Every so often, a truck comes along that raises the bar for its entire segment. The current Ram 1500 raised expectations of luxury in the half-ton market. The Toyota Tacoma set the blueprint for the modern midsize pickup. The Ford Maverick showed that Americans would go nuts for a unibody truck, provided it was sized and priced right. Now, the 2023 Ford Super Duty will attempt to redefine what a commercial heavy-duty pickup truck can be.
Let’s start with the new base engine, a 6.8-liter pushrod V8. Based on the 7.3-liter V8, it features an identical 4.22-inch bore, but a shorter 3.68-inch stroke compared to the 7.3’s 3.98-inch stroke. Throw in a slight compression bump to 10.8:1, and this sounds like one interesting motor. Intake runner length is almost absurdly long, so expect decent torque out of this unit.
The second new engine is a high-output version of the 6.7-liter diesel V8. The big party pieces here are a water-jacketed turbocharger and new exhaust manifolds that should allow Ford to crank up the boost. How much boost? Ford won’t say, nor will it divulge power details for all four engine options. Despite the 7.3-liter gasoline V8 and 6.7-liter standard-output diesel V8 returning for 2023, there could be some calibration and/or hardware differences that affect final output.
The popular off-road Tremor package returns for 2023, packing some serious off-road goodies. It starts with 35-inch Goodyear tires, two of which are bolted to a Dana front axle with a limited-slip front differential and special vent tubes. That special axle attaches to slightly raised front suspension, while uniquely-tuned suspension and a litany of software tweaks round out the package. What sort of software tweaks are we talking about? Stuff like a special drive mode for rock crawling, and Trail Turn Assist which pivots the truck on the inside rear wheel by braking that corner. Neat stuff.
While that’s all well and good, the off-road package you really want is the new XL Off Road Package. It takes a base-model 4×4 single-rear-wheel work truck and adds 33-inch tires, a high-clearance air dam, skid plates, axle vent tubes meant for water fording, and a locking rear differential. It promises to be exactly as much truck as most people need to actually do truck things. Ford said in an earlier briefing that miners from America’s southwest inspired this option package, so it should be plenty popular.
Speaking of four-wheel-drive, it’s now standard on XLT models and above. Ford’s targeting best-in-class payload and towing, so the added heft of the four-wheel-drive system is likely negligible in the grand scheme of things. Oh, and all chassis cab models will come equipped with a power take-off, primed and ready for upfitting. Not only should this streamline production, it should help certain tradespeople seeking to buy a used chassis cab in several years.
What’s On The Outside
In contrast to most mid-cycle refreshes, Ford’s really gone to town on this new Super Duty’s sheet metal. Let’s start at the front, where everything is all-new. The headlights take on a more squared-off silhouette and are pierced by the grille, which almost looks like a mask. The front bumper is more heavily-contoured, the hood is new, and new fenders feature beveled arches and bigger functional side vents, both of which aid aerodynamics. In fact, all four wheel arches on single-rear-wheel models feature more subtle flares and beveled edges, while the bedsides and tailgate are also all new. Tail lights, you guessed it, adopt a more rectangular form than on the current truck.
What Ford’s done here is take an okay-looking truck and turn it into something a bit more handsome. Although most of the styling is great, I’m on the fence over the grille. While several grille options do look neat, virtually every option is just so busy in person. That being said, the new grilles aren’t busy in a posturing way, instead mostly looking like electric oven elements. The new Super Duty is definitely big, but it’s not nearly as shouty as a Chevrolet Silverado HD.
In the bed, you’ll be able to option Ford’s Pro Power Onboard inverter so your Super Duty can crank out two kilowatts of power. Ford’s also cleverly integrated side steps and GM-style bumper corner steps into the new Super Duty to make bed access easier. The optional tailgate step is still on the menu, now reaching lower than ever before. All cab lengths are available with a full eight-foot bed, while Supercab and Supercrew cabs can be paired with a 6.75-foot bed.
What’s On The Inside
Right, time to talk interior. With the F-150 getting a substantial interior upgrade just a few years ago, it was only a matter of time before such changes would trickle upwards into the Super Duty. I’m talking about the retractable shifter and console workspace, available Max Recline seats for the odd nap, an optional fully-digital instrument cluster, and an available 12-inch infotainment touchscreen.
