At State Fair of Texas, Ford unveils new options for SUV drivers with four 2019 special-edition SUVs available nationally – Explorer Limited Luxury and Desert Copper Editions as well as Expedition Stealth and Texas Editions
Ford SUV sales on pace to set another record year in 2018, following 28 percent growth over the past six years; Ford Expedition sales lead the charge with a 70 percent year-over-year spike in August; nearly one in four Expeditions sold in the U.S. is sold in Texas
Ford seeing increasing demand for high series SUVs; sales of the all-new Platinum Expedition are up 117 percent, compared to last year and account for 41 percent of Expedition retail sales growth through August of this year
DALLAS, Sept. 27, 2018 – Everything is bigger in Texas, including the appetite for sport utility vehicles. While demand for Ford SUVs is climbing across the United States, drivers from El Paso to Houston continue to show why the Lone Star State is so crucial to automakers’ SUV portfolios.
Celebrating its position as the best-selling vehicle brand in the state of Texas, Ford unveiled to crowds at the State Fair of Texas four new large SUV special-edition models designed to give SUV buyers more options of the vehicles they love.
Expedition sales in Texas – Ford’s biggest market for its large SUVs – represent nearly 25 percent of retail sales nationally and outnumber the combined sales in Florida and California, the second- and third-largest Expedition markets.
“Texans love their SUVs and these four special-edition models were created very much with them in mind,” said Craig Patterson, Large SUV Marketing Manager at Ford. “Each of these vehicles is a proof point that Ford takes seriously the need to continuously freshen an SUV lineup that is so popular with so many.”
The four new special-edition models shown at the State Fair of Texas are the Expedition Stealth Edition, Expedition Texas Edition, Explorer Limited Luxury Edition, and Explorer Desert Copper Edition. All four are available for order later this year.
The Expedition Stealth Edition features gloss-black accessories for a cool yet upscale appearance over the current Limited series. It rolls on 22-inch premium black-painted aluminum wheels with continuous controlled damping as well as gloss-black features including grille, mirror caps, roof rails, running boards, tailgate applique, rear bumper skid plate and hitch cover, headlamp housing, fog lamp bezels and tail lamp housing. Black “EXPEDITION” badging adorns the front, and a black “Limited” badge the tailgate. Door handles are body color, and red interior stitching accents the interior.
The Expedition Texas Edition adds 22-inch wheels and new Texas Edition badging to build upon the existing Special Edition Package available on Limited models that already offers a collection of features to make hauling, towing, and parking easier including Cargo Package, Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package and Ford’s Enhanced active park assist.
The Explorer Limited Luxury Edition offers available appearance upgrades on the Limited series. Explorer owners can upgrade to get 20-inch premium painted machined aluminum wheels, multi-contour seats with Active Motion®, Nirvana leather seats with micro-perforation, an upgraded leather steering wheel, door trim with leather inserts, and chrome mirror caps.
The Explorer Desert Copper Edition upgrades an XLT model to include 20-inch polished aluminum wheels, chrome mirror caps, Ebony Black leather-trimmed first- and second-row seats and door trim panel with copper interior highlights and stitching and Ebony Black vinyl third-row seats featuring the same copper accents.
By expanding choices in its large SUV lineup, Ford looks to continue offering more of the vehicles that consumers say they want. More and more drivers are turning away from traditional sedans in favor of larger trucks and SUVs that offer more space, more amenities, and more capability. Ford’s report in 2017 found that millennials are beginning to move to the suburbs and buy larger SUVs.
“People want SUVs, they’ve told us that,” Patterson said. “Whether an adventure-minded individual, a couple who needs room to haul home improvement supplies, or a family loading up for a trip across the country, SUVs are in demand. It’s Ford’s goal to make an SUV available that caters to any circumstance.”
Last year, Ford set a sales record when it closed the year with nearly 800,000 SUV sales. In the past six years, Ford has grown its North American SUV sales by 28 percent, hitting a number of milestone across its lineup of SUV nameplate:
Edge recorded a best-ever total annual sales of nearly 143,000
Escape recorded a best-ever total annual sales of more than 300,000
Explorer recorded its best sales year in over a decade with 238,056 SUVs sold