Ford Puts Its Limited Trim on Duty - Super Duty, That Is

For years, Ford has wisely been pushing their trucks into the upper stratosphere of both price and luxurious content. Features once reserved for the finest Lincoln flagships now pop up in pickups with alarming regularity.

Hard working, heavy duty customers naturally want a piece of the action, too. That’s why Ford is applying the Limited trim to their Super Duty fleet for 2018.

If you’re thinking that several premium trims exist for the Super Duty now, you’re absolutely correct. Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum… they all coddle Super Duty drivers and passengers with high levels of comfort. In fact, more than 50 percent of the Super Duty lineup’s retail sales this year are high-end models. The Limited, Ford promises, goes even further.

Starting with a unique leather for the seats (given the odd name of Camelback), the two-tone leather is joined by a premium stitched leather appearing on the steering wheel (heated, natch), armrests, and instrument panel. Ford joins the suede headliner party, too, affixing suede to the inside roof of the Limited Super Duty. Dark ash wood trim lines the dash.

Taking a page from low-volume speciality rides, each Limited Super Duty also has a dedicated serial number laser-etched into a Texas-sized badge on the center console armrest. Technology abounds, including the latest in Ford’s excellent Sync3 system with all its snazzy high-res goodies.

A high-def 360-degree camera keeps an eye on things during tight parking manuevers in the Limited, and Trailer Reverse Guidance is a marvel for anyone (*raises hand*) who’s had to back a 40-foot trailer into a tight spot. Ford’s BLIS blind spot system accounts for your trailer, too, so one doesn’t heave a wayward subcompact car into the weeds during a lane change.

Ford’s parade of tech on the Limited Super Duty continues with adaptive cruise control and adaptive steering. Not long ago, this was Mercedes-grade stuff, folks. Those quad-beam LED headlamps will light up the dark side of the moon.

Outside, a special twin-bar satin grille with chrome accents, quad-beam LED lights and satin-finished tailgate applique are Limited’s unique calling cards. You’ll also notice the Super Duty name hammered into the tailgate. Some of these styling cues are on the F-150 Limited trim, and I think they work to good effect here.

None of this comes cheap, of course, with MSRPs for the Limited Super Duty reaching $94,455 for a check-every-box example of a F-450 Limited Super Duty dually. All Limiteds are powered by Ford’s 6.7L PowerStroke diesel, by the way.

[Images: © 2017 Matthew Guy]