2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty XLT review

There’s no challenging the Ford Ranger Super Duty’s enormous load-lugging and off-roading credentials, but since its arrival in late 2025 the Super Duty has only been offered as a utilitarian workhorse aimed purely at commercial fleets.

Now, however, the XLT slots in at the top of the Super Duty family, bringing with it a few creature comforts aimed at making this working-class hero a little more liveable for recreational off-roaders. It also heralds the addition of an attractive dual-cab pickup body style for a circa-$6000 premium. The best part? None of it comes at a compromise to its off-road prowess.

How much does the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty XLT cost?

There are two flavours of Ford Ranger Super Duty XLT on offer – both dual-cab, one a cab-chassis, the other a pickup utility. They are, predictably, the most expensive in the Super Duty range, priced at $95,990 for the cab-chassis and $99,990 for the pickup. Note that the XLT dual-cab chassis price doesn’t include a tray, which, if you go with Ford’s genuine steel tray, will cost you $6848 in a galvanised finished (more if you want it painted body colour or powder-coated black).

Those prices compare with a starting figure of $82,990 plus on-road costs for the regular Super Duty line-up introduced to Australia last year.

Against the competitive set, the Super Duty takes on the likes of the LandCruiser 79 Series single cab chassis (from $76,800 plus on-road costs) and double cab chassis (from $77,300 plus on-road costs), not to mention the American pick-up set, including the Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra, Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

What is the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty XLT like inside?

This is where the bulk of the XLT changes are applied. The regular Ranger Super Duty’s cloth upholstery gets turfed in favour of leather-accented seat covers, while the floor is covered in carpet rather than shiny vinyl. The front seats are power-adjustable too, not to mention heated and ventilated.

The rest of the in-car experience is standard Ranger fare. There’s the same 12-inch portrait-format screen that’s the nexus for not just the navigation and entertainment functions, but also the Super Duty’s off-road features, towing functions, and onboard scales that can measure how much payload is being carried, as well as whether your trailer is balanced properly. The all-electronic dash is clear and easy to read, the seat cushioning is great for long stints at the wheel, and outward vision is excellent.

What equipment does the 2026 Ford Ranger XLT Super Duty come with?

Besides the changes made to the interior, the only other notable addition to the XLT’s standard equipment list is a set of grey ‘Super Duty’ branded 18-inch alloy wheels.

But that’s largely because the standard fit-out of the Ranger Super Duty was already fairly generous. Things like built-in sat-nav, an integrated trailer brake controller, 360-degree camera, and active cruise were already part of the package, meaning the XLT upgrade doesn’t need to pile on additional tech and really only consists of comfort-enhancing nice-to-haves.

The options list has expanded with the XLT’s arrival, however. Those opting for the pickup body style can add a canopy for between $4500-4700, which also enables the provision of an Aeroklas twin in-bed drawer storage system for an extra $1250. The pickup comes with the added benefit of a 230-volt household power outlet, located in the rear of the tub.

Rock sliders can be added for $1850, and a dual battery system costs $1850. Both of those aren’t XLT exclusives, either, and can be optioned for all regular Ranger Super Dutys.

What powers the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty XLT?

The XLT takes power from Ford’s familiar 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6, albeit detuned somewhat to help ensure its longevity. Producing 154kW and 600Nm, it’s connected to a ten-speed automatic and permanent 4WD system with independently lockable front and rear differentials, along with multiple off-road modes to cater to almost any surface. 

What is the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty XLT like to drive?

It’s only when you’re 30 degrees nose-down, looking at nothing but weeds and rocks, that you start to get an appreciation for just how capable a humble ute can get. Not that a ute costing a hundred grand can really be described as ‘humble’, but the Ranger Super Duty’s working-class origins are still obvious despite the XLT glitter.

The Super Duty XLT still is, at its core, the same hard-nosed off-roader as the base-spec Ranger Super Duty, just with a thin veneer of comfort over the top. This is a good thing, because out on steep and rocky trails the no-compromise approach to being Australia’s ultimate off-roader holds a very high value. Our testing took in a bevy of difficult tracks through South Australia’s Bendleby Ranges, most of them over slippery and sharp slate and volcanic rock, and the Super Duty XLT never stopped.

What’s more, piloting it through those trails was a cakewalk. When the off-road mode selector is twisted to ‘Rock Crawl’, the Ranger Super Duty limits wheel slip to help reduce skidding and the throttle mapping is softened to ensure smoother progress. In low range with both the front and rear differentials locked, it easily walked up every craggy track we pointed it at.

The only issue we encountered was when we were faced with a deep descent – brake modulation became difficult due to the car’s hill-hold function grabbing the brakes until the accelerator was tapped, which made for jerky (and potentially risky) progress. Later we discovered that the hill-hold toggle was located in a less-than-obvious sub-menu, but by then we were well past the point where we needed it deactivated.

But the Super Duty’s trail control system provides a means of bypassing the need to touch the brake pedal – or the accelerator, for that matter – at all. Essentially a cruise control system for off-roading, you simply activate it and set your desired rate of progress via the cruise control rocker on the steering wheel, then let the computer control the brakes and throttle while you just worry about the steering. It’s astonishingly effective, and makes for stress-free progress even up (or down) incredibly challenging tracks.

Nor is the Super Duty just an off-road hero. Though it’s a bit of a slug when towing near its 4.5-tonne maximum, it’s very happy to lug a 3000-ish kilo trailer on dirt or tarmac. Unladen, it also provides a very supple ride on a variety of surfaces, largely thanks to its very long rear leaf springs that don’t engage their heavy-load helper springs until there’s a circa-300kg mass over the rear axle. Its comfort levels are remarkably car-like for such a big and heavy rig. On a highway, the increase in softer surfaces in the XLT’s cabin also keeps sound levels down compared to the vinyl-floored base grade, while the heated and cooled power seats provide decent comfort on long stints.

Open Road’s take on the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty XLT

The Super Duty was already a hard thing to overlook for the overlanding crowd, and the more liveable XLT is even more appealing to those of us who don’t intend to use on a job site. Retaining every bit of the regular Ranger Super Duty’s off-road prowess but wrapping it in a more attractive shell (it looks especially good in Traction Green with those grey wheels and the girthy pickup tub), justifying its $6000 premium isn’t difficult.

What we liked

• Absolutely no compromises versus its utilitarian brother
• Impressive off-road technology integration
• Unbeatable payload and towing stats for a mid-size ute

 

What could be better?

• It’s a pricey thing
• Engine performance is a bit dull
• Not much equipment gain for $6000 extra