Robot Test Drives Ford Ranger Super Duty

The 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty is undergoing durability testing at the company’s proving grounds in Victoria – with a robot behind the wheel.

Ford has released a video of the Ranger Super Duty – an uprated version of the popular Ranger ute – being driven at the You Yangs Proving Ground, swapping human test-drivers for robotic steering, throttle, and brake controllers.

While the vehicle isn’t being driven on public roads, the robot allows Ford to continually test the Ranger Super Duty at its maximum gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 4500kg, running the ute “24/7, rain, shine, and hail”.

All without the fear of fatigue or injury, as can happen with a human test-driver.

“The forces punching through the truck when it's unladen are immense,” Justin Capicchiano said in a written statement accompanying the video’s release.

“But when it’s loaded to maximum GVM and test on Silver Creek they become even more brutal.”

According to Ford, Silver Creek is its toughest course at the You Yangs – a simulated dry creek bed, filled with 300 different types of humps and bumps.

“It stressed the Ranger Super Duty from the wheels to the roof; simulating the wear and tear you’d typically experience across a decade of driving on the world’s harshest road conditions,” Mr Capicchiano said.

With a tonne more GVM capacity than the standard Ranger, the Super Duty is set to arrive with an upgraded chassis, suspension, and brakes, riding on 33-inch all-terrain tyres.

Full pricing and details of the 2026 Ford Ranger Super Duty are expected to be announced closer to the ute’s launch.