2003 Ford F250 Reviews

The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) applies to new cars sold in the Australian market and is aimed at keeping Australia on track to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, so said the Federal Government.NVES rules came into effect on January 1 this year but the accumulation of units and penalties won’t start until July 1 this year.Carmarkers are already rethinking their line-ups in order to meet the NVES guidelines, with Ford ditching some of its 4x2 variants of the Everest and Isuzu rumoured to be deleting some 4x2 variants from its MU-X range.The upcoming Kia Tasman will have a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and the likelihood Isuzu and Mazda will replace any of their 3.0-litre ute offerings with a smaller 2.2-litre unit to save on emissions and avoid any NVES-related strife, are we about to say “hoo-roo” to V6 utes?Read on.They may not elicit the same heart-thumping excitement as a V6 or V8, smaller engines have for a long time now proven their worth in utes. They’re refined, fuel efficient, and produce more than adequate amounts of power and torque to be able to haul a load, tow a caravan, horse float or power boat, and go off-road.Throw in impressive high- and low-range gearing, seamless driver-assist tech, a well-calibrated traction control system, and diff locks, and utes with small engines onboard, rather than being outgunned by V6s, are setting the gold standard for effectiveness in tough environments and being able to meet strict new emissions laws.Utes with smaller engines have been around for donkey’s years, but the new-ish wave of them – including the Isuzu D-Max’s 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (120kW/400Nm) and the Toyota HiLux’s 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (150kW/500Nm) with mild-hybrid technology – look poised to ensure V6 utes are consigned to the history books.The new Isuzu engine is 10kW/50Nm better then the brand’s 1.9-litre engine (110kW/350Nm) but 20kW/50Nm down on the 3.0-litre unit it is set to replace – no big deal though because those lesser power and torque aren’t deal-breakers for most. Besides, its 120kW/400Nm outputs match those of the GWM Ute (120kW/400Nm) and put it right in the mix with the Jac T9 (120kW/410Nm) and KGM Ssangyong Musso (133kW/400-420Nm).The HiLux’s 2.8-litre set-up doesn’t seem to have hampered its appeal with fans of Australian utes, certainly not in terms of sales.What’s more, the much-loved LandCruiser 79 Series benefits from its 2.8L four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (150kW/500Nm), which produces plenty of low-down torque. Add in a 44:1 crawl ratio and, depending on the spec, front and rear diff locks, and this 79 is near-unstoppable off-road.Don’t forget the even newer wave of utes either.Beyond its polarising looks, the Kia Tasman already has tongues a-wagging – not the least because of its 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (154kW and 441Nm), that’s equivalent to the Ford Ranger’s 2.0-litre bi-turbo (154kW/500Nm) in terms of power but 59Nm of torque less.Word is the Tasman will be able to tow the ute industry standard of 3500kg (braked) and will likely have a payload of 1000kg or over, depending on the variant. So, nothing to sniff at there.The Tasman is due to be launched in Australia later this year and is tipped to be, if not a game-changer, a ute that will help move the crowd forward into a hopefully less-polluted future.And how about hybrids?The BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute – a first for Australia – has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine with dual electric motors: a 170kW/310Nm front motor and a 150kW/340Nm rear motor (total: 320kW/650Nm).This BYD ute has a claimed driving range of 100km (electric only), and about 850km (hybrid).The Shark has a listed payload of 850kg and braked towing capacity of 2500kg. It doesn’t have the 1000kg payload or 3500kg market-standard towing capacity of non-hybrid utes, but it can still take on a weighty load and clock up big distances before it needs to be refuelled/recharged.In terms of robustness over time, it’s largely unproven as yet – because it hasn’t been on the market long enough for anyone to make an informed judgement. On paper at least, the Shark 6 has plenty of potential to give the ute realm a healthy nudge into the future as part of a new wave of utes equipped with smaller engines, hybrid systems and new technologies aimed at improving performance and efficiencies and reducing emissions.

Utes have been up there with the most popular vehicles bought by Australians for years, but sales have dropped significantly in 2025 signalling a huge change in buyer behaviour.

Ford has hit back at Toyota’s suggestions that the ute market is softening, claiming the addition of the all-new Ranger PHEV (plug-in hybrid) and Ranger Super Duty should keep the Blue Oval’s ute on top in 2025.

Here are the changes that we would like to see on the 2026 Ford Ranger facelift.

Ford isn’t taking any prisoners when it comes to the introduction of its Ranger PHEV (plug-in hybrid), openly dismissing the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV as serious rivals.

The Ford Everest is the Blue Oval's most popular SUV and for 2025 the range has been expanded. The new Everest Tremor has arrived to take on the latest Toyota Prado in what should be an epic battle of family-friendly off-roaders.We hit the bush in the Everest Tremor to find out if it's tough enough to worry Toyota.

Ford Australia has officially confirmed prices and details for its highly-anticipated plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Ranger ute.

