2023 Ford Super Duty boasts a class-leading 40,000-pound towing capacity

Ford is renewing its claim as king of the heavy-duty hill by releasing more details this week about the capabilities of the 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty. With a powerful new 1,200-pound diesel engine and revisions to its gasoline options, the big pickup now boasts a class-leading 40,000-pound towing rating and up to 8,000 pounds of payload, depending on configuration.

The Super Doots’ optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbodiesel engine returns for the 2023 model year with its 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb.-ft. torque at standby. Now, however, it’s joined by a new high-powered variant that boosts output to 500 hp. and 1,200 lb.-ft. of torque, good enough to claim best-in-class performance for Ford.

The 6.7-liter HO diesel engine powers Ford’s class-leading 40,000-pound maximum towing capacity for the regular cab F-450 dual-rear-wheel configuration with the Max Towing Package and the conventional 30,000-pound towing rating for the F -450 Crew Cab . It also takes home the best bacon in the subclass for F-350/3500-segment gooseneck and conventional towing (38,000 and 28,000 pounds, respectively), as well as the F-250’s 23,000-pound crown.

Big changes can also be found on the petrol-powered side of the F-Series’ options sheet. The old 6.2-liter base V8 has been replaced by a new 6.8-liter unit that makes approximately 405 hp. (20 more ponies than before) and 445 lb.-ft. of torque (an increase of 15 lb.-ft.) Meanwhile, the 7.3-liter overhead-valve gas V8 gets a 10-lb.-ft. stroke, now rated at 430 hp. (unchanged) and 485 lb.-ft. of torque. The high-displacement gasoline configuration claims another best-in-class 8,000-pound payload gain when matched against the dual-rear F-350 chassis with regular cab 4X2 and the heavy-duty package.

Available on-board scales dynamically measure the weight of the bed as you load it, somewhat idiot-proofed by the generous payload capabilities, and an optional smart hitch helps balance heavy trailers. The 2023 Super Duty also comes with Ford’s Pro Trailer Hitch steering assist that helps with hitching, a 360-degree trailer camera package that helps with tight maneuvers, and turn-by-turn trailer navigation that selects routes that are trailer friendly – – avoiding narrow roads and unnecessarily tight turns whenever possible.

Inside, the standard FordPass Connect, which powers the Wi-Fi hotspot and associated sync features, has been upgraded with a 5G modem. Joining the options list in spring 2023 are Tailgate Down Camera and Reverse Park Aid technologies, which allow the rear camera and parking distance sensors to function properly when the pickup’s tailgate is open.

Orders for the 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty begin today, starting at $45,765 (including destination) for the base-spec F-250 XL ($3,525 jump from last year, but which comes with a larger, more powerful base engine and more standard features), with the first examples expected to reach dealerships in early 2023.