DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co.’s 2011 heavy-duty pickups just
came out in April, but already the company is boosting the power in
their diesel engines and giving free upgrades to owners.

Ford said it just wants to give its Super Duty trucks all the
horsepower they’re capable of. But there’s another motive: The
Super Duty’s power was recently eclipsed by General Motors Co.,
which started producing its heavy-duty 2011 Chevrolet Silverado and
GMC Sierra trucks in May.

Ford’s F-250, F-350 and F-450 trucks equipped with its new
6.7-liter Power Stroke turbocharged diesel engine now get 390
horsepower and 735 foot-pounds of torque, which helps with
acceleration and towing. By reprogramming the trucks’ software,
Ford will increase that to 400 horsepower and 800 foot-pounds of
torque. Trucks made after Wednesday will automatically have the
upgraded engines.

By comparison, GM’s new 6.6-liter Duramax turbocharged diesel
gets 397 horsepower and 765 foot-pounds of torque.

GM and Ford trucks also go toe-to-toe in towing capacity. Ford
is upgrading future F-350s with stronger steel so they’ll have a
maximum towing capacity of 22,600 pounds, up from 21,600 pounds.
The Chevrolet Silverado’s maximum towing capacity is 21,700
pounds.

The distinctions are important for heavy-duty pickup buyers, who
rely on their trucks for construction and other heavy work such as
towing a horse trailer.

Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said Ford isn’t making the
changes because of GM. She said Ford was conservative with the new
engine because it was the first diesel truck engine produced
in-house since Ford ended a 30-year relationship with its former
diesel supplier, Navistar International Inc. But testing showed
that the horsepower and torque could be increased without
compromising the engine’s durability, she said.

Marc Cross, the general manager of Jordan Ford in San Antonio,
said about 75 percent of his Super Duty customers use their trucks
for commercial purposes. He said none of his customers have
complained about the horsepower, but Ford needs to be competitive.
Heavy-duty truck buyers are less loyal than buyers of other types
of trucks and will look at different brands to determine what best
meets their needs, he said.

GM spokesman Brian Goebel said the company encourages drivers to
try both trucks.

“We’re very, very confident in the performance of ours,” he
said.

Ford’s vice president of engineering, Barb Samardzich, was to
announce the program Tuesday morning at an auto industry conference
in Traverse City, Mich. Buyers will get a letter in the next 60
days explaining how to get the power boost.