2008 FORD SUPER DUTY

SEMA eNews, Vol. 9, No. 51 – December 27, 2006

2008 FORD SUPER DUTY IN PRODUCTION AND SOON TO SELL

Ford recently announced that it invested $65 million in its Kentucky Truck Plant in order to produce the 2008 F-Series Super Duty pickup truck line.  The first pickup just rolled off the assembly line on December 18, which is scheduled to hit the market in the latter half of first-quarter 2007.

In all, the ’08 Super Duty lineup will be available in 12 wheel bases; five different axle ratios; three different engine choices and either a manual or automatic transmission, says Robert Keller, marketing manager-Super Duty.  New for ’08 is a 6.4L Power Stroke diesel engine producing 350 hp and 650 lb.-ft. (881 Nm) of torque. The mill features Ford’s new clean-diesel technology, which includes piezo-hydraulic electric fuel injectors and a filter system that reduces particulate output 90% more than its predecessor.  The 6.4L diesel boasts two turbochargers: a small unit for initial launch and a larger turbo to boost power through the middle of the torque curve.

The new mill propels the Super Duty 0-60 mph (97 km/h) one second faster than the outgoing 6.0L, Ford says.  Traditionally, the take rate for diesel in the segment has been 75%, a spokesman says, adding that Ford has similar expectations for the ’08 model. The standout among the ’08 Super Duty lineup is the new F-450, which offers towing capacity in excess of 24,000 lbs. (10,000 kg) and a maximum payload of more than 6,000 lbs. (2,722 kg). The Super Duty exterior gets a “big rig” look, something Ford says its customers have asked for. The large grille and lowered headlights made the engineers’ job easier, providing more grille surface to better cool the big engines.

The typical Super Duty buyer is a “male in his mid- to late-40s, who believes in America, is typically a contractor and uses his truck for work and for his family,” Keller says, adding that about 85% of Super Duty buyers are men.  Roughly 40% of total F-Series sales are Super Duty models, and that statistic should hold up for the ’08 model as well, Ford says.

Through November, Ford sold 46,288 medium-duty F-Series pickups, according to Ward’s data.

Source: Byron Pope, “Ford Begins Production of ’08 Super Duty Pickups,” WardsAuto, www.wardsauto.com