Truck manufacturers love to boast how they are the best in terms of power, towing, and payload. Every few months, one of them will announce some changes to put them at the top of the pile. Case in point is Ford.

Today, the blue oval announced that the 2018 F-Series Super Duty features a slightly tweaked 6.7L PowerStroke turbodiesel V8 with 450 horsepower and 935 pound-feet of torque - an increase of 10 for both figures. The increase is due to a new cylinder head design, and optimized fuel and turbo boost calibrations. This puts Ford at the top when it comes power figures for heavy-duty trucks.

Ford claims this increase gives the Super Duty best-in-class figures for both payload and towing.

• Max Payload: 7,360 pounds
• Max Gooseneck Towing: 34,000 pounds*
• Max Towing with a conventional hitch: 21,000

*The figure is for the all-new 2WD version of the F-450 Super Duty.

How long Ford can claim best-in-class is something we'll be keeping a close eye on.

Source: Ford
Press Release is on Page 2

KING OF WORK: 2018 FORD SUPER DUTY IS AMERICA’S MOST POWERFUL, MOST CAPABLE HEAVY-DUTY PICKUP TRUCK EVER

• For the most demanding pickup truck customers, the 2018 Ford F-Series Super Duty works harder thanks to its newly upgraded 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 diesel engine offering best-in-class 450 horsepower and 935 lb.-ft. of torque
• Super Duty continues as the heavy-duty champ, owning key capability claims in the segment: horsepower, torque, gooseneck towing, conventional towing and payload
• F-450 4x2 Crew Cab pickup joins Super Duty lineup for 2018, delivering best-in-class 34,000-pound towing capacity with properly equipped gooseneck connections

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 5, 2017 – Ford, America’s truck leader for 40 straight years, delivers for customers once again for 2018, creating America’s most powerful and capable heavy-duty pickup trucks ever – thanks to best-in-class horsepower and torque from a newly upgraded 6.7-liter Power Stroke® diesel engine.

“Super Duty customers expect the best, and for 2018 we’re giving our customers even more power and torque from our 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel – delivering the most horsepower and torque available among all heavy-duty pickups,” said Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager. “Plus, our new F-450 pickup now includes a 4X2 model, enabling our customers to get more done with the segment’s best payload and towing.”

The 2018 Super Duty continues to deliver Built Ford Tough durability, capability, and functionality while now owning five key best-in-class heavy-duty truck segment claims:

• Best-in-class 450 horsepower (a 10 horsepower improvement over 2017)
• Best-in-class 935 lb.-ft. of torque (a 10 lb.-ft. improvement over 2017)
• Best-in-class 34,000 pounds of gooseneck towing, when properly equipped (a 1,500-pound improvement for the new F-450 4x2 model)
• Best-in-class 21,000-pound conventional hitch towing
• Best-in-class 7,360-pound payload capacity

Upgrades to the 2018 Ford 6.7-liter Power Stroke engine include redesigned cylinder heads for added strength under higher loads, plus optimized fuel and turbo boost calibrations to take advantage of the increased cylinder head capacity for increased horsepower and torque.

Ford is the only heavy-duty truck manufacturer that designs and builds its own diesel engine and transmission combination – ensuring the powertrain works seamlessly with all chassis components and vehicle calibrations. This approach enables Ford engineers to optimize vehicle performance across the entire lineup and to further refine the powertrain to the specific needs of the customer.

34,000 Pounds of Towing Force

For those who rely on their pickups to haul big trailers to get the job done, the new F-450 Super Duty 4x2 dual-rear-wheel truck is now available for both retail and fleet customers – offering greater strength, efficiency and durability.

Leveraging the benefits of a high-strength steel box frame, integrated gooseneck hitch mounts, and added load capacity thanks to Ford’s proprietary high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body, the 2018 F-450 4x2 tows even more with its lighter, more efficient driveline. The result is the most capable, robust and efficient Super Duty tow machine ever, delivering a best-in-class 34,000 pounds of gooseneck towing capacity.

The 2018 Super Duty F-450 4x2 dual-rear-wheel pickup will be available this winter in XL, XLT, Lariat and Platinum series offerings. Base MSRP is $52,830, which includes $1,295 destination and delivery charges.