Ford to Kill Mammoth Excursion Next Year - Source

By Poornima Gupta

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co. will kill off the Ford Excursion, its largest sport utility vehicle and a lightning rod for criticism from environmental groups, next year, a source familiar with the plan said on Monday.

The mammoth vehicle will stop rolling off the assembly line in September, as Ford moves to free up production capacity for the refreshed Super Duty pickup truck, said the source, on condition of anonymity.

The Excursion and Ford Super Duty F-Series pickups are assembled at the automaker's Louisville, Kentucky, truck plant.

A Ford spokesman declined to comment on the product plan.

Ford sources had said in 2002 that the company would discontinue the 19-foot Excursion, but it wound up getting an extended lease on life.

The second-largest U.S. automaker is planning to fill the gap in its full-size product lineup with an extended version of its Expedition SUV, the source said.

U.S. sales of the Excursion, which was launched in 1999, are down 25 percent so far this year. The Sierra Club (news - web sites), which dubbed the Excursion the "Ford Valdez" after the infamous Alaskan oil spill, called it an environmental disaster because of its poor fuel economy rating.

Official gas mileage figures are not available from Ford or the Environmental Protection Agency (news - web sites), but a review on Kelly Blue Book's Web site says the Excursion gets about 14 miles per gallon on the highway and 10 miles per gallon in the city.

Apart from the Excursion, a mid-size SUV from Ford's lineup will also be killed.

Lincoln Aviator, which made its debut in 2001, will be replaced with a car-based SUV in 2006, said Lincoln spokeswoman Sara Tatchio. She declined to say exactly when production of the Aviator will stop.

U.S. sales of the Aviator are down 20.3 percent year-to-date

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...ford_suvs_dc_1

 

Didn't this happen with the 2005 model? Maybe a marketing ploy to boost sales? I would sure hate to see it go away, glad I have mine!

 

I'm thinking it's a marketing ploy considering i'm driving an 05... Bad mileage, lets see. 7000lb excursion 4x4 18 mpg hwy with psd.

5500lb suburban 13 mpg with gasser.

them bunny huggers need to check their math cause size dont matter in this case.

 

Just glad I got my Ex! I can't see them getting rid of the Excursion to replace it with an extended Expedition, though...what would be the difference? Size certainly wouldn't be any different. And fuel economy would be just as bad - you are still pushing around a big vehicle.

And think about it - you get a Crew Cab pickup with an 8' bed. You put on a shell or topper and what have you got - an Excursion!

 

I don't know why they make such a fuss over thew Ex being so bad, a super-duty crew cab with an 8' bed is almost 2 feet longer and will get the same fuel consumption

 

If they squak about the EX what about the H2? I think it gets around 10-12 and does not even have a diesel option.

 

Remember, guys, Ford has floated rumors like this for almost 3 years now. Every year, they've said the Excursion is history, after the current year. But, Poof! It still keeps coming back each year. You think maybe, they float rumors like this, just to boost sales?!

I also had heard, that in 2006 a stretched Expedition would take the Excursion's place, so that much may well be true. I just hope, that they keep this (stretched Expedition) on a 3/4 ton chassis like the Ex is. If not, Ford will lose a HUGE monopoly they have now, in the 3/4 ton SUV market. I mean, GM doesn't even OFFER a diesel 3/4 ton SUV, in their Suburban/Yukon...

Will

 

With all we now know, like the stretched Expy, and the '05 Excursions NOT getting the the '05 SD upgrades...it makes sense that the '05s will be the last, with production running into September.

Sorry to see it go, hopefully my '05 due in before year's end won't be a lemon!

It is a shame to cancel such a unique vehicle. I was shocked when they cancelled the Bronco in '96...and they sold tons of Broncos.

 

Why does the media throw in the Sierra Club every time they report a story about the Excursion? As if the Sierra Club has some sort of reverence here. Those kooks hate everything that uses fossil fuels. The Excursion was the biggest, easiest target for the knuckle dragging bone heads to attack. Beside, I thought the tree hugging crowed already moved on the H2 Hummer. They've been BBQing those things on dealer's lots every chance they get. Some how the burning of SUVs (and houses and ski lodges) in the name of the environment is big news, but the fact the domestic terrorists exist in our country is not. So what vehicle is going to be their next poster child? Is it parked in your driveway of your home right now? And if your home was build in a development that is threatening a endangered rat, you may be in big trouble. I wonder if those pointy headed pseudo-intellectuals at the Sierra Club going to claim credit for this? Earth to Carl Pope, it's called the free market, a concept that is no doubt alien to you. Ok, I getting off my soap box now.

Well, I hope that Ford gets their act toghter and offers a diesel option for this extended Expedition they are talking about. While their at it, how about dropping a diesel in the F-150?

 

Rumor has it there may be a diesel in the 07 or 08 F150. With our current diesel fuek there is no way a diesel could meet the emission requirements for a 1/2 ton truck. With the new diesel coming in '06 that will change. They already have a 4.5l powerstroke V6 in the new "C" series trucks, that's a cabover like the Isuzu NPR trucks. They are testing the engine in the real world, and are hopin to have it in the F150s later on. I'd like to see a diesel ranger.

 

You know the answer. The old media ARE the kooks. Thank God that they are less relevant by the day...

qman
www.roenation.com

 

GM is starting to fight back with information...along with stating their milage ratings they are going to show comparables in other brands...what do you mean my Toyata V8 get's the same milage as a 6lt. 1500 ???

We like our diesel EX's and they give better milage than freinds gas burb..I'd like to see an electric hybrid pulling a 15,000 lb trailer also but Sierre Club's answer would be you just don't need to do that...save a moth

Sorry for the mini rant

 

Heh. My X got keyed this weekend --- so this is a sore point for me. I made the point elsewhere that maybe you should rate vehicles by the %-age of buyers who use more than 50% of the vehicles unique features. How many hummers are driven laterally on 70% inclines?

But seriously, Ford cutting the X could be a good thing. It would make an opportunity for some enterprising chap to buy F250 frames from Ford, diesel engines from <someone> and then build a first-class SUV on top.

 

ZBeeble, I like the sound of that!

Imagine...an F250/350 Chassis, put a Cummins diesel in it, Allison Transmission, then build an SUV on top of that. Talk about the ULTIMATE truck/tow vehicle. I'd buy it.

Will

 

I think there's quite a market here. I think some people at Ford see it. I think Ford is ill-equiped to offer such a limited production vehicle. It think it's almost akin to a van conversion.