Ford updated their beefiest powertrain for their 2018 Super Duty and it looks like they’ve retaken the all-out power crown for the strongest motor on paper.
When it comes to big numbers, bragging rights, and the tale of the tape, there’s always an all-out war between Ford Super Duty, Chevrolet HD, and Ram HD trucks. But according to Ford’s updated website on the 2018 Ford Super Duty from earlier yesterday (Dec 5, 2017) a couple of ECU tweaks and smaller improvements elsewhere have pushed Ford’s 6.7 Liter turbo-diesel to the lead of the pack with 450 HP and 935 lb-ft, a mere 10 HP and 10 lb-ft improvements from last year. For now, Ford’s IT department is giving a little grace period to Chevrolet and Dodge for them to login tomorrow and update their best in HP and torque claims on their websites, but it looks like there’s a bit of editing to do for both.
Torque Wars! 2018 Ford Super Duty Comes Out with Most Power, Torque, and Towing (News) – https://t.co/PihEu2jvT6 pic.twitter.com/3BjCN5YhIt
— The Fast Lane Truck (@TFLtruck) December 5, 2017
Even though it was just a tiny push, it was enough to overthrow Dodge Ram as torque king and Chevrolet Silverado as horsepower king, both claiming best in class. Chevrolet’s Silverado 3500 HD and its 6.6L Duramax Turbo Diesel is putting out 445 HP and 910 lb-ft while Dodge’s Ram 3500 6.78 Cummins Turbo Diesel is putting out 385 HP but 930 lb-ft.
Not only that, but according to Todd Eckert, Ford’s truck group project manager, Ford’s super duty also lays claim to three other accomplishments including.
- 34,000 pounds of gooseneck towing, when properly equipped (a 1,500-pound improvement for the new F-450 4×2 model)
- 21,000-pound conventional hitch towing
- 7,360-pound payload capacity
Truck’s are a hot segment for Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge right now bolstered by relatively cheap fuel and a revitalized economy. With truck prices rising steadily throughout the years, so has the performance these truck manufacturers are squeezing out of them.
When it comes to getting the competitive edge on sales, that term, best-in-class, can mean the difference between a sale or not.
It’s only a matter of time before Dodge and Chevrolet do a little engine tweaking of their own and retake the crown from Ford. Next year, we’ll definitely see 1,000 lb-ft as the new truck benchmark.
