The Ford Super Duty took top honors as the Truck of Texas during the 26th annual Texas Truck Rodeo recently, while Nissan and Volvo also took top awards.
Ford received the top nod from a group of 70 journalists, beating out Jeep, Nissan, Toyota, Honda and other big names in the industry. The Texas Auto Writers Association gave the honor to Ford and other automakers in 17 categories during the event in Dripping Springs, Texas. The journalists looked at about 71 vehicles valued at nearly $4 million over the two-day period.
“We are honored to win the ‘Truck of Texas’ award as it underscores how the all-new 2017 Ford Super Duty lineup are the toughest, smartest and most capable trucks we’ve ever built,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck Group marketing manager. “This prestigious award from the Texas Auto Writer’s Association further solidifies Ford’s truck leadership in Texas, where F-series continues to be the best-selling truck and builds on our momentum as the top-selling truck in the United States for 39 consecutive years.”
Besides securing the top spot, Ford won in three other categories. Ford won in the category of Truck Line of Texas, the Super Duty won in the Heavy Duty Pickup Truck, and the 2017 Ford F-150 with 3.5 EcoBoost V-6 engine won in the category of Best Powertrain.
Although Ford won Truck of Texas and in three other categories, Nissan actually secured more awards than Ford, leaving with honors in five categories. They were SUV of Texas, the 2017 Nissan Armada; Best Commercial Vehicle, 2017 Nissan Titan XD Single Cab; Full-Size Pickup, 2017 Nissan Titan; Full-Size SUV, 2017 Nissan Armada; and Mid-Size CUV, 2016 Nissan Murano.
The third big prize, the CUV of Texas, went to the 2017 Volvo XC90.
Several other automakers won in the different categories including Jeep, which received high marks for its Renegade, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee and Cherokee. FCA also did well with its Ram brand, as the 1500 won for best luxury truck and the 2500 Power Wagon won for best off-road truck.
To view a full list of the vehicles and categories, see the full list below.
“This year’s Texas Truck Rodeo was by far the most competitive in the most categories,” TAWA President Nic Phillips said. “More than 70 member journalists put in more than the equivalent of 15 days of driving time in the competing vehicles.
“After careful evaluation, I believe the results of the competition show just how competitive truck and utility vehicles are today,” TAWA President Nic Phillips said. “Ford’s all-new 2017 Super Duty and its innovative use of advanced materials, as well as improvements in powertrain and features, thoroughly impressed our journalists. Nissan was the most overall awarded brand with five category wins, including the 2017 Nissan Armada as the SUV of Texas. Volvo defended its title as CUV of Texas with the 2017 XC90.”
The 2017 award categories and winning vehicles were:
- Truck of Texas: 2017 Ford Super Duty
- SUV of Texas: 2017 Nissan Armada
- CUV of Texas: 2017 Volvo XC90
- Truck Line of Texas: Ford Motor Co.
- Heavy Duty Pickup Truck: 2017 Ford Super Duty
- Best Commercial Vehicle: 2017 Nissan Titan XD Single Cab
- Luxury Pickup Truck: 2017 RAM 1500
- Off-Road Pickup: 2017 RAM 2500 Power Wagon
- Full-Size Pickup: 2017 Nissan Titan
- Midsize Pickup: 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
- Best Technology: Honda In-bed audio system
- Best Connectivity: FCA Uconnect Access
- Best Powertrain: 2017 Ford F-150 with 3.5 EcoBoost V-6 engine
- Off-Road Utility Vehicle: 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
- Full-Size Luxury SUV: 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS
- Mid-Size Luxury SUV: 2017 Jaguar F-Pace
- Full-Size SUV: 2017 Nissan Armada
- Mid-Size SUV: 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Compact SUV: 2017 Jeep Cherokee
- Full-Size CUV: 2016 Mazda CX-9
- Mid-Size CUV: 2016 Nissan Murano
- Compact CUV: 2016 Jeep Renegade
Check out this TFLtruck video of the Ford Super Duty on the Super Ike Gauntlet:
