Ford F-Series Super Duty: All That Power

Ford’s range of full-size F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 pickups and chassis cabs is all-new for 2017. The Super Duty competes against the Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500HD and Ram 2500. In this contest, bragging rights typically belong to the model with the most recent redesign, and the new truck does not disappoint.

The fourth-generation Super Duty’s underpinnings are heavier-duty than ever, starting with bigger, stronger frame rails and crossmembers and an all-new suspension designed to boost payload and towing capacity. But the new truck is actually several hundred pounds lighter — thanks to aluminum construction throughout the cab and bed, a trick borrowed from the new F-150. The wheelbase and overall length have been extended by a few inches.

The new truck is available as a chassis cab or in regular cab, crew cab, and SuperCab configurations with 6.75- and 8.0-foot beds. Rear-wheel drive is standard and four-wheel drive is available across the lineup.

The base, cast-iron, gasoline-powered 6.2-liter powerplant returns, now boasting 385 horsepower (hp) and 430 pound-feet (lb.-ft.) of torque. Available throughout the lineup and standard on the F-450 and F-550 is a 6.7-liter aluminum-block Power Stroke turbodiesel that delivers 330 hp and a load-hauling 750 lb.-ft. of torque.

Chassis cab buyers can also opt for a 6.8-liter V-10 rated at 288 hp and 424 lb.-ft.

Conventional towing capacity tops out at 18,500 pounds (lbs.); adding a fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailer hookup to the F-550 pushes that figure to 31,800 lbs. Payloads top out at 7,630 lbs. with a regular-cab F-550.

The new truck is available in base XL trim as well as XLT, Lariat, the cowboy-approved King Ranch Edition (not available on the F-450), and the top-of-the-line Platinum. Standard equipment includes antilock brakes, electronic stability, traction and trailer-sway control, hill-start assist, and a full suite of airbags.

Higher trim levels and option packages bring such features as adaptive cruise control with autonomous emergency braking, and a 360-degree camera setup designed to allow for precision parking and solo trailer hookups.

The 2017 Super Duty is available now. MSRPs start at $33,730 for a regular-cab F-250 XL and top out somewhere around $90,000 for a fully-loaded F-550.