truth about domestics

Word on the street is that Chrysler could be considering moving forward with a smaller, 5.0L Cummins diesel that would go in everything from the Ram 1500 on up to the 3500HD.  If these rumors are true, I think it will be a great step for Chrysler to take.  It might even persuade Ford and GM to kick start their programs again.  Imagine a Ram, Silverado/Sierra, F-150 with a smaller displacement diesel, tons of torque and improved fuel economy?  What’s not to love!?  For more details, head on over to PickupTrucks.com.

(Image source: about.com)

The 2011 Ford Super Duty stands once again atop the heavy duty truck heap.  Even with new offerings out or on the horizon, Dodge and GM can’t seem to keep up.  There are many reasons for this, two of which happen to be Ford’s dedication to truck buyers and their desire to build the best products money can buy.  Just look at this beast!  The all-new, in-house developed 6.7L Scorpion diesel engine cranks out 390 horsepower and a mind-numbing 735 pound feet of torque!  That’s the same amount of torque as 7 Toyota Priuses!  The even more impressive feat is that the new Super Duty is capable of pulling 24,000 pounds when properly equipped, or almost 8 Toyota Priuses!  These new rigs even manage 22 miles per gallon on highway drives.  For the full story, head on over to PickupTrucks.com or Autoblog.com.

(Image source: Ford)

Ford has been talking about its new 2011 Super Duty for over 6 months now, ever since it debuted at the State Fair of Texas.  Well the specifications have finally come out and they are nothing but amazing.  The new 6.7L Scorpion diesel produces 390 hp and a whopping 735 lb-ft of torque!  That’s 85 more lb-ft of torque than the 2010 Super Duty.  Towing is up to 24,400 pounds on the F-450 with a fifth wheel trailer.  Payload is a Toyota-embarrassing 6,520 pounds on the F-350.  Fuel economy is also up, 18% on pickup models and 25% on chassis cab models.  For more details, head on over to PickupTrucks.com or Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

According to Automotive News, the base price for the new 2011 Ford Super Duty will start at $28,995, a fairly large $2,145 more than a 2010 model.  The main differences between the ’10 and ’11 rigs is new styling, an upgraded interior and upgraded powertrains.  PickupTrucks.com states that the new Scorpion 6.7L diesel will set you back a staggering $7,835.  Power ratings have not been announced yet but Ford is claiming best-in-class horsepower, torque, and fuel economy.  For more details, head on over to Autoblog.

(Image source: Ford)

I would like to extend a congratulations to Ford Motor Company.  They recently produced their 7 millionth Ford Ranger compact pickup truck at their St. Paul, Minnesota assembly plant.  The Ranger has been on the road for 28 years, being basically mildly upgraded many, many times over the years to its current state.  The Ranger will be phased out in 2011 though, to make room for either a smaller F-150 or just a more fuel efficient F-150.  For more details and interesting facts, head on over to PickupTrucks.com.

(Image source: Ford)

In an earlier post we mentioned a little challenge that GM’s Tom Stephens threw at Ford.  Stephens challenged Ford to a heavy-duty truck tug-of-war to prove who’s heavy duty truck is really the best.  Well, Ford has responded with a thanks, but no thanks, instead saying that they will let truck sales do the talking, posting a link to an article showing that Ford’s F-Series trucks have been the best selling trucks for 33 years and counting.  For more details, head on over to PickupTrucks.com.

(Image source: Ford)

In what is possibly the best automotive challenge I have ever heard of, Tom Stephens, GM’s vice chairman of global product operations, has challenged Ford to a heavy duty truck tug-o-war.  While it’s purely speculation at this point, Stephens made the statement three times to Mike Levine, so he has contacted Ford for their response.  There has been no word yet on Ford’s end, so stay tuned!  For more, head on over to PickupTrucks.com!

(Image source: GM)

According to PickupTrucks.com, we will be seeing the new 2011 Chevy Silverado Heavy Duty, and possibly the GMC Sierra Heavy Duty too!  These trucks should feature some revised sheetmetal, an upgraded chassis and a new 6.6L Duramax diesel that meets new 2010 emissions regulations, most likely with a urea injection system like the 2011 Ford Super Duty and its new 6.7L Scorpion diesel uses.

(Image source: GM)

According to Bill Frykman, Ford Work Solutions product and business development manager, the data on Ford’s Crew Chief system show that driver behaviors are actually being modified!  For those of you who don’t know, Ford Work Solutions and the Crew Chief application allow you to track the vehicles in your fleet to determine cost saves, and also montior the routes a driver took, the time the engine is idling and the top speed of the vehicle.

Frykman even goes to say that they have seen a 20% improvement in fuel efficiency simply because the driver knows they are being tracked.  Ford Work Solutions would be a great addition to any fleet and it’s yet another technology that the foreign automakers don’t even come close to offering.  The Work Solutions package could also be merged in with Ford’s Sync technology to offer voice control for the system.  For more details, head on over to PickupTrucks.com.

(Image source: Ford)

According to a report from PickupTrucks.com, Ford Motor Company plans to offer an F-150 with a V6 engine again.  That engine will be the 3.7L V6 that will be found in the 2011 Mustang and Lincoln MKX and should be good for around 300 horsepower and 23-24 miles per gallon!  Also stated in the article is the notion that Ford plans to offer the F-150 with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 as well.  2010 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for Ford indeed!

(Image source: Ford)