New Ford F-600 Super Duty Enters A Space Where No GM Truck Has Yet To Go
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The new Ford F-600 Super Duty Chassis Cab made its official debut at The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis this week – with the F-Series now entering territory that neither Chevrolet nor GMC have yet to go.
General Motors crosstown rivals say new F-600 fills the “sweet spot” between the F-550 and F-650. The body and chassis are the same size as a Class 5 F-550, but the F-600 uses a beefier driveline and some other more robust chassis components that give it a higher GVWR of up to 22,000 lbs. It also gets higher-weight-rated 19.5-inch tires and wheels to help deal with all that extra weight that may be onboard.
Ford F-600’s upgraded wheels.
All engines from the Super Duty range are offered in the F-600, including two gas engines, a 6.2-liter V8 and Ford’s new 7.3-liter V8, along with the third-generation of its 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8. Ford’s new 10-speed TorqShift automatic transmission is available across the range, with the six-speed automatic serving as the base transmission.
The F-600’s 22,000 lb GVWR makes it unique in that it slots in between a Class 5 truck, which are rated at 19,500 lbs, and a Class 6 truck, which usually have a max GVWR of 26,000 lbs. This gives Ford’s fleet customers additional weight rating without having to step up to the rather massive Ford F-650. The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 5500 Medium Duty has a max GVWR of 19,500 lbs in its most robust specification.
“With F-600, customers no longer have to choose between a truck that doesn’t have enough payload to carry all the tools they need to a job site and a truck that’s too big,” Ford said in a release. “The Built Ford Tough F-600 stands poised to go where bigger trucks can’t.”
2019 Chevrolet Silverado Medium Duty
Ford now stands alone among the Big Three in offering a truck of this sort, with the new 2019 Ram HD also only offering a Class 5 weight rated truck.
Chevrolet’s new generation of medium duty trucks began arriving at dealerships in late 2018 and are available to order now.
(source: Ford Authority)
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While logic would say General Motors needs to consider building a 7.0L variant of their 6.2 Liter V8 EcoTec3 L86 engine; another approach could build a variation of the LT4 supercharged 6.2L V8 to be tuned to outgun Ford’s 7.0L V8 while getting better mileage.
This story makes it sound like GM has been out gunned…..the 6500 HD Silverado has higher GVW ratings than this and still has the smaller truck form factor (a pickup cab vs something larger). This is Fords response to the 6500 Chevy beating their prior top F series (small form) offering (by a lot). Interesting to see how their HD ten speed does vs the GM Allison/not Allison 10 speed.
This is Ford reacting to the shorter wheelbase variants of the impressive new Silverado 6500HD (with available 4×4).
This F-600 is a quick and dirty response to the Silverado 6500! Ford sees the highest rated Silverado medium duty has the capacity of their larger F-650, but in a smaller more maneuverable truck. So, Ford changes the nameplates of their F-550, puts bigger tires on it, and presto! Yeah, Ford spent a lot of money on that one…….
Was this article written by Ford marketing? Comparing the 5500HD and F-600 is totally disingenuous.
This is the 6500HD’s opponent.
F-250 = 2500HD
F-350 = 3500HD
F-450 = 4500HD
F-550 = 5500HD
F-600 = 6500HD
F-650, F-750 = A Topkick/Kodiak if that still existed.
From my F-550 experiences I think this F-600 will probably ride like crap, I don’t think it has air ride offered like the Silverado MD trucks do.
No, the article was written by those who understand the positioning of each vehicle… and the fact remains that the F-600 does not have a rival from GM, at least not at the moment.
A GM rival to the new F-600 would be a Silverado 3500 Heavy Duty with beefed up suspension, frame, and drivetrain. Such a vehicle currently does not exist. Moreover, the F-650 is pretty comparable to the Silverado 6500HD Medium Duty in terms of its positioning, price, and capability.
Now, the Super Duty might ride like crap, but that hasn’t prevented Ford from having the best-selling Heavy Duty pickup truck lineup in the Super Duty line, accounting for 50% of all HD truck sales. GM could potentially learn something from Ford not from a product standpoint, but from a positioning standpoint. Ford fills out every market niche it can with its trucks, from the F-150 to the F-750… while GM cherry picks segments, which ultimately costs them sales from commercial customers who just want to buy their trucks from a single full-line OEM. As it currently stands, Ford has a full(er) line of trucks than GM.
So no, nothing from Ford marketing or any of that conspiracy theory crap. Just good reasoning and logic.
“A GM rival to the new F-600 would be a Silverado 3500 Heavy Duty with beefed up suspension, frame, and drivetrain.”
No it would not. That would be a rival to a Ford F450.
The Chevy 4500HD-6500HD aims square at the F450-F600, and Ram 4500-5500.
F650 and F750 are above the Chevy 4500HD-6500HD GVWR all day long with GVWR ranging from 22,000lbs up to 37,000lbs.
Ram 4500-5500 GVWR range from 16,000-19,500lbs.
Ford F450-F600 GVWR top out at 22,000lbs.
The Chevy 4500HD-6500HD are GVWR ranged from 15,000lbs-23,500lbs. Square at Ford and Ram, and just tickling the low end of the F650.
Although GM has an F-650 style truck in terms of its appearance (full size truck cab, huge front work, straight frame, optional air suspension, etc.), it competes DIRECTLY with the F450-F600 and Ram offerings.
Chevy’s truck is priced right in line with Ford and Ram when you add the diesel engine to those two. Remember, Chevy is Duramax only right now. MSRP base for a Chevy 4500HD is $46,970. An F-450 base with the Powerstroke starts at $48,145, and a Ram 4500 starts at $47,735 and thats with the Cummins and 6 speed manual. Add the Aisin automatic and it starts at $49,335.
The ONLY thing I see GM is missing, is a GAS ENGINE.
Started a reply to Alex but you said what I would say. I think it’s also important to add that the F-450-600 C&Cs are not beefed up F-350s. They are wholly different. Frames, axles, suspensions, engines/engine ratings, basically, the most they have in common is the look of the cab and hood.
If the 6500HD was a true rival to the F-650, it would have an even bigger frame, air brakes optional, ride on 22.5s, and compete with the likes of the Durastar/MV International and the M2 106 Freightliner.
It’s important to note the only good reason that the non-Pro Loader F-650 drops down to 26k GVWR is CDL requirements. If you have a 26k and under truck you don’t need a CDL driver.
I agree 100% on the 6500hd. Not sure why GM didn’t stretch it closer to 26000lbs GVWR, or if they went that high with the GVWR, have the higher rated trucks run the bigger gear underneath.
With all due respect Alex….if you think the F600 compares with a 3500 and that the 6500HD only compares with the F650/750 and somehow this half step of a weight rating class is news…. you guys shouldn’t write about commercial vehicles.
As a commercial vehicle buyer and user who looks beyond press releases….the F600 is an attempt to compete with 6500HD…both are small form small frame trucks. The F650/750 are large form factor trucks that GM has no rival to. Don’t believe me….go talk to a fleet manager at a utility company and ask him how they look at it (they buy both) and they will tell you the same thing.
My prediction is that is a few years, GM will have figured out what Ford did when Ford walked (err, RAN) away from the Blue Diamond joint-venture with Navistar/International. Navistar will blame any failing on GM and GM will defend their position but it will still have a GM logo on the grille….GM would have been worlds ahead by just buying Caterpillers truck line and making it their own….this GM/Navistar/International joint venture is doomed for failure because of Navistar…
anybody know what the front end will be on f600 4×4? and what the rear will be?…….