What’s more, Ford has given the Super Duty some really interesting color and trim options. Smoke grey interior, anyone? For those seeking a bit of a throwback to the not-so-distant past, the King Ranch trim is especially reminiscent of the 2008 model. From available beige lower body paint to some serious throwback wheels, I could help but feel nostalgic when I first saw what Ford had planned for the trim. The 6.4-liter Powerstroke engine in the 2008 truck may have been junk, but the truck itself looked absolutely phenomenal. For the new truck to remind me of the 2008 model is a massive compliment to Ford’s design team. Of course, if the King Ranch trim isn’t your thing, Ford still has some fun color options for you. Several lovely blues and a deep candy red are available so you can really get the new Super Duty in a good color.
Go-Go-Gadget Truck
Anyway, nostalgia over, what about tech? Well, the new Super Duty offers a bewildering array of new gadgets. Let’s start with the craziest of them all, trailer navigation. We’ve all seen those videos of that particularly notorious bridge turning rented box trucks into convertibles. Ford aims to avoid this issue by letting you punch in your trailer dimensions and weight, and then planning a route that’ll help you avoid obstacles like low bridges and sharp turns. While most native navigation systems have fallen out of use due to the speed and reliability of apps like Waze, this system actually seems like it could be useful.
Another neat available gadget is a camera on top of the tailgate to make hitching up a fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailer that much easier. Drop the tailgate and you’ll still have a view of what’s behind the truck. Oh, and speaking of cameras, Super Duty buyers will now be able to get a full 360-degree camera view of their truck and trailer in addition to trailer blind-spot monitoring. A well-equipped Super Duty will even be able to automatically back itself up to a bumper hitch so its driver can just lower the trailer jack, lock the coupling, chain up, connect the harness, and go.
Ford’s been pumping connected vehicles lately, so it shouldn’t be terribly surprising that the new Super Duty has an embedded 5G modem supplied by Qualcomm. With service from AT&T, it can function as a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 10 devices, allow for quick over-the-air updates, and let owners keep track of their trucks through the FordPass app. It’s a nifty little convenience for retail consumers, but that barely scratches the surface of what this truck’s connected nature allows.
Ford has been rather quietly building up its Ford Pro commercial program over the past few years and now it’s ready for prime time. This might be the most important telematics push ever. While telematics don’t offer huge value to retail customers, fleet operators must track several vehicles at a time. To help with this, not only is Ford Pro able to track maintenance and schedule service station visits, it’s able to do a whole lot more.
Let’s start with driver and vehicle monitoring. If you have multiple vehicles across multiple jurisdictions, you’ll probably want alerts on when registration is due. No problem, Ford Pro can handle that. It can also monitor drivers, provide in-vehicle coaching, track vehicle location, and compile fleet service history. A Ford representative told me that Ford Pro will even be able to check driver history, which sounds frightening until you realize that providing driver abstracts is often standard employee procedure. New on the Super Duty is something called Fleet Start Inhibit, which lets fleet operators flick virtual kill switches when vehicles are supposed to be off-duty. This should help close the door on unauthorized vehicle use, not only relieving fleet operators of liability risks but also potentially curtailing drive-away thefts.
What’s Up(Fit) With That?
Then there’s the matter of upfitting. Many commercial operators aren’t just buying a truck, they’re buying a truck with a special box, or a crane, or some other attachment. Ford Pro lets fleet operators finance these upfits along with their trucks, while the new Super Duty’s Upfit Integration System will let drivers safely operate attachments using the native Sync 4 infotainment while streamlining development for upfitters. In the past, upfitters would’ve had to figure out how to intercept vehicle signals to control certain upfit functions. Now, Ford is essentially giving approved upfitters a key to the Super Duty’s electrical system. This should speed up development of attachments while offering certain safety nets. One example Ford gave me was that bucket crane upfitters can lock a new Super Duty in park when the bucket is being operated, preventing an inattentive crew member from bumping the truck out of gear.
