Ford F-series Super Duty adopts aluminum body, slims down for 2017

[kscarbel2]

Automotive News / September 24, 2015

The first-ever aluminum-bodied Ford F-series Super Duty pickup will be up to 350 pounds lighter than the current generation but offer increased towing and hauling capabilities, Ford Motor Co. said today.

The 2017 Super Duty, which Ford is unveiling at the State Fair of Texas, is scheduled to go on sale late next year. Ford said it has a high-strength steel frame that’s 24 times stiffer, longer cabs and 16 segment-exclusive features, including LED cargo-box lighting and a remote tailgate release.

“As we remove weight, we’re making Super Duty more productive by giving our customers better towing and payload capacity,” Craig Schmatz, Super Duty chief engineer, said in a statement. “We’re backing up improved capability with a stronger gasoline and diesel Super Duty engine lineup.”

Ford’s conversion of the Super Duty to an aluminum body is another big gamble after last year’s redesign of the F-150. The F series is Ford’s biggest seller and most profitable vehicle, and the Super Duty accounts for about a third of its U.S. sales.

Though rival General Motors has tried to portray aluminum as flimsy and expensive to repair, Ford says F-150 customers have reacted positively to the change. U.S. sales of the F series dropped 2.4 percent in the first half of the year but rose 4.8 percent in July and 4.7 percent in August as inventories grew. Transaction prices have soared since the aluminum F-150 went on sale in December.

The weight reduction for the Super Duty is half as much as the 700 pounds that Ford cut out of the F-150. In addition to the body and frame, the F-150’s diet included lighter axles, fenders and other parts that need to be stronger on the heavier-duty trucks.

Ford did not reveal payload, towing and fuel economy ratings for the Super Duty. Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas, said in a statement that it achieves “new benchmarks in capability, performance and efficiency.”

The 2017 Super Duty’s fully boxed frame is made of 95 percent high-strength steel. Ford said it has heavier-duty four-wheel-drive components, driveline, axles and towing hardware than the current Super Duty.

It’s available with up to seven cameras, including a new attachable trailer camera to improve visibility when backing. A high-mounted, stop-lamp camera helps drivers see into the cargo box and hook up fifth-wheel trailers; and four high-definition cameras create a bird’s-eye image of the vehicle.

Other features on the 2017 model include:

• An in-cab trailer tire-pressure monitoring system.

• Adaptive steering, which reduces how much the steering wheel needs to be turned when maneuvering at low speeds.

• Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touch screen.

• Blind Spot Information System that includes the length of a trailer.

• Adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support.

• Remote tailgate lock and release.

• Quad-beam LED headlights and taillights.

“While Super Duty is America’s best-selling heavy-duty truck, we never take our leadership for granted,” Ford’s product development chief, Raj Nair, said in a statement. “Our team is using relentless innovation in materials, technology and Built Ford Tough engineering to deliver customers our best Super Duty yet.”

Engines are carried over from the current model. The pickup version comes with either a 6.2-liter V-8 gasoline engine, which is mated with a new TorqShift-G transmission for the F-250, or a 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel. The chassis cab version is available with either of those options or a 6.8-liter V-10 gasoline engine.

Ford said all three cabs are longer and have a new interior design with a dual-compartment glove box and overhead console-mounted switches to control aftermarket equipment. The SuperCab and Crew Cab versions have flat floors to aid in loading large items.

The Super Duty, built at Ford’s Kentucky Truck plant in Louisville alongside the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, will be offered in five trims: XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum. Pricing was not released.

Related reading - http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2017-ford-f-series-super-duty-official-photos-and-info

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[TeamsterGrrrl]

With the Super Duty getting a new cab, sounds like the new F650 & F750 may have a short model run before they get the new cab.

[Freightrain]

Pricing was not released.

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If you have to ask, you don't want to know!!!

I remember buying my CC DRW PSD 6spd for under $30K loaded up. I think they will be near triple that now.

[Bigdogtrucker]

With the Super Duty getting a new cab, sounds like the new F650 & F750 may have a short model run before they get the new cab.

Maybe not, seems the bigger trucks hang on to older designs a bit longer. One things for sure they'll be many more silly GM commercials bashing the aluminum Fords...

[Red Horse]

As for 650/750-maybe-but there is another school of thought that 650/750 will end up with a cab specifically designed/built for medium duty to include the E-450 cut aways. Ford builds a lot of those and the E-450 is last model using old E series nose. 650/750 and E cutaways now built in Ford plant at Avon Lake Ohio. Will be interesting to see how that shakes out.

And BigDog-10-4 on the aluminum bashing while they work like crazy designing their own aluminum truck. The CAFE regs don't play favorites!

[david wild]

Ford is still the best work truck on the market