Heavy-duty pickup trucks are built for tough jobs — construction, utilities, mining, emergency services. The newly redesigned 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty hopes to be a better tool for hard work, with new features to help manage trailers, keep fleets maintained, and even give hard-working people a place to relax. Let’s dive into everything new with the 2023 Ford Super Duty.
2023 Ford Super Duty: Gas and Diesel Engine Options
Ford gave the Super Duty two V8 engines for 2023, though the company hasn’t yet announced power figures for either engine. The rumored 6.8-liter V8 gas engine has been officially confirmed, replacing the old 6.2-liter gas V8 as the standard-equipment powerplant on the new Super Duty. Despite the increase in displacement, Ford insists the new gasser will match or exceed the fuel efficiency of the outgoing engine, as well as offering more low-end torque than the V8 it replaces. The 7.3-liter gas V8 is optional, packing “best gas horsepower and torque in the class,” though again, no specific output figures have been released.
For diesel options, Ford will offer two versions of the 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo V8, a standard version and a High Output spec with an upgraded turbo and improved exhaust manifold for yet another unspecified “best horsepower and torque in the class” rating.
All drivetrains will use Ford’s 10-speed TorqShift automatic transmission, with four-wheel drive standard on XLT and higher trims. Cab-and-chassis models will come standard with a power take-off for industrial equipment. Underpinning all this heavy-duty power is a stiffer high-strength steel frame.
2023 Ford Super Duty: Trailer Towing and Technology
New on Super Duty for 2023 is Ford’s Trailer Navigation, a GPS system that allows you to input your trailer dimensions and weight, planning the best route to minimize clearance issues or too-tight turns. Cameras all around the new Super Duty give you a view from all sides while towing, and optionally, you can mount cameras inside your trailer to check on your cargo from the driver’s seat.
Ford Super Duty chief engineer Andrew Kernahan says hitching and towing has never been easier, thanks to new features that virtually eliminate blind spots while towing even the longest trailers. “Camera views provide every angle, from simulating a drone to making sure customers can see behind the truck even when the tailgate is down,” he said.
Working in conjunction with Ford’s new Blind Spot Information System, the 360-degree Trailer Camera System helps drivers see all the way around their trailers. There’s also a first-ever camera integrated into the top edge of the Super Duty’s tailgate, so you can have a functional back-up camera and reverse proximity sensor even when the tailgate is down — perfect for hitching up a fifth-wheel trailer. Optional blind-spot sensors can be attached to your trailer to warn you when a vehicle is in your blind spot.
For commercial customers, the new Super Duty makes it easy to add on aftermarket work equipment. Ford’s new Upfit Integration System (UIS) allows the truck to communicate seamlessly with electronically-controlled equipment like plows or cherry pickers, allowing the driver to control this aftermarket equipment directly from the in-dash touchscreen. To accomplish this, Ford worked with Super Duty fleet owners to allow factory-style integration of more than 150 pieces of popular aftermarket industrial equipment. Ford plans to keep working with aftermarket outfitters to broaden the portfolio of compatible equipment.
Ford says the new 2023 Super Duty is the first pickup truck in the U.S. available with built-in 5G cellular connectivity. Provided by AT&T, the 5G connection is said to improve GPS navigation and music downloads, and can provide WiFi for up t0 10 connected devices. Ford also says the 5G connection will help owners keep their vehicles up to date via Ford Power Up over-the-air updates.
Finally, Ford brought its Pro Power Onboard generator system to the new Super Duty for 2023. When activated, the engine will run to provide up to 2 kW of power to plug in jobsite equipment or accessories for camping or tailgating.
2023 Ford Super Duty: Interior and Electronics
Inside, the center console has been lowered by nearly an inch for better comfort, with a wireless phone charging pad that keeps your phone visible to make it easier to use navigation apps while charging.
The Super Duty now gains a feature first seen on the consumer-spec F-150: Max Recline, which allows the front seats to lay completely flat for a quick rest. A small cushion even raises to fill the gap between the seatback and bottom. (Note to competing automakers: Every vehicle should have this option.)
At the rear, the Super Duty gets another handy feature previously found on the consumer-grade F-150: OnBoard Scales with Smart Hitch, which uses an LED array in the taillight to give you a rough idea of how much payload you’ve loaded into the bed, and how close you are to reaching the maximum payload rating for your truck.
The Super Duty F-Series trucks also come with new appearance packages: STX, Sport and... Black. A new XL Off-Road Package is available on single-rear-wheel F-250 and F-350 models, bringing 33-inch tires, a high-clearance front air dam, skid plates, and an electronic locking rear differential. For even more serious off-roading, the Tremor Off-Road Package brings a beefy Dana front axle with a limited-slip differential, raised front suspension, and 35-inch tires.
2023 Ford Super Duty: Fleet Management
For commercial and municipal customers, Ford offers its new Pro Fleet Management Software and Telematics. The software helps keep track of maintenance schedules across a large fleet of trucks, and can even remotely prevent a truck from being started outside of a set daily or weekly schedule, so your employees can’t “borrow” your work truck for weekend errands. Fleet customers will have access to an ever-growing network of 700 Mobile Service Vans and 650 Commercial Vehicle Centers, tackling scheduled maintenance and unscheduled repairs wherever and whenever it’s most convenient.
The 2023 F-Series Super Duty will be built at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, and will go on sale in early 2023. Pricing and more detailed specs will be available closer to launch.
