The car business is always making headlines. One of the sources for a big portion of the North American truck-buying public is the latest crop of full-size heavy (and super) duty artillery being doled up by the Detroit 3. The latest is the subject of this preview.
Now forget about the outer shell, it is inconsequential, or is it? We'll see about that... Some minor cosmetic enhancements were made but let's skip ahead to the juicy bits. Where the new GM HDs strut new stuff is under their shinny shells. First off, the chassis or frame. Now fully boxed, it shares only its name with the previous truck's platform as its new found rigidity distances it from the old. Adding to that is a seriously revised suspension, both front and back. For example, front mounting points are reinforced and it is obvious when both are visually compared.
Beyond the increased stiffness on which all is assembled, GM did the wise thing by beefing up the braking system. Consisting in 14-inch (355 mm) on all models, they are required to support the HD's increased capacity.
“How increased?” you might ask. Here are a few specs to get you salivating:
With the right equipment, you can expect segment-leading towing capacity of 21,700 lb or 9,843 kg. How about competition-leading payload (6,635 lb or 3,009 kg)? More? Top-in-group conventional trailer tow rating of 17,000 lb or 7,711 kg. For those that really love to tow, consider the segment-busting fifth-wheel trailer tow rating of 21,700 lb or 9,843 kg. I think you're starting to get the picture.
The real kicker, as far as I'm concerned, is the thouroughly revised 6.6L Duramax turbo diesel V8. Ford's own Power Stroke was a monster on paper and on the road. The Duramax takes the Power Stoke head on, at least on paper, for now. Rated at 397 hp (296 kW) and 765 lb.-ft. of torque (1,037 Nm), the Big D out-does the PS by 7 and 40 respectively. Other niceties include up to 11% greater highway fuel economy and up to 63% lower emissions thanks to diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), also known as urea. The larger gas tank and improved fuel economy numbers permit a near 700-mile (1,125 km) autonomy between fill-ups. Talk about going the distance.
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| Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com |
Now forget about the outer shell, it is inconsequential, or is it? We'll see about that... Some minor cosmetic enhancements were made but let's skip ahead to the juicy bits. Where the new GM HDs strut new stuff is under their shinny shells. First off, the chassis or frame. Now fully boxed, it shares only its name with the previous truck's platform as its new found rigidity distances it from the old. Adding to that is a seriously revised suspension, both front and back. For example, front mounting points are reinforced and it is obvious when both are visually compared.
Beyond the increased stiffness on which all is assembled, GM did the wise thing by beefing up the braking system. Consisting in 14-inch (355 mm) on all models, they are required to support the HD's increased capacity.
“How increased?” you might ask. Here are a few specs to get you salivating:
With the right equipment, you can expect segment-leading towing capacity of 21,700 lb or 9,843 kg. How about competition-leading payload (6,635 lb or 3,009 kg)? More? Top-in-group conventional trailer tow rating of 17,000 lb or 7,711 kg. For those that really love to tow, consider the segment-busting fifth-wheel trailer tow rating of 21,700 lb or 9,843 kg. I think you're starting to get the picture.
The real kicker, as far as I'm concerned, is the thouroughly revised 6.6L Duramax turbo diesel V8. Ford's own Power Stroke was a monster on paper and on the road. The Duramax takes the Power Stoke head on, at least on paper, for now. Rated at 397 hp (296 kW) and 765 lb.-ft. of torque (1,037 Nm), the Big D out-does the PS by 7 and 40 respectively. Other niceties include up to 11% greater highway fuel economy and up to 63% lower emissions thanks to diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), also known as urea. The larger gas tank and improved fuel economy numbers permit a near 700-mile (1,125 km) autonomy between fill-ups. Talk about going the distance.
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| Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com |