Evolution of the Ford Super Duty
The Super Duty line of heavy duty pickups has remained one of the best choices for high performance trucks in the North American market for almost two decades. Learn more about its different incarnations throughout its production and see why it still lives up to the “Built Ford Tough” slogan.
First generation (1999–2007)
Styled by the same man who designed the 1997 Ford F-150, the Super Duty was born sharing no similar exterior parts to its non-heavy-duty counterpart and was also produced with three different cab configurations: two door standard, 2+2 door SuperCab, and a four-door crew cab. Meanwhile, features design elements inspired from other pickup trucks from its time, such as the 1994 Dodge Ram and Ford LTL-9000, incorporating a large grille, raised hoodline, and low fenders. For it’s base equipment, it featured a 5.4L Triton V8 engine that produced only up to 255 horsepower and 350 lb-ft torque and was paired with a 4R100 transmission.
Second generation (2008–2010)
In 2007, the second-generation Super Duty was unveiled for its 200 year model. It featured a brand-new 6.4L Power Stroke Diesel V8 engine, correcting a lot of the previous issues with the available 6.0L incarnation from last generation and produced up to 350 horsepower and 650 lb-ft. torque. Ford also introduced a new “Rapid Heat Supplemental Cab Heater” technology that quickly raised the cabin temperature to comfortable conditions until the engine warmed up to heat it itself. Meanwhile, the FX4 off road package became a featured model of its own for this generation, carrying over the same specs and trim packages as the last one.
Third generation (2011–2016)
For the third generation of the Ford Super Duty, it received a a complete design overhaul with a larger exterior, bigger front fascia, and even bigger engines to compete with other heavy-duty pickup trucks on the market. Almost every engine in the Super Duty lineup received an upgrade, including the 6.8L Triton V10 engine with 362 horsepower and 457 lb-ft. of torque, while the PowerStroke engine went from a 6.4L to a 6.7L and produced an overwhelming 440 horsepower and 860 lb-ft torque.
Fourth generation (2017–present)
The latest generation of the Super Duty marked one of the biggest updates to the model since its debut in 1998. The all-new Super Duty was built with a 95% high-strength steel frame and a high-strength military grade aluminum alloy body, like the F-150. Speaking of which, this iteration also marked the first time since 1999 that both the Super Duty and the F-150 were built with the same cab, the same interior design, and didn’t feature the stand-alone front grille and stepped front fenders.