2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty punished by robot test drivers

The latest phase of durability testing for the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty, which will bring a class-leading 4500kg towing capacity and other heavy-duty capabilities, has left its development driver speechless. 

Ford Australia has turned to robot drivers for durability testing at the Blue Oval brand’s You Yangs proving ground in Victoria, which is shielded from public view as the company develops its upcoming models and pulls apart its rivals.

The use of robotic drivers has enabled rigorous 24/7 testing of the hardcore Super Duty ahead of its scheduled arrival in Australian showrooms next year. 

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“With robotic drivers behind the wheel, we can simulate years and years of punishment,” Ford said in a video clip released this week. 

Ford Australia said it used robots to test the locally developed Super Duty to its full 4500kg GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) while tackling the You Yangs facility’s Silver Creek torture test.

“Silver Creek is our toughest man-made durability track,” said Ranger Super Duty program manager Justin Capicchiano in a statement. 

“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.”

A first of its kind in Australia, the Ranger Super Duty borrows its Super Duty name from the biggest and most capable F-Series pickups sold in the US, but its was conceived and is being developed in Australia. 

Without the same towing capability from rivals like the Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max, the Super Duty will target buyers of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series by adding F-150 towing capability in a smaller package. 

The Ranger Super Duty earns its name by employing a reinforced chassis, 33-inch wheels attached to eight-stud hubs, and uprated differentials, all of which help enable its 4500kg braked tow capacity (when fitted with a 70mm tow ball) – a full 1000kg above the standard Ranger’s towing limit.

Full specifications and pricing are yet to be announced, but Ford has confirmed the Super Duty will be powered by the same 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission available in the mainstream Ranger lineup.

It has also announced the toughest Ranger yet will be released initially in eponymous Super Duty cab/chassis form across two-door single-cab and extended-cab and four-door dual-cab body styles, with more touring-focused XLT four-door pickup and cab/chassis versions to join the lineup in mid-2026.