there! These are positioned in front of the air vents at either end of the dash, which means hot drinks cool down quicker and cold drinks stay cool for longer. They're my favourite Ranger feature, and I'm glad Ford hasn't removed them.

There is a wireless phone charging pad in the centre console, which is fantastic for keeping your phone topped up while driving.

The central console box is a good size and the glove box is a good size and will hold a wallet and iPad with the manual.

There is a glasses case in the ceiling, which is handy for keeping your sunnies safe from being scratched.

The front door bins are a good size. They will hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad. The front visors include lit vanity mirrors. There are USB and USB-C charging sockets throughout the vehicle, so passengers in both rows can keep their devices charged.

How many child seats will fit in the Ford Ranger Super Duty?

In the back of the Ford Ranger Super Duty, child seat installation is the same as the standard Ranger. There is ISOFIX in the two outer rear seats. They're not within plastic guides but are nice and easy to connect to.

There are top tether anchorages for only the two outer rear seats. You fold the seat back forward to access them, and they're the silver anchorage points mounted on the rear cabin wall. (Not the ones that hold the seat back in place, the ones just behind them!)

So you can put a child seat in each of the outer rear seats only. There are no top tether anchorages or ISOFIX for the centre seat, so you cannot install a child seat in the centre position. This is the same as most dual-cab utes on the market, which is a limitation for families needing three child seats across. See our article Which Dual Cab Utes Can Fit 3 Child Seats?

With two child seats installed, there is good space between them, so I found I could sit between two child seats as well, which is great news for families.

With a rear-facing child seat installed behind the driver, we could fit about a 180cm driver in front.

In front of forward-facing child seats, at least a 186cm driver can fit comfortably, which is the same as the standard Ford Ranger.

The rear footwell does have a hump in the central position, so the middle passenger has to straddle that. But with the hose-out rubber mats, at least it's easy to clean.

How comfortable is the Ford Ranger Super Duty for families?

Comfort in the Ford Ranger Super Duty is good for rear passengers. There are rear air-conditioning vents, so you can keep little passengers at the right temperature while driving.

There are lights in the rear ceiling and handles above both rear doors. You can hang a little toy on the handles for rear-facing passengers to keep them entertained while driving. The ceiling lights are also useful when putting baby into their child seats when it's dark outside.

I have found our daughter does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it's really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.

Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON'T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a 5-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it's not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!

It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.

The front seats in this base Super Duty model are cloth, so not quite as plush as the leather-accented seats in the XLT. If you want heated and ventilated front seats, you'll need to step up to the Super Duty XLT at $99,990.

The steering wheel is adjustable in and out and up and down.

The media system in the Ford Ranger Super Duty is on a 12-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash (now standard across the entire Ranger range). It's nice and easy to use and navigate.

How safe is the Ford Ranger Super Duty for families?

The Ranger Super Duty is unrated by ANCAP but the standard Ford Ranger range comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 93% for child occupancy and 84% for adult occupancy. It also scored 74% for vulnerable road user protection and 83% for safety assist.

For reference (although the Super Duty is different enough to need separate treatment by ANCAP) in crash testing the regular Ford Ranger in the frontal offset and side impact tests was rated GOOD for protection of both the 10-year and 6-year child dummies, with maximum points scored in both of these tests. That 93% child occupant score is one of the highest you'll find on any ute, matching the standard Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok, and higher than the Kia Tasman (85%), Isuzu D-Max (89%), and Mitsubishi Triton (89%). See our What are the Safest Dual Cab Utes For Families article.

The Ford Ranger Super Duty comes with active safety technologies as standard, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) for car-to-car and vulnerable road user scenarios, adaptive cruise control (ACC), a lane support system with lane keep assist (LKA) and lane departure warning (LDW), and a speed assistance system.

The driver-assist features also include forward collision warning (FCW), blind spot monitoring (BSM) with rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA), reverse brake assist, electronic stability control (ESC), emergency brake assist (EBA), front and rear parking sensors, and anti-lock braking system (ABS).

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub's asleep!

What is the Ford Ranger Super Duty like to drive?

