Ford Ranger Super Duty – Six Hundred Kilos of Mud as a Torture Test

For the engineers at Ford Australia, developing the Ranger Super Duty meant more than simply proving it could drive through mud. The goal was to create an ordeal that would match — and surpass — the harshest conditions a customer might ever face.

Thus was born the mud-pack test. At the You Yangs proving ground, a special course was built with deep ruts, standing water and thick clay. Day after day, the test vehicle was driven through it, allowing layer upon layer of mud to build up and impede movement. In the end, the Ranger Super Duty carried more than 600 kilograms of extra weight — equivalent to a fully grown Brahman bull — while its components sat under an insulating “blanket” that choked airflow and cooling.

The mission of this mud layer was simple: expose every weak link. It blocked cooling, jammed fans and the alternator, added mass and accelerated heat build-up. Rob Hugo, Ford’s head of product excellence and human factors, describes it as part of the Built Ford Tough philosophy — turned not just up to ten, but to eleven for the Ranger.

The result is more than a dirt-caked ute. It is official proof that the Ranger Super Duty has been designed and tested to withstand conditions most people will never encounter. For those who work in mines or live in remote, rugged terrain, this muddy trial is less a marketing stunt than a guarantee of durability.