Should a fleet operator pop for the full package, there’s so much more to be unlocked. Fuel receipts can be compiled and streamlined using Ford’s software, Ford’s also partnered with Salesforce to bring small and medium-sized business operators a customer relations management program called VIIZR meant for invoicing and customer communication. All these functions could save fleet operators days of tedious paperwork, enhancing productivity and giving the new Super Duty a leg up on commercial competitors.
So then, that’s the 2023 Ford Super Duty. There’s a lot going on with this truck but it really offers something for everyone to like. From towing aids for the weekend warrior to software solutions for fleets, Ford really aims to set new standards in the heavy duty pickup segment. Expect to see a lot of these trucks everywhere starting early in 2023.
All photos courtesy of Ford
I disagree this is a game changer. It’s just more of the same. Ooooo… it now has a bigger/newer gas engine that is at most, slightly more efficient than the previous motor. And of course they’ve upped the power from “more than needed” to “way more than needed”.
Whoop dee doo.
To me, this update is very unimaginative and is nothing special. It shows me that there is still a lot of very backward thinking going on at Ford.
You know what would make it a true game changer?
If they offered this with the hybrid powertrain in the top end F150, along with its ‘mobile generator’ capability. THAT would be far more of a game changer. It would eliminate the need to buy a generator in many cases.
Or if they offered better capability/usability/efficiency without making it bigger and taller.
All I could see here is that they liked the ‘parentheses’ grill from awhile back so much that they made them bigger & more-encompassing. Though I’ll admit this looks better than that one.
But I’m not a target demographic: miles I put on a Ford truck are on company time
Hard disagree on the front end styling. Almost all of those grille styles are hideous. It’s like Ford was so busy one-upping Chevy that they forgot “ugly” is not a category you want to win.
I mean, I get that it’s a work truck and looks don’t matter, but if I’m spending that much on something I don’t want to cringe every time I walk up to it either.
Rather interesting that Ford incorporated GM’s bumper steps and bedside steps into the Super Duty this time around. I guess they got viewed upon favorably by customers, and Ford decided to finally include them. I wonder how long before Ram does the same.
Sounds like too much tech/lux for too much money for me. I hope the base model work trucks come in at a good value. I don’t want to pay for all that extra stuff for something that should be a w/t. How long until the center screen pops up with ads that say “Would you like to schedule your next service appointment will Mel Hamilton Ford?”? Then they say to turn off the in truck ads will cost you extra.
Good thing they included the steps in the sides and the 360 degree cameras, since that thing’s so tall you could fit an entire basketball court in its shadow. How many kids will they be able to line up in front of it before you see the one on the end?
Jeez, these are going to be absolute pains in the ass in the big box store parking lots next year, when some soccer mom takes up sixteen parking spots and wipes out the light poles because she can’t figure out where the edges are.
These things are dang near seven feet tall, 20 feet long, and seven feet wide. It’s three whole feet just to the tailgate! Stop making these things so big!
F250s were 80+” tall in the 1970s with the “Highboys”. The majority of the height increase over older trucks is in larger factory tires.
Trucks have been 75-80″ wide since at least WWII.
Crew cab trucks have been 20 feet long since crew cabs were invented.
Trucks are styled to look bigger than they actually are; this trend has been around since the 1994 Ram.
If there hasn’t been an epidemic of soccer moms crashing trucks in the past (there hasn’t), it’s unlikely to start now in the age of cameras and parking sensors. Get a grip.
The 80s called… Telling you try ks have been big since then and before… Get over it
Does the King Ranch get royalties for every so named version of the truck sold, or was it a one time licensing deal?
I still don’t understand people paying extra to advertise someone else’s business, but to each their own.
Unless Ford tells customers about the place during their sales pitch I’d imagine the vast majority of them have no idea it is a place and consider it just a name.
