What is good for the F-150 is also good for the F-350, Ford must have thought when deciding to put the F-350 Super Duty truck on aluminum diet just as they did with the smaller F-150. Ford revealed that the 2017 Super Duty truck has lost a whopping 350 pounds. The result is a very light but capable Super Duty truck which goes on to prove that a big truck need not be unnecessarily overweight.
In addition to the aluminum body panels, the model is made from a new fully boxed frame which is made from 95% high-strength steel. The automaker says the new frame is 24 times stiffer compared to the current one on the current model. This means the model will be capable of hauling bigger and heavier stuff. Read along to find out more:
2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Exterior
As said above, the body frame is made from 95% high strength steel while body panels are made from aluminum. The exterior of the new truck looks similar to the outgoing model except for the various subtle upgrades. The trucks will feature LED lighting on their headlights, side mirror spotlights, taillights and on the cargo box.
The model is offered in 2-door regular cab, 4-door extended cab (SuperCab) and 4-door crew cab. There will also be a chassis cab for commercial uplifting. The SupeCab has rear-hinged doors but the Crew Cab has 4 full size conventional doors. All models will be offered in either 6.8-foot or 8-foot long cargo beds.
Four trims are available i.e. XL, XLT, Lariat and the range-topping luxurious King Ranch trim.
2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Interior
Maneuvering these huge trucks particularly when you have an attached trailer is a difficult task. To ease this, Ford has hooked up the F-350 Super Duty with 7 cameras to aid the driver. Four of the cameras will form the trucks 360-degree view. There will be a camera to monitor the cargo box. There is also an option for another camera mounted on the trailer to aid when reversing. There is also an option for a tire monitoring system for the trailer.
The new models will also feature driving aids like those offered on cars and SUVs including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, a blind spot monitoring system and forward collision mitigation with emergency brake assist. Its new steering wheel comes with an option for a small electric motor to provide steering assist. This is particularly meant to improve the model’s steering when pulling heavy load on winding terrain since the current models are a bit unsettling in such situations.
The cabin will also feature upgraded Ford Sync infotainment system with voice recognition. The system will feature an 8.0-inch touch-screen display.
For extra bucks you can get a leather upholstered interior, automatic lighting, adjustable seats and LCD screens.
Engine Specs and performance
The model features the same drive-rains as the outgoing model. The first engine is a 6.2 L, V-8 petrol engine capable of 385 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. The second engine is a 6.7 L, V-8 diesel mill good for 440 hp and 860 lb-ft of torque. Both engines will be mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission system and will be available in both RWD and AWD.
The automaker has not released details on the model’s tow rating but I expect the new model to be more capable than the outgoing model. The petrol powered Super Duty with a single-rear- wheel setup will be capable of towing around 12,500 pounds. Models with dual-rear-wheel setup will be capable of around 16,000 pounds. The diesel V-8 will on the other hand tow as much as 14,000 with a single rear-wheel setup and 19,000 with dual-rear-wheel setup.
Price and release date
Ford has hiked prices for the 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty trucks. While the base XL Regular Cab starts at $34,900, a $425 increase from the outgoing models, the top trims feature a significant increase of over $5,000.
The XL SuperCab goes for $37,240 and $38,500 for the XL Crew Cab. The XLT Regular Cab starts at $39,115, $41,775 for the XLT SuperCab and $43,605 for the Super Duty XLT Crew Cab.
For the Lariat trims, the base Lariat SuperCab starts at $46,300 while the Lariat Crew Cab goes for $49,800. The range-topping F-350 Super Duty King Ranch Crew Cab will set you back $56,630. All models come with extra packages and standalone options for extra bucks.
Competition
Biggest rivals to the 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty include the Ram 3500 and Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD.