The Ford Ranger was the best-selling vehicle in the country for the second consecutive year in 2024.And now there’s another Ford ute on the horizon that looks set to shake up the ute market in Australia.Due on sale here in 2026, the Ford Ranger Super Duty has been touted as a mid-sized ute with “next-level, work-ready capability”, according to Ford.Purpose built for those with harsh job requirements, including emergency service operators, farmers, utilities and forestry workers, miners and infrastructure technicians, the Super Duty will have a 4500kg braked towing capacity, a 4500kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) and an 8000kg gross combined mass (GCM) rating.Let’s take a deep dive into everything we know so far about the Ford Ranger Super Duty.Read on.The Ford Ranger Super Duty is a mid-sized ute intended to be capable of tackling extremely tough work duties that no other standard mid-sized ute is capable of doing straight out of the factory.Details and specs remain somewhat sketchy, but the Super Duty will be, according to Ford, a new ute that's engineered from scratch for heavy-duty applications. It will also be the first mid-size ute to carry the Super Duty badge in Australia.Ford reckons its Super Duty project is a direct response to Aussie customers who want a gung-ho ute capable of hauling big loads, but in a vehicle size that is easier to manoeuvre than a bigger US-style pick-up.The new Ford Ranger Super Duty is intended as a heavy-duty work vehicle for emergency service operators, farmers, utilities and forestry workers, miners and infrastructure technicians, as well as having lots of potential as a recreational 4WD touring vehicle and towing platform due to its “enhanced off-road capability”, so sayeth Ford.The factory-built Ford Ranger Super Duty is covered by a full Ford warranty, and has been designed, developed and engineered in Australia by a 1500-strong crew.Recent testing has been conducted in Australia.If its claimed GVM (4500kg), GCM (8000kg) and towing capacity (4500kg) turn out to be accurate, then the Super Duty is going to be a bloody beast on work sites everywhere, for lugging loads, and for weekend wanderers who want to tow boats, horse floats and the like.For quick reference, in comparison, the Ford Ranger XLT turbo-diesel V6 4x4 has a listed GVM of 3280kg, a GCM of 6400kg and maximum braked towing capacity of 3500kg, and Ford’s long-wheelbase F-150 pick-up or truck offers lower GWM (3265kg) and GCM (7315kg), but equals the Super Duty’s 4500kg braked towing capacity.In terms of styling, the Ford Ranger Super Duty will have new wheels, wider arches than a standard Ranger, an all-new grille design, replete with a new off-road-style front bumper, as well as substantial underbody protection.There are no details about what powertrain the Super Duty will get, but perhaps the Ranger’s 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine (184kW at 3250rpm and 600Nm from 1750-2250rpm), along with the line-up’s 10-speed automatic transmission, will be a good fit. A power and torque boost may even be on the cards, in order for the Super Duty to handle the much-touted heavier loads it may be burdened with.Australia’s Super Duty will likely sport the eight-stud, 18-inch steel wheel and 33-inch all-terrain tyre package of the US Ford F-250 Super Duty.Also, it could be in line to share the Raptor's wheel track, which is 50mm wider than the standard Ranger.No word on suspension yet, but upfront it may be fitted with new front control arms (similar to the Raptor’s cast-alloy units), and it will likely have a leaf-sprung rear axle rather than Raptor-esque coils, as the Super Duty is a vehicle intended for load-carrying and towing.It may also have job-specific accessories such as push-button Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, Trailer Navigation (aimed at ensuring your vehicle and trailer go via a route that the combination will be able to physically travel through) and even on-board scales.The Ford Ranger Super Duty – or Ford Super Duty Ranger as some have dubbed it – will be manufactured at the same Thai facility as most made-for-Australia Rangers.The Ford Ranger Super Duty is expected to be unveiled sometime later this year and is tipped to be on sale here in 2026.An all-new ute sporting major hardware upgrades, resulting in impressively uprated payload and tow ratings, being sold in a ute-hungry market? Name your price…At time of writing, there were no clear indications of what the Ford Ranger Super Duty’s eventual price-tag would be, but expect to pay upwards of $75,000.It will be bigger and built more robustly for heavier duties than those undertaken by standard Rangers.And it will likely be in a price range comparable to the Raptor.Keep reading CarsGuide.com.au to stay up to date with news on all upcoming vehicle releases, including the Ford Ranger Super Duty, which is due to be launched here in 2026.

Ford Australia senior management has taken a swipe at the controversial Toyota Prado boot saga. Speaking at the launch of the new Ford Everest Tremor, Ford Australia marketing boss, Ambrose Henderson, has made it clear he believes his company’s product offers better luggage space than its arch-rival.While the Prado has a theoretical advantage, measuring 906-litres compared to the Everest’s 898L, Toyota didn’t design the third row seats to fold flat into the floor, so added a plastic riser box on the seven-seat Prado GXL, VX and Kakadu variants. The result is a higher load height and question marks over its usability from critics and would-be buyers.The Everest was the best-selling large SUV in Australia in 2024 but the arrival of a new-generation Prado should create an intense fight for that honour in 2025. But if Ford is worried, Henderson is not showing it.“You know, we're here to run our own race,” Henderson said. “And we're really confident in the range that we've put forward and the value proposition that that presents to customers as well. Really top of mind for us on everything we do is delivering for customers what they want and what they're telling us and making no compromise on that. And our strong belief is we've done that and that's why we got the results that we did last year.“The that you speak of is a formidable competitor. And you know, they've had a very long run of having wonderful products in these spaces. But, I think when you compare our products back-to-back, you can see where we've made strategic decisions not to compromise, and others may have compromised items that are very important to customers in these segments.”Henderson continued and made an unsubtle swipe at Toyota’s boot design for the Prado.“As an example, being able to fit your luggage in the boot,” he said. “So, you know, there are really important things that we will not compromise when we deliver our products.”He added: “When we deliver our products, it's about delivering what customers want and not compromising on that.”However, Toyota may have the last laugh if the January sales data is a trend for the year. In the first month of 2025 the Prado out-sold the Everest 2847 to 1679 - more than 1100 units.As we’ve previously reported, Toyota is confident in the packaging and presentation of the Prado, with customer interest remaining high. "The order bank for the new Prado remains very healthy and we are delighted with the level of customer acceptance for the new vehicle," a Toyota Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide in November.

Ford has trademarked ‘Mach 4’ in the US, suggesting a four-door Mustang could be on the way.