Ranger Super Duty vs F-150: why Ford’s ultimate utes can coexist in Australia

As an updated model of the remanufactured-in-Australia Ford F-150 hits showrooms, it takes me motivate to slack final year after I tested the freshly-minted Ranger Broad Accountability.

I asked myself – and one of the most Ford Australia team – will we now genuinely need the gargantuan American truck here, now not least since it’s neither a cheap nor hastily route of to carry out the F-150’s exhaustive upright-hand-force conversion?

Don’t salvage me tainted. I’m pro-resolution by contrivance of offering Aussie traders a range of models, however the merciless fact of industry manner one thing failing to develop economic sense can like a flash salvage boned.

See to Ford’s now terminated passenger automobile lineup – Fiesta, Level of interest and Mondeo – for absolute top proof there.

As anticipated, Ford Australia wasn’t about to let a humble hack worship me question into its future product planning playbook.

So without reference to a 67 per cent drop in RHD F-150 sales final year, they had been hastily to shut down my fears for the American truck’s future.

“We are dedicated to the F-150 and our native remanufacturing partnership with (Melbourne’s) RMA Automotive,” replied Ben Nightingale, Ford Australia’s Product Communications Manager.

“The rotund-dimension pick-up section in Australia is a obvious market, and traders in that section are specifically trying to salvage that rotund-dimension American truck abilities; the sheer quantity of the cabin and the categorical driving dynamics you absolute top salvage from that platform,” he persevered.

Miniature doubt. The F-150 is a majestic yee-haw form of mega truck, and naturally there are traders absolute top genuinely drawn to owning one thing from the US of A.

But certain facts remain. The Aussie-developed Ranger Broad Accountability can also now not offer the sheer dimension nor cabin space of an F-150, on the choice hand it’s hardly ever ever a tiddler, and its workhorse abilities surpass the American.

Oh, and it’s a darn ogle cheaper too, that gulf absolute top made bigger by well-known price increases for F-150 in 2026.

Both Ranger Broad Accountability and F-150 possess a 4500kg most towing skill. However the smaller-footprint Broad Accountability boasts 4500kg GVM and 8000kg GCM, trumping the F-150’s 3315kg/3360kg (short/prolonged wheelbase) GVM, and 7365kg/7410kg (SWB/LWB) GCM.

The F-150 has the larger pick-up box, but payload is 878kg (XLT), 794kg (Lariat) or 724kg (Platinum), whereas the Ranger Broad Accountability offers mega 1825kg – 1982kg reckoning on body trend.

There’s steadily a metamorphosis-off between a truck’s capabilities and its go comfort, so the heavier-lifting Broad Accountability you’d demand would go worship an dilapidated cart in contrast to the more supple F-150’s chassis.

But here’s the thing. The Broad Accountability isn’t half of spoiled on the go quality entrance. Ford – to its gargantuan credit ranking – has massaged the force abilities to be more user-friendly than one thing with so powerful load-lugging talent must invent.

The trucks’ powertrains, understand that, are very different animals. The Broad Accountability rolls with an attractive underdone 154kW/600Nm 3.0L V6 turbo-diesel, whereas the F-150 hits the horizon more without discover with its 3.5L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 petrol, genuine kind for 298kW and 678Nm.

Nightingale components out the importance of engine variations between the two: “The F-150 purchaser is trying to salvage a basically different abilities,” he talked about. “They specifically desire the scale, internal space and the easy, gentle freeway cruising of the 3.5L petrol V6.

“The Broad Accountability can without a doubt play the position of a top class aspect road cruiser, on the choice hand it’s catering to the purchaser who wants most diesel skill in a mid-dimension kit. The F-150 remains the undisputed resolution for rotund-dimension, petrol-powered touring luxurious.”

That petrol vs diesel argument won’t change between the two, on the choice hand it’s easy to question how the Ranger Broad Accountability can also up its internal luxe game to snare traders out of the palatial increased-grade F-150s.

The novel Broad Accountability’s single grade is a chunk ‘how ya goin’ on the cabin presentation entrance, but that’ll change mid-year with the arrival XLT Double Cab grade and its touring-targeted refinement.

Command leather-primarily primarily primarily based-accented heated and ventilated seats, improved NVH (noise, vibration, harshness), upgraded audio and 18-plug alloys. And who’s to say there won’t be increased grades in future?

Nightingale bats away such concerns that a luxo Broad Accountability can also cannibalise many sales a ways from F-150. “Even a highly appointed Ranger Broad Accountability won’t bridge the bodily gap to an F-150,” he talked about.

“You just can’t replicate the internal quantity, the width, or the terrifying petrol-powered cruising personality of an F-150 in a mid-dimension architecture.”

Regardless, I’m certain I’m now not by myself in spotting the abnormal Broad Accountability within the wild sold as a everyday life and now not a piece truck. They exclusively rival the F-150 for presence, but are (a microscopic bit) more easy to park on town, and better at navigating skinny bush tracks.

“We are in a position to’t sigh the aspect road presence of Ranger Broad Accountability,” talked about Nightingale. “With its wider discover, raised go top and beefed-up stance, it’s now not magnificent it’s catching the search of everyday life traders who desire the final expression of the Ranger.”

The Ranger SD also has price on its aspect. The incoming leather-primarily primarily primarily based-lined XLT Double Cab pickup costs from $99,990 outdated to on-roads, whereas an F-150 XLT is now $114,950; Lariat $143,950 and unique Platinum $163,950 outdated to costs.

That’s different money left over to purchase diesel for a Broad Accountability, which it drinks at a price of around 11L/100km. The F-150? It gulps 13.4L/100km of unleaded.

Whereas Ford Australia insists it has space for its brace of 4500kg-capable trucks, a niggling motive for danger has been the F-150’s chequered recognition since it first arrived in slack 2023.

The remanufactured truck has persisted recalls, reliability components and a sales conclude to clear up such dramas. None has helped the mannequin’s PR.

As beforehand talked about, final year F-150 sales had been down 67 per cent, next to the rotund-dimension truck market dropping 17 per cent in 2025. Ford’s 792 annual sales put the F-150 smartly within the motivate of the Chevy Silverado 1500 (2209), Ram 1500 (2674), and even Toyota’s Tundra (837). In 365 days, the F-150 went from 23 per cent market part to only nine per cent.

As Ranger Broad Accountability sales are amalgamated with Ranger numbers (which is daft – they’re very different vehicles), we don’t know how many Ford Australia has shifted, and nor are they telling us.

But when Broad Accountability sales usurp the F-150’s, and the rotund-dimension truck market continues to contract, the bean counters can also salvage it an increasing sort of subtle to develop the case for Ford’s American biggie on Aussie shores.