Ford sells Aussies a Super Duty version of the midsize Ranger, but we (predictably) won’t get it here.
Well, it’s always nice to dream, isn’t it?
After months of speculation, and perhaps anticipation, around the new Ford Ranger Super Duty or the plug-in hybrid model making it stateside, Ford directly confirmed neither is actually coming our way. Now, if you’re following the state of the American truck market, then you probably don’t need to guess why that is the case. It was always a long shot, though the Blue Oval never actually said outright until now that these two Ranger variants won’t make it to US dealerships.
We did ask Ford about both trucks when they first debuted, and the automaker responded they “did not have any plans” to sell those particular Rangers here. That is not necessarily a flat-out refusal, however, while its latest rhetoric toward the media is more or less aimed at shutting down the rumor mill suggesting it may change its mind on the matter.
In the case of the Ranger PHEV, Ford’s contention for not selling it here centers around its existing product stack for the American market. Hybrids are an increasing part of the company’s sales volume, with models like the Maverick, F-150 Hybrid and its SUVs gaining 13.6% volume in November alone. For the full year through November 30, dealers sold 206,497 hybrid vehicles, representing a 19.4% uptick from 2024. Nevertheless, introducing a plug-in hybrid Ranger may pull sales away from those other options buyers already have in the truck space, particularly pulling sales away from F-Series.
It’s a similar story with the Ranger Super Duty. American truck buyers may not be as keen on fully electric trucks (F-150 Lightning sales are own nearly 10% year-over-year), true. But many of you did support a smaller and more capable ‘Super Duty’ truck on the Ranger’s platform. Again, though, you can buy either the F-150 or the actual Super Duty models from F-250 on up, and it seems Ford would rather you keep doing that. There’s not much incentive, unlike other global markets, for Ford to sell the Ranger Super Duty here when those larger and more capable options are readily available.
So, there you have it. Granted, our “status quo” is the envy of a lot of truck enthusiasts outside North America, since the midsize utes are pretty much their only option for a relatively capable truck. If they want more than that, they have to hope there’s a way to convert American trucks shipped from over seas or buy a full-on commercial truck. We’ve long had a robust list of larger trucks to choose from, and the US market is clamoring for Maverick-sized trucks to fill the more affordable end of the market, as those bigger models continue to evolve (and get more expensive).
Even though we did spot it testing right in our back yard, it seems that is mainly for the benefit of the folks buying it in other markets. If there’s enough customer response, the company could always pivot again — we have to keep the cope alive, right? — but for the foreseeable future, you probably shouldn’t keep holding your breath.