I don’t think it’s so much a case of “taking less care of your truck.” The entire raison d’etre of the pickup truck is the bed: a utility box for moving stuff that generally isn’t people around. You can be quite conscientious about taking care of your truck, using only the finest fuels and fluids, waxing the thing twice weekly, parking it in a well-upholstered and climate-controlled living room, but once you unload your first cinderblock or refrigerator or palm tree in a barrel, you’ll start to notice the beginning of an accumulation of scratches and dents that, while perfectly respectable and par for the course on a truck, would be heartbreaking on, say, your Viper. Sure, on paper there’s nothing at all stopping the owner of a top-of-the-line King Ranch from using their truck just as hard as any blue-collar landscaper uses their base-model F150, except that when you have so much $$$ invested in the luxury features, you might shrink from spending a weekend hauling rocks and pulling stumps with it.
Put more briefly, would it be a silly attitude to be reluctant to wear a tuxedo while working in a steel mill?
Never in my life I thought I would see “electric oven elements” used as a positive design influence, yet here we are.
To each their own…
Smoke ’em if you got ’em. How much are these loaded models going to cost? As much as a house in most of America. It simply boggles my mind.
Still, they look like they’re going to be amazing. Make mine a diesel crew cab short bed with the XL ORP. In blue please.
Looks nice, but for the price of a new one you could get at least Five Old Reliable Drivers.
I think the cheapest model costs 20x what we paid for our F-250.
Goddamn regular cab duallys just look so boss.
The 6.8L being a 7.3L variant with both shorter stroke (presumably higher revs) and higher compression bodes well for a version of it seeing duty in a Mustang.
I hope they don’t put that fatass engine in the mustang.
It would have to be an aluminum block and tuned differently obviously, but no one complains about LS/LT variants being used in both Chevy trucks and Corvettes.
I do. I complain about GM push rod V8s. Pretty happy about the new Z06 though.
“While that’s all well and good, the off-road package you really want is the new XL Off Road Package. It takes a base-model 4×4 single-rear-wheel work truck and adds 33-inch tires, a high-clearance air dam, skid plates, axle vent tubes meant for water fording, and a locking rear differential. It promises to be exactly as much truck as most people need to actually do truck things. Ford said in an earlier briefing that miners from America’s southwest inspired this option package, so it should be plenty popular.”
This sounds pretty great. I had a 1999 single cab F-250 with a factory off road package, and it handled every task I had for it. It was a great work truck. With a tall bed cap it could go from cargo van to dirt hauler whenever I needed it to.
The headlights on this one are big improvement over the old one. The 2022s have only the lower corner of the grille bar cut and it drives me nuts.
I’m confused. What about this might change commercial trucks forever? A few evolutionary changes and package options? It seems like it will be a good commercial truck, but hardly likely to change the landscape.
Hello from Australia. Yep, that headline is a bit over-the-top. I’ve dialed it back a bit. We hear lots of “this xyz will revolutionize the qrs segment.” It’s rarely true.
This truck has some cool useful features, and given how ubiquitous HD Ford trucks are, I think it’s fine to say it’s a big deal.
Thanks for the feedback!
I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that Ford copied the ugly side steps from GM, or the fact that this kind of attitude made the transition from the old place:
“exactly as much truck as most people need to actually do truck things”
Buy the truck you want, people. Suffering in a vinyl seat XL doesn’t make you virtuous or buy you any brownie points with anyone who matters. Buy a Platinum if that’s what makes you happy. It will do exactly as much work.
Going too nice does make some people reluctant to do work with their truck though. I know my dad wouldn’t get more than an XL because if he did anything more he’d start getting babying it more than he should and it wouldn’t serve its function anymore.
I mean, this isn’t universal or an attitude everyone shares, but there are plenty of people where a Platinum will do significantly less work, not because it can’t do the job, but because they don’t want to hurt their $100k truck.
That’s a silly attitude to have IMO. I wouldn’t all of a sudden take less care of my truck if it were a lower trim.
Regardless, the idea that anyone only “needs” a base model is somehow only trotted out when it comes to trucks, as if a Platinum F350 is some kind of sin that an S class isn’t.
Don’t agree, and I suspect you’re not actually using the truck as a “Work Truck”. I buy a new F250 every 5 years or so for farm use. After 150K of hard use, everything is pretty beat up – it’s a work truck – I dont want to worry about the snow and cow shit I’ve been kneeling in while I drain an abscess staining my baseball stitch leather interior (looking at you King Ranch). I buy XL trim with the offroad and camper package and call it good.
