#HeavyDuty

Ford has finally given us the important figures for its new 7.3-liter pushrod V8 engine, set to go under the hood of the F-250 and up. Available in two tunes, the engine will make 430 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque in the F-250, making it the most powerful gas engine in its class.

Towing a yacht in its yoke out of the San Diego Bay, GMC unveiled the brand new Sierra HD. Complete with its 6.6-liter Duramax Diesel engine hooked up to a 10-speed transmission, it makes 450 hp and 910 lb-ft of torque.

It has long been the stereotype that pickup trucks are built for the tough types, the kind of people who can prepare the fields and plant the crops but aren’t clever enough to market them in the store with a catchy tagline.

Ford and Chevrolet have introduced new trailering camera systems to make towing easier than ever.

Ram has overtaken rivals in the heavy-duty pickup segment. When properly equipped, their 3500-model trucks are rated to tow a segment-leading 31,210 pounds.

President Barack Obama will outline a timetable today to introduce new fuel efficiency standards in medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Once upon a time trucks were built for work. They had manual door locks, crank windows and AM radios, if they had any sound system at all. Leather seats, air conditioning and voice-activated distractions were out of the question. Like a framing hammer, pickups were simple and effective.

Black boxes in cars? We’ve reported on it before, but a bill requiring such devices has recently passed the U.S. Senate and is expected to fare the same in the House. 

If it goes all the way, cars built after 2015 will all have tattlers to give specific information on a car’s activity. If implemented, the devices are meant to be used by emergency responders during an accident, but the applications are far from limited to those incidents.

Chrysler has announced that heavy-duty pickups in the company’s lineup will be available with a new six-speed automatic transmission for the 2012 model year.

The United States Department of Transportation has proposed a plan to require all light-duty vehicles to be equipped with data-recording black boxes. The 197-page proposed document was released yesterday by the White House.

Hyundai and Chrysler could partner together for a full-sized truck based off of the Ram, after Chrysler’s deal with Nissan fell apart. Sources say that Hyundai approached Chrysler as late as February regarding a potential tie-up. Hyundai’s lineup is experiencing a renaissance in North America, but the Korean automaker lacks a full-size pickup truck for the crucial North American market. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne reportedly turned down the offer at that time, but is now re-considering due to excess capacity at truck plans. Both Toyota and Nissan have struggled to sell their own full-size pickups in recent years.