What is it? The Super Duty line of trucks ranging from the 3/4-ton F-250 to the F-550 has been completely redesigned. The F-250 to F-450 are available as pickups or chassis cabs with pickup cabins. The F-450 and F-550 chassis-cabs come with van cabs.
What's new or notable? The redesigned Super Duties offer a choice of either a 6.2-liter gasoline V8, or an all-new 6.7-liter turbocharged diesel V8.
The gas V8 has variable-valve timing and twin spark plugs and will run on either gas or E85 ethanol. The turbodiesel uses a new compacted graphite iron cylinder block and a new type of turbocharger with a two-sided compressor and variable nozzle for quicker power delivery. It incorporates new diesel emissions control technologies including urea injection and is certified to run on up to 20 percent biodiesel. It also breathes "backwards," with external intake and the exhaust system in the engine's "V."
The Super Duty line also uses a new wide-ratio six-speed automatic transmission, mated to either engine.
A new customizable LCD screen can be configured to display gauges, the trip computer, or a series of data on off-road driving and towing, such as turning radius or preset towing parameters for multiple trailers.
Of course the Super Duty also offers Ford's Sync and MyKey systems.
CR's take: Ford claims this gives the diesel best-in-class fuel economy, but when we tested a 2008 version, we found it got only 10 mpg overall, the worst of three diesel-powered 3/4-ton domestic pickups.
