Ford has traveled to the Texas State Fair to introduce the all-new 2017 F-Series Super Duty.
The Blue Oval’s biggest pickup truck gets a bold-looking front end with vertical headlights, angular sheet metal and a massive grille that does without the current model’s chromed frame. The lineup includes F-250, F-350, and F-450 models, and each one gets a nameplate-specific front fascia.
All variants of the Super Duty promise to weigh a lot less than the outgoing models thanks to a body made entirely out of military-grade aluminum alloy. Switching from steel to aluminum is also expected to help Ford benefit from economies of scale, a process that will ultimately bring down the cost of the lightweight metal.
The interior is more of an evolution than a revolution as far as looks go. The general layout is carried over from the last-gen model, but the 2017 F-Series gets a sleeker-looking four-spoke steering wheel, a new instrument cluster with a generously-sized configurable TFT screen, and a redesigned center console.
Although it was primarily designed as a work truck, the Super Duty is just as tech-focused as Ford’s passenger cars, crossovers, and SUVs. Depending on the trim level, it can be fitted with a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, active front steering, a lane departure warning system and, for safety-minded buyers, inflatable rear seatbelts.
To ensure the Super Duty is more rugged than ever before, Ford spent countless hours torture-testing it all around the world, and has installed stronger driveline and suspension components. As a result, the truck allegedly boasts best-in-class conventional towing, fifth-wheel towing, and payload ratings, though precise figures aren’t available yet.
Similarly, Ford is keeping technical details under wraps for the time being. All we know is that the Super Duty will again be offered with large-displacement gasoline- and diesel-burning engines, and that buyers will be able to choose from two- or four-wheel drive.
The 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty will be presented to the general public for the first time at the Los Angeles Motor Show that will open its doors in November. Full technical specifications will be published in the days leading up to the event, and the first examples are expected to land in showrooms next spring.
