The new medium duty design actually looks okay. I do question the choice of offering the Powerstroke now instead of the Cummins. The issue is that I think they may be doing it solely because continuing to offer the Cummins makes the Powerstroke look like less of an engine or inferior. If customers see the same engine in medium duty trucks as their own, it gives them an overall better impression of their trucks.

Back when the 6.0 and 6.4 Powerstrokes were around, there was good reason not to offer them in the medium duty trucks. I think a lot of people though that it was ironic that medium duty Fords had a Cummins and not a then International/Navistar engine. I think the 6.7 Powerstroke is more than capable of doing medium duty work, but if it ends up being less reliable than a Cummins, there are going to be angry customers.

@HEMI MONSTER - it makes no sense for Ford to outsource engines. They increase profits through economies of scale.

So they are less powerful overall than the Cummins 360 @ 2600 and 800 ft·lbs @ 1800 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_F-650. Now you don't get the Allison tranny any more either. Who knows doing it all in house may save ford money and workout for the best.

@Lou BC
I'm not saying that Ford should outsource engines. I was just speculating on what caused them to go with the Powerstroke after all these years. If it can hold up to medium duty work, then that's great. Like I was saying earlier, with the issues with the 6.0 and 6.4 Powerstroke engines, Ford had good reason to go with the Cummins. As a side note, I don't think that outsourcing is necessarily bad. The Dodge/Cummins relationship saved the Ram from oblivion and I suspect it will help revitalize the Nissan trucks.

@AD
It may work out for the best, or it may not. I think it depends on how well the Powerstroke performs and whether or not it's reliable and cost effective to maintain.

Actually, the current F-650/750s are "outsourced" completely. Except for the cab and V-10, they're Navistar trucks, hecho'd en Mexico. The Power Strokes aren't even a possibility, currently.

This move will bring the trucks closer to an all Ford build, and of course, made in the US.

Wonder where GM is?

Dmax Fan was saying GM mediums would be back in 2017. Wonder if there is any truth to that.

This move by Ford is good. This will move the truck further away from Navistar. As we all know Ford and Navistar have had some differences.

As for the content of the truck. I don't think Ford really cares about where the content of the truck comes from so long as it's in NAFTA.

It seems Mexican trucks are as good as US assembled trucks, or they wouldn't be manufactured there.

I really like those Powerstrokes.

The interior looks little chintzy. I wonder how durable it is?

It will be interesting to see what trucks would come from the Eurozone when the US gets it FTA with the EU sorted out.

My 2013 6.7 powerstroke has been very good. So far I have 8K miles on it with most of them towing heavy.

Although I only have a F350 DRW I think the motor is ready for the med duty platform.

I am currently towing around 18K and it handles it well.

Will you even notice 25 lb/ft in a truck like this?

Nope.

Waste of time. Go Ford!

@AD, @hemimonster, @LouBC

re: outsource or not?

It always comes down to a case-by-case analysis.

If outsourcing was ALWAYS the answer, nobody would build anything inhouse. Ever.

@PUTC

Speaking of 3 engine options:

today Autoweek is publishing 2015 mustang prices for base model and upgrades.

The turboV6 option in the base mustang only adds 1500 dollars or so to the sticker. Cheap horsepower.

Does anyone know if the turbo upgrade on the XL F150 is only 1500 bucks?

I sat in that truck at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indy, the outward visibility is awful. At least in comparison to the Freightliner M2 trucks that I am used to driving. I'm sure that these are more cost effective, but I sure didn't like sitting in it. Just my two cents.

Ford is going backwards in the transmission department. The TorqShift does not match up to the Allison 2000 and 3000 series transmissions. It may work in a F350, F450, and F550, but in a F650 and F750 no way.

Ford Motor Company makes some really sharp vehicles!

@Buy American or say Bye to America
This is quite a low tech truck technologically.

It is far from sharp. Just look at the suspension and braking.

It's a cheap truck for a business to use.

I wish Ford would offer these with factory 4x4. When we bought our 750's we had to buy the chassis, then have it sent to one upfitter for the body, then another for 4x4. It took forever to get a finished truck.

Also sad to see they no longer offer a stick. The 7 speed handshaker they used to offer was a nice transmission.

why have power levels so close? at least i would say; 300 hp and 700 lb-ft, 350 hp and 750 lb-ft, 400 hp and 800 lb-ft.

looks like they could have put the air brakes parking button near the diver for easy reach not on the dang floor.

@DenverlllMike - Ford is supposed to be bringing these trucks in house.

@Lou_BC - You're right, I meant to say they would be built in house. They'll be built at the Avon Lake, Ohio plant, as they end the Econoline van production there.

@DenverlllMike -

The world is going to end.

We finally agree on something.

LOL

@DenverlllMike -

The world is going to end.

We finally agree on something.

LOL

A site glitch. I did not double post that.

Lou, You agree with him on a lot of things, but you changed when you decided to join BAFO's Small Pickup Alliance in cyber bullying people. That guy is a loser and a fraud. He's not even from Australia but from NJ. What does he know about trucks? Not much. Think for yourself.

