Plenty of toughness in one smart truck
Pickup breaks stereotypes while showing off its brains
It has long been the stereotype that pickup trucks are built for the tough types, the kind of people who can prepare the fields and plant the crops but aren’t clever enough to market them in the store with a catchy tag line.
It is no coincidence that these stereotypes exist, considering for many years trucks were simply measured by their toughness. How clever and intuitive their systems were was of no concern, so long as the rig could do the job when it was called upon.
But now it’s 2016, and the 2017 Super Duty pickup truck lineup has received its graduate degree from Ford university. This is one smart truck that has toughness to back up its brains.
Brains and brawn
Before you ask, yes, Ford’s new heavy duty (HD) pickup trucks now have an aluminum body just like the F-150 453-kilogram model.
In fact, the cabs are shared between the two trucks, which means the interior design and some of the styling cues have graduated from the F-150 to the HD lineup. On average, Ford’s HD has been trimmed down by 158.7 kilograms, allowing for larger carrying capacities then ever before.
To be specific, max towing is pegged at14,742 kilograms with a gooseneck, 12,474 kilograms with a fifth wheel and 9,525.4 kilograms of conventional towing.
Those numbers all apply to the F-450, which is only offered as a crew cab, diesel long box. The F-250 and F-350 single rear wheels can handle 8,164.7 kilograms of conventional towing.
Best of all, Ford says that thanks to some clever engineering, a weight-distributing hitch is not required even when loaded to the max on the conventional hitch. We didn’t use one while pulling trailers through the foothills in Colorado and it certainly didn’t feel like we needed it.
Thanks to the shared cab, the new HDs are nearly indistinguishable from the F-150 on the inside, save for a small selection of fresh features. More storage is now available thanks to a new upper glove box that is well concealed behind a trim piece, while under the rear seat, a new lockable storage bin is available for storing long items.
Both are smart additions to the truck, though one of the smartest new features may just be the sliding cup holder cover that can quickly change the drink-holding capacity from two to four in the centre console.
It might not seem like a big deal, but it’s these small, clever touches that make the Super Duty such a strong proposition.
Another great example of this is the rubber-wrapped button mounted to the wall of the bed that allows you to switch on the box-mounted LEDs, lighting up your work at night.
While other manufacturers offer bed lights, none offers a switch in the bed to work them, which means you’re either walking to the cab or reaching for a key fob to operate them. There’s even a new LED light stuck into the bed handle, lighting up the entire rear area of the truck, which makes hooking up a trailer at night no problem.
And the F-150’s mirror-mounted spotlights also carry over, ready to light up any job site.
Probably the simplest system (at least in appearance) in the truck is the engine, and that’s saying something. Under the hood of the entire range, which spans the F-250, F-350 and F-450, buyers can choose from either a 6.7-litre turbodiesel or a 6.2litre gas-powered V8. Opt for the gas engine and you’ll get 385 horsepower and 430 lbs.-ft. of torque, while the diesel puts out a massive 440 horsepower and 925 lbs.-ft. of torque.
Both are hooked to six-speed automatic transmissions, which can be manually shifted for more control using small buttons located on the standard column shifter.
Pulling that shifter down into drive gives the driver access to some of the smartest systems on the market and a mountain of torque, which is meant to get big loads up to speed, but also provides quick acceleration when the Super Duty is riding empty. After a head-to-head comparison with its direct competition, it was pretty clear that the truck with the blue oval on its nose was the quickest — at least, it felt that way.
Throwing 4,535.9 kilograms on the back was barely enough to slow this truck down, either, jumping up to speed when commanded through the right pedal.
Not just quick, but comfortable. Especially in the F-250, the new ride of the Super Duty is noticeable, feeling barely stiffer than 453 kilograms, while the diesel rumble is muted to an ideal level — enough to be heard but not enough to be annoying. Technology in trucks? When it comes to driving technology, the Super Duty studied extra hard and it gets high marks. First, we have the adaptive steering system, operated by a small electric motor that fits into the steering wheel, making the steering ratio variable.
That means at low speeds, less input into the steering wheel will turn the front wheels further, allowing the navigation of parking lots with less input. On the flip side, on the high- way, the ratio grows so that the steering is not twitchy, allowing for comfortable cruising. And it works great, ensuring that the driver is doing the least amount of work possible to guide the truck.
Unlike the F-150, the Super Duty has a hydraulically boosted steering rack, resulting in a natural feeling in your hands. The weight of the wheel is especially nice, and unlike electrically boosted steering systems, which can have variable weighting depending on speed, the Super Duty’s wheel weight stays good and hefty at all speeds.
This is especially important for highway cruising, where the on-centre feel is about as direct and connected as it gets. While the adaptive steering system works away in the background, Ford’s new adaptive cruise control system works wonders right in front of your eyes.
Adaptive cruise alone is nothing new, but integrating the system with the trailer brake, transmission and exhaust brake to hold back large trailers descending steep grades certainly is.
Set the cruise at 80 km/h, and the truck will take care of the rest, including keeping you a set distance back from the vehicle in front.