Ford came out with eight guns blazing at the 2015 State Fair of Texas. Actually, eight is the number of 2017 Super Duty trucks that rolled out (nearly at the same time) onto the Texas stage/parking lot at the fair. Actually, Ford had two other trucks. There was the naked chassis and an early prototype in full camouflage.
Other truck manufacturers had huge pavilions and news. Chevrolet unveiled the full lineup of the face lifted 2016 Silverado 1500. The Chevy’s get new grilles and front facias, the 8-speed transmission in more models, and handy Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone integration. Chevrolet also unveiled the sinister Midnight edition of the HD Silverado <LINK>.
GM also showed a nifty new feature, the folding and swiveling running board available on higher-end Silverado and Sierra models. We all know the folding running boards, but these units have an additional function. If you press the button at the back of the step with your foot, the retracted side-step will swivel out and back to allow you to step up and easily reach items in the front of the bed.
Ram showed the 2016 Ram 1500 and HD in Limited trim along with the Rebel and a host of Ram trucks of all sizes. Toyota showed the 2016 Tacoma lineup. And Nissan presented an interesting display with a selection of the new 2016 Nissan Titan trucks.
However, Ford was the one to show a new generation of a truck with a multitude of significant updates. Ford also put up quiet a show. Yes, the Super Duty towing, payload, and power numbers were not released, but the other manufacturers did not drop any new numbers either.
Ford touched nearly every aspect of the new Super Duty. They started with a new fully boxed and heavier frame. They update and/or upgraded the suspension, axles, and brakes. The truck will also be available with an adaptive steering system that modifies the ratio depending on speed; turn more at slow speeds and less at higher speeds.
The cab and bed are all aluminum. The construction is the same as the 2015/2016 F-150, but Ford added 14% more material to the bed to make it stronger for heavy duty work. How customers will react to this is still left to be seen. Overall, the truck is up to 350 pounds lighter than the truck it replaces. This is not a huge number, but additional weight savings were counteracted by the heavy updates to the chassis.
There is a host of technology, convenience, and luxury features for the 2017 Super Duty. We are talking about six driver assistance cameras for anything from 360 surround view to an integrated camera on the back of the trailer. There is a new 12-pin connector that allows the video signal to travel from the trailer to the truck. The seventh camera is there to help with lane departure warning.
The interior of the new truck is all updated as well. The cab dimensions are the same as the new F-150, and you have the same available features: panoramic sunroof, flat loading floor in the back, and more.
Watch this 2017 Ford Super Duty – Everything You Always Wanted to Know video from the State Fair of Texas.
