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Ford's 2020 Heavy Duty F-Series Will be Top Dog in Power with New V-8 Engine

You'll hear words like behemoth, gigantic and massive describing Ford's new 7.3-Liter V8. Ford describes it as best-in-class for horsepower and torque.

Ford’s F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle for more than four decades and Ford intends to stay the “Big Dog” in the big truck arena with the all-new 7.3-liter engine designed for its 2020 Super Duty F-250 and F-350 trucks. The massive beast will produce 430 horsepower and best-in-class 475 ft.-lb. of torque.

Big Torque and Power Numbers for a Big Truck

The numbers sound low when compared to the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500’s 760 horsepower, but for a big truck, the numbers are impressive. The huge engine is designed for durability and capability to haul a huge load. Nearly all of the Super Duty truck buyers say they intend to use their truck for towing at some point, whether it is for work or pleasure.

“The 7.3-liter is designed for maximum durability in the harshest environments given that our customers live and work in these conditions every day,” said Joel Beltramo, Ford manager for gas V8 engines. “This engine has the largest displacement in its class and is designed to provide benefits in key areas like power, durability, ease of maintenance and total operating costs.”

2020 F-250 Super Duty Will Also Get a New 10-Speed Transmission

The new engine will be paired with an all-new heavy-duty 10-speed transmission. The massive engine will be an option on 2020 F-Series Super Duty pickup, standard on F-550, F-600, F-650 and F-750 Medium Duty trucks and E-Series, as well as F-53 and F-59 stripped chassis

The all-new 7.3-liter will be available first in 2020 Super Duty F-250 and F-350 pickup models. It joins the 6.2-liter V8 gas engine in Super Duty’s lineup, along with the upgraded 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8. At this point, Ford is not releasing fuel economy or towing and payload numbers. Those numbers are expected to be released later this year, along with numbers for the upgraded 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel.

New 7.3-Liter Engine Will Be Standard for All Big Ford Trucks

Ford says a version of the 7.3-liter V8 which produces slightly lower power and torque numbers will be standard on Ford’s even larger trucks like the F-450, F-550, F-600, F-650 and F-750 Medium Duty trucks.

The upgraded E-Series will also feature the 7.3-liter V8. An optional calibration intended to help customers reduce their fuel consumption will also be offered; more information will be made available at a later date.

Ford says that for F-250 through F-600 models the 7.3-liter engine is paired with the all-new Ford-designed and Ford-built 10-speed heavy-duty TorqShift® automatic transmission. All other commercial models will keep the TorqShift® heavy-duty 6-speed automatic transmission.

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