Ford Australia continues its water torture like drip-feed of information on the Ranger Super Duty ahead of the model’s release in 2026. The latest trickle of details flows to the Australian testing for the unique Super Duty’s water fording capabilities.

The Ranger Super Duty will have a quoted wading depth of 850mm and to validate that the local engineering and development teams have been out testing the car at its facilities at You Yangs near Melbourne, and out on the rivers in the Victorian High Country.

At the You Yangs Proving Ground is a 50-meter rectangular concrete basin that can go from bone dry to more than a metre deep in minutes making it the perfect controlled environment for systematic vehicle testing.

“With significant force acting on the front of the vehicle during deep water wading, every seal must perform flawlessly so that not a drop of water gets where it shouldn’t,” said Drew O’Shannassy, Ranger Super Duty program engineer at Ford Australia. “Our controlled water bath allows us to repeat our tests for accurate validation, but the real proof comes when conditions become unpredictable.”

The team then took the SD prototype to the Victorian Country and the Crooked Rover Track with its 27-or so river crossings and the track winds its way through the hills near Dargo.

“The first crossing always gets your heart pumping,” Vehicle integration engineer, Ranger Super Duty, Tim Postgate recalled. “You’ve done all the maths, run all the controlled tests, but there’s something about watching the nose of the truck disappear into rushing water that makes engineering very real.”

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The process also tested the performance of the breathers for transmission, transfer case, differentials, fuel and AdBlue tanks, which all sit safely above the 850-millimetre depth mark.

Shallow crossings at higher speeds test everything under the car – from the alternator, to belts, turbo housings and exhaust – forcing engineers to look at ways to prevent water smashing its way past the wheel arch liners. Deeper crossings at controlled speeds test intake sealing and overall water intrusion protection. Each scenario replicates real-world challenges customers encounter.

The team was also testing the Super Duty’s bespoke Safari snorkel. This is different product to the standard Ranger snorkel from Safari not just because of the higher wading depth but also the unique shape of the bonnet and ’guard.

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The Safari equipped Ranger SD came through the proving ground and Crooked River tests damp but unscathed just as any adventurous 4-wheel driver would expect of a vehicle wearing the Super Duty name.

The Ranger Super Duty is on track to be released early in 2026 in single and extra-cab models with the double-cab XLT variants to come soon after, with prices from $82,990.

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