2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty: The Car Guide is going to test some big trucks!
If you drive a Freightliner 122SD, you might not be too impressed with those little F-250, F-350 and F-450 models from Ford. However, for most people, the Super Duty series is quite massive.
This week, The Car Guide will be heading to Colorado to try out this workhorse. For 2017, Ford raised the towing capacity of its F-450 to 21 000 lbs. (9526 kg) while its payload has increased to 7630 lbs. (3461 kg). As for its tow capability with a fifth-wheel trailer, we’re talking about 27 500 lbs. (12 474 kg). That’s a lot.
The Power Stroke 6.7-litre, turbo-diesel V8, available across the Super Duty lineup right up to the F-450, keeps its power rating of 440 horsepower. However, torque peak climbs from 860 to 925 lb.-ft., giving it bragging rights over the Ram 3500’s 6.7-litre Cummins engine—which develops 385 hp and 900 lb.-ft.).
Towing capacity and engine torque no longer suffice to sell work trucks. Ford will equip its Super Duty models with a blind spot monitoring system that takes the length of the trailer into account (up to 33 feet or 10 metres). Ford is also adding adaptive cruise control that can operate even with the heaviest trailers and, at last, trailer backup assist. We’ll bet that very few hardcore truck guys will be singing the praises of this technology to their buddies on the construction site…
More details to come in the next few days!