The 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty truck has passed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test with flying colors. The car has received a crash test rating of five stars, making it one of the safest models available.
Revealed by Ford in September 2015, the F-250 Super Duty with its aluminum body was touted by the company as its "toughest, smartest and most capable" Super Duty ever.
"Thanks to its robust design, advanced materials and safety features developed by the Ford truck team, the 2017 model earns a five-star overall vehicle score in the agency's New Car Assessment Program, as well as a five-star rating for frontal driver crash tests. Side crash ratings for front and rear remain five stars," shared Ford.
Ratings And Performance
The 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty earned the highest crash rating courtesy of its smart engineering. The current NHTSA rating also happens to be Ford's highest in the New Car Assessment Program.
The NHTSA tested the 2017 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4x2 and the Crew Cab 4x4, while the former raked in a five-star rating, the latter notched up an overall rating of four stars. The Crew Cab 4x4 received five stars for the side and frontal crash tests, as well as three stars in the rollover group.
In terms of the ratings of both vehicles, the 2017 Ford F-250 bettered the 2016 edition, which had received an overall four-star rating.
Ford attributes the best rating possible from the NHTSA to the car's aluminum frame, which is military standards and nearly 350 pounds lighter than the predecessor, which boasted a steel frame.
The aluminum frame, the company asserts is 95 percent higher-strength steel. It is also nearly 24 times stronger than the steel frame of the 2016 model. The aluminum frame has six cross beams and has been strategically placed by Ford to ensure protection of passengers if there is a crash.
This is not the first time a ford vehicle has received a five star overall rating. The company's 2015 F-150 model also achieved the same distinction. Incidentally, this model also touts an aluminum frame; however, the F-250's frame is said to be more revolutionary when compared to the F-150.
While it is true that newer cars perform better given that the testing parameters keep evolving over a period of time, vehicles are engineered by companies keeping in mind the criteria required to pass safety test standards for vehicles.