I don’t begrudge anyone buying the truck they want, which is the entire point of my post.
The reality is for a lot of buyers, “work”= towing, not cow shit.
I’m just against this weird idea that truck buyers should buy what they “need”, whatever that means, while buyers of any other kind of vehicle should buy what they want.
Agreed. I had a 2020 Ram 2500 Limited. You literally cannot buy a nicer truck.
I put 36k miles on it towing in one year, and that’s a tiny fraction of what most people towing for a living will do. Sure was nice to be comfortable!
Right, it all comes down to how you define “work.” If it’s towing an RV or boat on the highway, then it makes sense to upgrade to the luxury model.
When I worked in the oil field, having the luxury trim would have given me an aneurysm trying to keep it clean, since I was constantly covered in mud and grease when it was time to go home. The rubber floors on the WT trim were the most important option.
I have vinyl floors and rubber mats in my King Ranch. That seemed like the best of both worlds when I ordered.
Lots of double standards when it comes to specing out a vehicle regarding what the internet deems appropriate.
Q: I’m thinking about power running boards. What do you think?
A: They’re great, super convenient, essential for short people, etc…
Q: I’m thinking about heated/cooled seats. Are they worthwhile?
A: Absolutely, makes for a comfortable ride in the morning, wouldn’t live without them
Q: I’m considering the diesel engine….
Suddenly everyone with a keyboard is running a spreadsheet on the ROI and telling you why it doesn’t make sense unless you tow more than 85% of the time and drive 250,000 miles a year. I’ve never seen anyone run an ROI on their panoramic sunroof though.
There’s definitely a lot of that, but to be fair frequently people saying they’re getting the diesel aren’t saying it’s because they just want it, they’re saying they need it because they tow a 3000# trailer every other month and obviously the massive gas engine can’t handle that. They also throw out the “it gets better MPG” argument, which brings the ROI conversation up.
Sorry for the double post; this was meant to be a response here.
I don’t think it’s so much a case of “taking less care of your truck.” The entire raison d’etre of the pickup truck is the bed: a utility box for moving stuff that generally isn’t people around. You can be quite conscientious about taking care of your truck, using only the finest fuels and fluids, waxing the thing twice weekly, parking it in a well-upholstered and climate-controlled living room, but once you unload your first cinderblock or refrigerator or palm tree in a barrel, you’ll start to notice the beginning of an accumulation of scratches and dents that, while perfectly respectable and par for the course on a truck, would be heartbreaking on, say, your Viper. Sure, on paper there’s nothing at all stopping the owner of a top-of-the-line King Ranch from using their truck just as hard as any blue-collar landscaper uses their base-model F150, except that when you have so much $$$ invested in the luxury features, you might shrink from spending a weekend hauling rocks and pulling stumps with it.
Put more briefly, would it be a silly attitude to be reluctant to wear a tuxedo while working in a steel mill?
I’m an XL truck guy. I use my trucks for work,not daily drivers, and I don’t want to worry about climbing in it when I’m good and dirty, so rubber floors and vinyl seats are preferred. Of course since I just use it when carrying something large, dirty or I need/want the 4wd I don’t put that many miles on them. It does vary from year to year but I’ve averaged about 4,500 miles per year since I’ve owned my current F-250. So yeah I buy used and won’t be owning one of these anytime soon, unless I win big in the lottery.
My dad bought a Silverado HD High Country because he enjoys all the creature comforts & gadgets while towing/hauling. At almost 175,000 miles it still looks practically new except for the inside of the bed, but the foldable tonneau cover hides that.
I get your point about not wanting to scratch up a nice expensive truck, but some folks that spend a lot of time in their truck would rather not have vinyl seats and roll-up windows (if that’s even an option anymore).
Around here there are tons of Super Dutys and HDs the fishermen use to haul enormous boats and trailers full of traps. The boatyards work the commercial trucks, too, and they have to put in some miles to deliver. I see a mix of opulent trims and base trims. Considering the boom and bust of fishing, these people have cash to burn if it’s an up year.