2011 Ford Super Duty Preview: Engine, Features, and Interior
The 2010 Ford F150 continued the success of the F-Series in the light duty truck market. The 2011 Ford Super Duty lineup promises to build on the good fortune of its smaller sibling thanks to some styling cues taken from the F150 and some powerful new engine options.
Like the F150, the Super Duty will carry the large headlight assemblies, running from the hood to the bumper, housing all of the front lights except for the fog lights. The grille area is large, giving it a look almost like a tractor trailer, allowing for plenty of cooling air for the new engine lineup. We can also expect to see the model and trimline badging moved from the fender vents to the point where the a-pillar meets the hood.
Good looks aside, the big news for the 2011 Ford Super Duty lineup will be the engine options. The base engine has not been announced yet, but we can expect the premium gasoline engine to be a 6.2L V8 and the heavy hitter of the group is Ford’s new 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel. Having been completely designed in-house by Ford engineers, this new Power Stroke is expected to redefine the diesel engine in passenger trucks thanks to a handful of innovations in cylinder head and turbocharger technology. Surprisingly rumors are suggesting that there may not be a manual transmission option for the new Super Duty lineup, but that bit of information is still strictly rumor.
Inside the 2011 Ford Super Duty, we can expect to see interior packages similar to those found on the F150. One of Ford’s key points in developing and launching the new F150 is that it is the most capable truck in its class and from comments made during discussions with the friendly folks at the Ford Proving Grounds, we can expect similar concerns for the “work trucks”. Spy shots around the internet show a center stack section very similar to the F150, with a bulkier steering wheel appearing to house the stereo controls; a fairly luxurious option for a heavy duty truck.
We can expect the new engine options for the 2011 Ford Super Duty to make it plenty powerful to compete in the heavy duty truck market, but based on the direction that Ford Motor Company has been headed, we can expect more effort to be placed on the fit and finish of the new Super Duty trucks. Ford has worked hard to erase the idea that American vehicles aren’t as high of quality, and the 2011 Super Duty should help to continue that effort, as well as helping to continue the legacy of the best selling truck models in the industry.
