Manufacturing

Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks shed weight, gain power for 2017

Auto sales finally got back above pre-recession levels in 2014 with August sales reaching a seven-year high. After six long years, sales levels have matched 2007’s pace. More importantly, several research groups expect 2015 continue to grow. Today’s Motor Vehicles allows marketers direct access to this healthy industry with continued growth.

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Dearborn, Michigan – Ford is boosting horsepower, torque, towing, and hauling capabilities for its 2017 aluminum-bodied F-Series Super Duty trucks. Switching to aluminum cuts weight by 350 lb compared to the 2016 steel-bodied truck, leaving room for performance increases.

The truck’s fully boxed frame that is more than 95% high-strength steel and up to 24x stiffer than the previous frame.

The F-450 Super Duty SuperCrew 4×4 now features a maximum gooseneck tow rating of 32,500 lb – 1,290 lb more than its nearest competitor, a regular cab two-door pickup. Maximum fifth-wheel towing is increased to 27,500 lb – 2,500 lb better than the nearest competitor. Maximum conventional towing is increased to 21,000 lb – 1,000 lb better than the nearest competitors’ trucks and without the need for a weight-distributing hitch.

An available updated 6.7L Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel offers 440 hp and 925 lb-ft of torque, matching the horsepower of the outgoing engine while adding 65 lb-ft of torque. The standard 6.2L gasoline V8 now offers 430 lb-ft of torque, up from 405 lb-ft for 2016 models. Torque is unchanged at 385hp.

The all-new Super Duty goes on sale this fall.

Source: Ford Motor Co.