Pretty much everybody knows about the horsepower war currently raging among automakers around the world. Fewer people are aware that a similar battle is occurring among Detroit manufacturers, only the name of the game isn’t supercars and insane acceleration, but pickup trucks and insane pulling power. Ford has stepped the war up a notch by announcing power gains for its 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 available in the 2018 Super Duty line.
2020 Super Duty unveiled:
“Super Duty customers expect the best, and for 2018 we’re giving our customers even more power and torque from our 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel – delivering the most horsepower and torque available among all heavy-duty pickups,” said Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager. “Plus, our new F-450 pickup now includes a 4X2 model, enabling our customers to get more done with the segment’s best payload and towing.”
The tweaked engine now produces 450 horsepower and 935 pound-feet of locomotive-pulling torque, thanks to redesigned cylinder heads and fresh tune. Compared to the previous engine, that’s a gain of 10 for each figure. It’s also conveniently just enough for Ford to claim best-in-class horsepower and torque, albeit barely.
Five is the key number here, as Ford’s updated mill tops the Chevrolet Silverado HD's 6.6-liter Duramax diesel by five ponies, and it beats the Ram's 6.7-liter Cummins diesel by just five torques. As a result, Ford also says the Super Duty delivers best-in-class towing with a gooseneck trailer at 34,000 pounds, as well as best-in-class towing with a conventional hitch at 21,000 pounds, and best-in-class payload capacity at 7,360 pounds.
There is a bit of a caveat there, however. The gooseneck towing capability relates specifically to the aforementioned new-for-2018 F-450 4X2. Ford says it’s designed for customers who haul big trailers, meaning it’s primarily an on-road pickup as opposed to something adept at getting to remote worksites. Eliminating the weight of a four-wheel drive system gives the two-wheel drive F-450 just a bit of an edge, but for those wanting to spend upwards of $100,000 for the ultimate luxury towing rig, you’ll be slightly disappointed. The F-450 4X2 starts at $52,830 and is available only up to the Platinum trim. To get the top-of-the-line Limited model means adding 4WD.
It looks like the tug-of-war among Detroit automakers is in full force. Who will be the next to move?
Source: Ford Motor Company
Gallery: 2018 Ford F-Series Super Duty Limited
King of Work: 2018 Ford Super Duty Is America’s Most Powerful, Most Capable Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck Ever
For the most demanding pickup truck customers, the 2018 Ford F-Series Super Duty works harder thanks to its newly upgraded 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 diesel engine offering best-in-class 450 horsepower and 935 lb.-ft. of torque
Super Duty continues as the heavy-duty champ, owning key capability claims in the segment: horsepower, torque, gooseneck towing, conventional towing and payload
F-450 4x2 Crew Cab pickup joins Super Duty lineup for 2018, delivering best-in-class 34,000-pound towing capacity with properly equipped gooseneck connections
DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 5, 2017 – Ford, America’s truck leader for 40 straight years, delivers for customers once again for 2018, creating America’s most powerful and capable heavy-duty pickup trucks ever – thanks to best-in-class horsepower and torque from a newly upgraded 6.7-liter Power Stroke® diesel engine.
“Super Duty customers expect the best, and for 2018 we’re giving our customers even more power and torque from our 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel – delivering the most horsepower and torque available among all heavy-duty pickups,” said Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager. “Plus, our new F-450 pickup now includes a 4X2 model, enabling our customers to get more done with the segment’s best payload and towing.”
The 2018 Super Duty continues to deliver Built Ford Tough durability, capability, and functionality while now owning five key best-in-class heavy-duty truck segment claims:
Best-in-class 450 horsepower (a 10 horsepower improvement over 2017)
Best-in-class 935 lb.-ft. of torque (a 10 lb.-ft. improvement over 2017)
Best-in-class 34,000 pounds of gooseneck towing, when properly equipped (a 1,500-pound improvement for the new F-450 4x2 model)
Best-in-class 21,000-pound conventional hitch towing
Best-in-class 7,360-pound payload capacity
Upgrades to the 2018 Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke engine include redesigned cylinder heads for added strength under higher loads, plus optimized fuel and turbo boost calibrations to take advantage of the increased cylinder head capacity for increased horsepower and torque.
Ford is the only heavy-duty truck manufacturer that designs and builds its own diesel engine and transmission combination – ensuring the powertrain works seamlessly with all chassis components and vehicle calibrations. This approach enables Ford engineers to optimize vehicle performance across the entire lineup and to further refine the powertrain to the specific needs of the customer.
34,000 Pounds of Towing Force
For those who rely on their pickups to haul big trailers to get the job done, the new F-450 Super
Duty 4x2 dual-rear-wheel truck is now available for both retail and fleet customers – offering
greater strength, efficiency and durability.
Leveraging the benefits of a high-strength steel box frame, integrated gooseneck hitch mounts,
and added load capacity thanks to Ford’s proprietary high-strength, military-grade, aluminumalloy
body, the 2018 F-450 4x2 tows even more with its lighter, more efficient driveline. The
result is the most capable, robust and efficient Super Duty tow machine ever, delivering a bestin-
class 34,000 pounds of gooseneck towing capacity.
The 2018 Super Duty F-450 4x2 dual-rear-wheel pickup will be available this winter in XL, XLT,
Lariat and Platinum series offerings. Base MSRP is $52,830, which includes $1,295 destination
and delivery charges.