@Tom
It appears you have a liking for DiM.

But, just because a guy states what you like to hear versus reality then you have issues.

You must learn to differentiate between falsities and truths.

Making false statements isn't really conducive to good debate.

Integrity and creed must come into play, along with sincerity.

A hard concept for some who blog here to comprehend.

Sounds like a plan, Ford! The Powerstroke will be a good replacement and will only become more bullet-proof with time.

What an outdated turd, just like its little brothers, the Super Duty and F-150. Must be Ford does not have enough money in their R&D budgets to come out with a completely new truck.

So thats where the GMD dies went. It looks like a GM C Series with a different grill.

@Tom - small pickup alliance? WTF? As I have pointed out before, I've owned small, 1/2 ton and HD trucks. I buy what meets my needs. I spent 21 years driving various 1 ton ambulance units.
Trade barriers whether they be direct or technical in nature have helped shape the USA auto industry. That is the only point I have supported.
I have nothing against any pickup as long as it meets the needs of the buyer.

@Lou_BC - Market-trends are the only thing that dictates what's for sale. Doesn't matter if you're talking pickup trucks, clothing or flat-screens.

But do explains how "trade barriers" "shaped" the '80s mini-truck craze/fad/invasion???

"Wtf" is right... You make zero sense here.

Mazda, Mitsu, Isuzu and Kodak were caught with slow selling products when their markets went elsewhere. Toyota and Nissan at least tried to join in the fullsize market. But that's not necessarily where mini-truck buyers went. Hint: SUVs

Trade barriers are fair and equal to all OEMs from all places. If Zenith chose to stick to projection TVs, that's on them.

@Buy American - This class of trucks don't need constant cosmetic changes. You're thinking like a Camry target buyer. The same is true for HD pickup class and to some degree, light trucks.

Fleet buyers especially, want to pull parts off their retired or wrecked trucks, for their current trucks. Same with switching their old service beds and equipment/accessories off their old trucks when they get new trucks.

But F-650/750s will get the new generation of Super Duty pickup cabs, a year after the change.

power stroke 6.7 does fine on a pickup truck, once you put this engine in to some bigger such as medium duty truck your duty cycle will increase, and in f550 application where truck is weighing 26k lbs had more trouble than 6.4 or 6.0 engine, bad move for ford

Great move by Ford. I would imagine this why they upped the horsepower to 440 and 860 ft lbs for 2015. Why use a slow shifting allison then deal with all the wiring to a 6.7 and the programing. The torque shift will hold up or Ford wouldnt be doing it. Any mechanic in the meduim and heavy duty market will tell you what a joke it is trying to fix a truck with a random oem chasis, random engine, random tranny, random suspension, and a random abs system. Its a joke who wants 10 diffrent scan tools when you could just have Fords IDS access engine codes, body codes, tranny codes, and depending on what they do with abs possibly abs codes. Volvo is the only other one I know of in the heavy market doing this and they are taking over the road.

The Hino class 6 & 7 trucks will eat this things lunch!

Well looks like we won't be buying another batch of F-650s when our '11s are up for replacement. No Cummins and No Allison. That junk 6.7 instead. That's the reason we are ditching 3 of our '12 F350s with only 60k on them and replacing them with new GMC 3500s. In the shop all the time thanks to that junk 6.7 one even had a wrist pin let go.

Oh well. I guess for our class 6s now we will go with either a Pete 330 or KW 270 being that We won't buy freightliner or international

I don't think this engine can handle class 6-7 duty. We have 3 2011 f550s 1st engine was replaced at 21000 miles NOT UNDER WARRANTY. 2ND told it needs complete bottom end and should be covered. 2 out of three engines failed with next to no miles. We also have 9 6.0s hard to keep running good...but none have failed like the 6.7.All our med. duty's have CAT engines w/ Allison trannys. with hardly a problem between them.

What no 4wd!

Hmmm ford website still says cummins or v10. Well if they do try to use it they will detune it for reliability and probably low end grunt, that's one reason they stuck with the I-6 because it could get a load started better. All the 6.7 power stokes I've driven seem a little slow off the line but once they rev they have plenty of power. But my truck isn't exactly stock so it's hard to compare

I am waiting for the release of the FORD F-750 to see if I can up-fit one with a Rear Loader Refuse Packer (25 yds to 30 yds)

The other option Ihave in mind is HINO's 338, but seeing and knowing the HP rates for the POWERSTROKE V8 at 330 HP and 750 lbs/ft torque which is higher than the 260 HP / 660 lbs/ft of the HINO 338, but HINO J08E diesel engine is a 6 in line of 8.1 liters and that compensates giving it more structural strength compared to a V8. Hino still offer the ALLISON Automatic.

Looks like they finally maned up and put their engine and transmission where their mouth is, nice being all in house parts, bad if it's not up to the task, I know the first one I get on the right of way is gonna get put to the test