Slated to go on sale late in 2016, the all-new Ford F-Series Super Duty is the most technologically advanced pickup truck in its segment. More than that, it also happens to come with three class-exclusive features designed around the driver.
Even when it’s towing a trailer that tips the scales at more than 31,500 pounds (14,288 kilograms), the 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty can take care of the driving thanks to adaptive cruise control. The type of cruise control uses radar to measure the distance and speed of the vehicle ahead and, if needed, the workhorse automatically slows down. And yes, it also applies the trailer’s brakes if the situation calls for it.
“Towing is core to the Super Duty mission, and drivers will appreciate the engineering sophistication that enables adaptive cruise control to determine speed uphill and downhill with a trailer,” explains Craig Schmatz, chief engineer for the 2017 Ford Super Duty. “We have torture-tested the technology in high elevations and on significant grades at places like Davis Dam in Arizona, Loveland Pass in Colorado and the mountain roads surrounding Beckley, West Virginia.”
Another segment-exclusive feature comes in the form of adaptive steering. Not only does it reduce the amount of steering input needed to change direction at low speeds, but also reduces sensitivity to steering input at higher speeds to make towing easier. Simply put, the Ford F-Series Super Duty changes its steering ratio according to the speed of the truck.
On the safety front, BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with trailer coverage is the highlight for me. Thanks to a radar sensor located in the taillights, the system can detect when a vehicle enters the F-Series Super Duty driver’s blind spot, including the blind spot of the trailer. If the situation calls for it, the system alerts the driver with a yellow light integrated into the side mirror. That, my friend, is forward thinking.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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