The Ford Ranger Super Duty looks tough. With the snorkel, bull bar, and beefed-up suspension, this thing looks like it means business. I didn't get to drive it much at Lang Lang so will revisit this when I have one to test with my family and do an updated review.

The big drawcard for this model is the towing capacity, a full tonne more than the standard Ranger's 3,500kg limit. If you're towing a big caravan, a boat, or a heavy trailer for family camping trips, the Super Duty has a lot more going for it! The built-in scales mean you can see how much weight you're carrying on the dashboard, so you'll always know you're legal.

Visibility is good in the Super Duty. You sit nice and high, so everyone can see out well, and the cameras help when manoeuvring in tight spots.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and the kids have either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful.

The hose-out interior is something I'm very excited about as a parent. After a day at the beach or a muddy camping trip, you don't have to stress about the mess. You can sweep out the dirt and hose down the entire cabin. With two kids, this is the kind of feature that makes a real difference to daily life. The rubber floor mats throughout help keep everything contained and are so much easier to clean than carpet.

Additional Information:

Ford offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty for the Ranger range. Service intervals are every six months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

The Ford Ranger Super Duty has a 4,500kg maximum braked towing capacity and a GCM of 8,000kg. Tow equipment is not included in the base price and is available at additional cost.

The Super Duty's 4,500kg GVM is the maximum you can drive on a standard Australian car licence (Class C). You don't need a truck licence, but you'll want to be mindful of your payload to stay within the legal limit. The built-in scales make this much easier to manage.

The Super Duty XLT adds leather-accented heated and ventilated front seats, leather-accented rear seats, carpet flooring, front all-weather floor mats, and branded 18-inch 8-stud alloy wheels over the base model.

Compare the Ford Ranger Super Duty:

The Ford Ranger Super Duty occupies a unique spot in the ute market. If you need that 4,500kg towing capacity but want to stay on a standard car licence, the Super Duty is one of very few options.

If you don't need the heavy-duty towing and payload capacity, the standard Ford Ranger offers the same cabin, the same child seat capacity, and similar tray space for significantly less money (from $67,990 for an XLT double-cab pick-up). The Ford Ranger Wildtrak Plug-In Hybrid is worth considering too if fuel efficiency matters to your family and you can live with 3,500kg towing.

For families who want a full-size ute with three child seats across the rear row of a dual cab ute, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (37 shopping bags in the tray, three child seats) and the Ford F-150 (35 bags, three child seats) offer more space and three top tether anchorages across the rear bench, though they are larger vehicles to park and manoeuvre.

If you're looking at a more affordable dual-cab ute for your family, the Kia Tasman X-Pro (31 bags, reclining rear seats to prevent head flop, seven-year warranty) and the Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain (25 bags) are both worth a look, though neither can match the Super Duty's towing capacity.

BabyDrive Verdict on the Ford Ranger Super Duty

To sum up, the Ford Ranger Super Duty is a purpose-built machine. If your family needs 4,500kg towing capacity (think big caravans, horse floats, or heavy work trailers) and you want a vehicle that can handle serious off-road adventures, the Super Duty is a beast! The hose-out interior with rubber mats throughout is a standout feature for families, and the household plug socket in the rear is brilliant for camping.

You can fit two child seats in the outer rear positions with good space between them. Like most dual-cab utes, you cannot install a child seat in the centre position, which limits families needing three seats across.

The price is steep at $93,990 before on-road costs (or $99,990 for the XLT with leather seats). If you don't need the extra towing capacity, a standard Ranger Wildtrak or Platinum gives you more comfort features for less money. But if you need what the Super Duty offers, there's nothing else like it.

Key Pros:

• Fits two child seats in the outer rear positions
• 4,500kg towing capacity (1,000kg more than standard Ranger)
• Hose-out interior throughout with rubber floor mats
• Household plug socket and 12V socket in the rear for camping
• Built-in scales for payload management
• 850mm wading depth for serious off-road capability
• Snorkel and bull bar fitted from factory
• Dashboard cup holders still there!

Key Cons:

• Cannot install a child seat in the centre rear position
• Very expensive at $93,990 before on-road costs
• 4,500kg GVM sits at maximum standard car licence limit
• Tow equipment not included in base price