Ford 2017 F-Series Super Duty pickup goes aluminum
Ford is going aluminum with the debut of the 2017 F-Series Super Duty pickup truck at the State Fair of Texas today.
The 2017 F-Series Super Duty pickups and chassis cabs are taking their cue from the F-150 by doing away with the steel body and switching to aluminum. With the vehicle's frame still made of high-strength steel, Ford global product development head Raj Nair said the latest lineup is the toughest Super Duty unit by far, according to Detroit Free Press (DFT).
"It is the toughest, most capable Super Duty we've ever done," DFT quotes Nair.
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Ford vehicle engineering manager Dennis Slevin explained that the 2017 Super Duty is the first of the firm's truck to sport an all-aluminum cab. Because it is lighter, aluminum allows engineers to add tougher and bigger axles, hitches, brakes, transfer cases, driveline, and other parts and still bring down the vehicle's total weight by a maximum of 250 pounds.
The improvements positioned the truck higher from the ground and made the vehicle itself wider. The cabs are also five inches longer than the ones found in the 2017 Super Duty's predecessor. The new lineup will come in XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum trims and has five new grilles, MLive reports.
Compared to the previous edition, the 2017 Super Duty's cab is four inches longer. In addition, its interior has new seats and storage solutions, including a secret compartment under the backseats. Customers can opt for the truck with the 6.2-liter V8 gasoline, 6.8-liter V10 gasoline, and 6.7-liter V8 turbo-diesel engines. The F-250 has a six-speed transmission.
The horsepower and torque figures of the new Super Duty are still unconfirmed, the report adds.
One of the features worth noting is the 2017 Super Duty's adaptive steering that allows the driver to exert less effort when running at low speeds. This is a first for the said model.
Other new features of the 2017 Super Duty include the Sync 3 infotainment system, adaptive cruise control, and the blind-spot detection, which makes use of seven cameras around the vehicle to check for traffic.
The 2017 F-Series Super Duty trucks are set to be released early 2016.
