Ford Australia has created a new vehicle segment. The Ranger Super Duty isn't a worked-over Ranger with a badge upgrade. It posts towing and load-carrying numbers that until now belonged to the full-size American ute market, in a footprint that fits most suburban driveways. An editor at one outlet, a thirty-year industry veteran, has called it the best new 4x4 offering in decades, and that isn't a claim he makes lightly. The same outlet is preparing a direct comparison between the Super Duty and the LandCruiser 79 Series, because Ford, by its own admission, designed this vehicle with the 79 in its crosshairs.
That matters to you if you own a 79. It has sat at the top of the working 4x4 order in Australia for so long it feels permanent. A locally conceived rival that can challenge it on towing capacity, off-road hardware and real-world utility isn't something to wave away. It also isn't the end of the argument, and here's why.
At a Glance
- The Ranger Super Duty was conceived and developed in Australia, aimed at fleet owners, tradespeople, farmers and recreational tourers.
- It offers a 4,500 kg towing capacity and 8,000 kg GCM, figures that exceed some full-size American pickups in certain markets.
- Front and rear locking differentials and factory underbody protection are standard, with larger tyres that open the door to legal 35-inch rubber subject to local regulations.
- The range now includes single-, double- and extra-cab chassis variants plus a double-cab pickup with a traditional tub, with XLT grades adding cabin comfort.
- A formal Ranger Super Duty versus LandCruiser 79 Series comparison is in the pipeline at one outlet, confirming the 79 was the benchmark Ford set out to beat.
What the Super Duty gets right
Credit where it's due. The numbers are remarkable for a vehicle this size. A 4,500 kg tow rating and an 8,000 kg GCM in a mid-size pickup body is a real engineering achievement.
It means anyone hauling a heavy camper trailer, a large horse float or serious work equipment now has a choice that didn't exist two years ago. The standard front and rear locking diffs, with proper underbody protection, aren't tick-box items. That's serious off-road hardware.
Queensland early adopter Joe Evans has already put a full touring build on his aluminium-bodied Super Duty and uses it for both travel and work. That tells you something about how versatile the platform is. If you run a fleet, carry heavy loads for a living, or want a quiet commute between the city and the track, the Super Duty stacks up on paper and, by all accounts, in practice.
Why the 79 Series conversation is far from over
Here's where you can feel confident rather than defensive. The 79 Series, and the broader Toyota platform under it, carries something no new entrant can replicate quickly: thirty years of aftermarket infrastructure built specifically around it.
Look at what a serious 79 build involves. A 4-inch lift on 35-inch tyres is a well-documented, parts-rich process with multiple reputable suppliers competing for the work. GVM upgrades are available through certified engineers who have done hundreds of them on this exact chassis. Tray and canopy fabricators design their products around 79 Series mounting points as a matter of course.
Snorkels, long-range fuel tanks, dual-battery systems and full interior rebuilds from the seat foam out sit on a parts ecosystem that spans every capital city and most regional towns. Break something in outback Queensland on a Saturday afternoon and your odds of sourcing or fabricating a fix locally are higher than for almost any other 4x4 on the market. The parts and the knowledge have been accumulating for decades.
The V8 70 Series is no longer in production, and the current 2.8-litre diesel with AdBlue has attracted its share of debate among long-term owners. Those are legitimate conversations. But the platform hasn't lost its standing in the modification world.
The 2.8 is tuneable, the chassis is proven, and the supplier network that grew up around the V8 has largely carried across. No new vehicle can match that depth of support on arrival, however impressive its factory specifications are.
The modification gap is real, not invented
To be fair, the Super Duty will develop its own aftermarket over time. Ford's Ranger platform already has a meaningful modification scene, and the Super Duty benefits from that. Early builds like Joe Evans' rig prove the appetite is there.
Right now though, the range of certified lift kits, GVM upgrade programmes, specialist tray builders and long-range tank suppliers mapped to the Super Duty chassis is in its infancy next to the 79 Series. If you want to take a 79 from standard to a serious touring rig, you can call three suppliers this week, get three quotes, and have the work signed off by an engineer who has certified the same combination dozens of times. That pipeline doesn't exist for the Super Duty yet, and it matters when your build needs to be road-legal and warranty-sound.
The verdict we'll put our name on
The Ranger Super Duty is a genuinely impressive vehicle and Ford Australia should be proud of it. It isn't a gimmick, and writing it off because it wears a Blue Oval is brand tribalism that serves nobody. If you need heavy towing in a mid-size body, want a modern cabin, and you're not planning a 10,000 km desert crossing with a heavily modified rig, it deserves serious consideration.
But the LandCruiser 79 Series isn't the benchmark on factory specifications alone. It's the benchmark because of everything around it: the engineers who know it, the parts that fit it, and the community refining builds on it since before many of its current owners had a driver's licence. The Super Duty has taken an enormous first step. Closing that gap is a decade-long project, not a model-year update.
The comparison between these two vehicles will be worth reading carefully when it arrives. Our position: the 79 Series is still the platform to beat if you're planning a serious build, and no new vehicle changes that until the aftermarket catches up. If you see it differently, say so in the comments below, because this is exactly the argument this community should be having.
