Ford Explorer sales are up 8.7% for the year. The maker is going to debut the 2016 model at the L.A. Auto Show.
Ford is ready to celebrate another special anniversary with a new vehicle. The maker is marking the 25th anniversary of the Ford Explorer with a new 2016 model it will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month.
As part of the launch, Ford will debut an “#ExploreMore” digital teaser campaign on social media. The Explorer wasn’t the first midsize sport-utility vehicle in the U.S., however, it is the best-selling one. Since its introduction, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker has sold nearly 7 million Explorers.
Sales this year are up as Ford has sold more than 158,000 Explorers through the first nine months of 2014, up 8.7%.
“The new Explorer is still the SUV America fell in love with – a vehicle built for the perfect family adventure,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service. “Explorer is the foundation of Ford’s full line of award-winning utility vehicles, which is helping the Ford brand grow around the world.”
The innovative 2016 Ford Explorer will reach showrooms with a new look, added capability and additional driver-assist technology. It will continue to underpin the company’s utility vehicle lineup – from the hot-selling Ford Escape to the newly updated, full-size Ford Expedition.
Rolling out a new Explorer around the milestone anniversary gives the company chance to take advantage of the growth of utility sales around the world.
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Worldwide demand for utility vehicles is up 88% since 2008, making SUVs the fastest-growing segment, according to IHS Automotive. Utilities now account for 19% of the global automotive market, with the segment expanding at more than three times the rate of the vehicle industry overall.
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Ford’s utility vehicles, which include everything from EcoSport to Expedition, accounted for 23% of global brand sales in 2013, and could reach 29% of global sales by 2020.
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Demand in Europe, where the compact EcoSport was introduced earlier this year, as well as China, gives Ford a chance to further implement its Ford One strategy in the segment.
“The success of the One Ford plan is continuing to pay off,” Farley said. “As utility vehicle demand rises around the world, our global lineup of vehicles, like EcoSport, Escape/Kuga and Edge, is helping us grow our share. The global desire for new utility vehicles is driving expansion in developing markets like China and helping the Ford brand reach more customers.”