3 Things You Didn’t Know About the 2017 Super Duty
Now that you’ve seen the new Super Duty, you might still have some questions about the truck. While we can’t answer what the horsepower, torque, or towing figures are, we do know a lot more about the truck than we did before. Many of the interesting changes are the subtle ones, so we thought we’d highlight a few of them for you. Here’s three things you didn’t know about the 2017 Ford Super Duty.
It Shares a Common Cab
While everything front of the A-pillar and back of the C-pillar are unique to the Super Duty, the cab itself is a common piece shared with the F-150. The benefits here are obvious. First, you get loads more cabin space (as much as 6″ in certain cab configurations), plus you get the cost savings of not having to fabricate different pieces exclusively for Super Duty.
While the new truck does indeed resemble the F-150, the Super Duty has it’s on design language that is brash and in-your-face. Also separating the two is 100 millimeters of ride height, with the Super Duty riding higher.
Ford Tested Aftermarket Accessories
While it’s common for aftermarket manufacturers to purchase new vehicles and test their accessories on them, it’s not as common for the manufacturer of the truck to do that. With the Super Duty, Ford knows that many buyers are going to equip their trucks with various types of aftermarket equipment. To make sure there’s compatibility, Ford compiled a list of common aftermarket accessories and tested them on the truck.
The Super Duty went through extreme testing, including nearly 12 million miles, which is more than the F-150 went through.
No Pro Trailer Backup Assist
With Super Duty, Ford claims that 90% of all owners tow, and 70% of all owners tow frequently (which Ford defines as towing at least once a month). For Super Duty, Ford developed a new trailer backup guidance system to help the drive maneuver the trailer, but it doesn’t take over in the way Pro Trailer Backup Assist does. You still have to have a good idea of what you’re doing in order to backup a trailer successfully in Super Duty.
Ford looked at their customers and determined that the need for that technology isn’t as important on the Super Duty as it is on the F-150, where people tow far less and generally are less experienced.
The new Super Duty has other features and technologies that we’ve barely scratched the surface on, and we’ll get more information as the truck gets closer to launch in the fourth quarter of 2016. So far, we like what we see and we are looking forward to giving the new truck a drive. When we do, we’ll be sure to bring you the news right away.
