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Utility vehicles accounted for 23 percent of global sales for the Ford
brand in 2013, up from 17 percent a year earlier; utility vehicle
sales expected to grow to 29 percent by 2020
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Global demand for SUVs is up 88 percent since 2008, making utility
vehicles the fastest-growing segment around the world, according to
IHS Automotive; utilities now comprise 19 percent of the global
vehicle market
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A new version of Ford Explorer will be revealed at the 2014 Los
Angeles Auto Show
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Since 2011, Ford has been the best-selling utility vehicle brand in
the United States, with strong sales of Ford Escape, Edge, Explorer
and Expedition
Company Website:
http://corporate.ford.com/
DEARBORN, Mich. -- (Business Wire)
Ford Motor Company will continue to drive the growth of utility vehicles
globally by meeting growing demand with appealing and innovative
products.
Ford utility vehicles – from the compact EcoSport to the eight-seat
Expedition – accounted for 23 percent of brand sales globally in 2013,
up from 17 percent a year earlier. By the end of the decade, Ford
projects utility vehicles will account for 29 percent of its global
sales as more consumers choose the versatility and capability of an SUV.
“The success of the One Ford plan is continuing to pay off,” said Jim
Farley, Ford executive vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and
Service. “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.”
Utility vehicles leading sales growth worldwide
Utility vehicle sales are expanding rapidly in many of the world’s
fastest-growing markets – including Europe and China – according to a
Ford analysis of data from IHS Automotive, which forecasts market
information and competitive data on the automotive industry.
Worldwide demand for utility vehicles is up 88 percent since 2008,
making SUVs the fastest-growing segment. Utilities now account for 19
percent of the global automotive market, with the segment expanding at
more than three times the rate of the vehicle industry overall.
In Europe, the utility vehicle segment grew from 9 percent market share
in 2008 to 19 percent in 2013. Sales of Ford Kuga, known as Escape in
North America, increased 33 percent for the full 2013 sales year in Euro
20 markets*, reaching record levels January through September 2014.
To capitalize on the utility segment’s strength in Europe, Ford
introduced EcoSport earlier this year, and an all-new 2015 Ford Edge
goes on sale there in late 2015. Both Edge and EcoSport are new entries
for Ford in Europe.
The story is similar in China, where interest in utility vehicles drove
the segment from 7 percent of industry sales in 2008 to 17 percent in
2013. Ford’s overall sales growth in China – the largest market in the
world – is robust. The Canadian-built Ford Edge launched in China in
January 2011, with three more utilities – Ford Explorer, Kuga and
EcoSport – debuting there in 2013. All four are selling well.
From January through September 2014, more than 100,000 Kugas and more
than 60,000 EcoSports have been sold in China, with significant
year-over-year increases. Edge sales there are up 70 percent over 2013,
and sales of Explorer – imported to China from Chicago Assembly Plant –
increased approximately 200 percent over 2013. Overall, more than 1
million Ford brand vehicles are expected to be sold in China this year –
an all-time record.
In the United States, baby boomers and millennials – the two largest
demographic groups – are choosing utility vehicles. Small utilities are
now the largest segment in the U.S. market. A record number of Ford
Escapes were sold in 2013, with sales up in 2014 as well. Ford Explorer
and Expedition are selling at a pace not seen in nearly a decade.
New Explorer to debut at 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show
Ford confirmed today it will reveal its new 2016 Ford Explorer at the
Los Angeles Auto Show.
The new Ford Explorer goes on sale next year in North America, arriving
in time to celebrate 25 years as the best-selling midsize SUV in the
United States. Nearly 7 million Explorers have been sold here since the
vehicle debuted in 1990 and popularized the SUV.
“The new Explorer is still the SUV America fell in love with – a vehicle
built for the perfect family adventure,” said Farley. “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 2016 Ford Explorer makes its media debut Nov. 19. The 2014 Los
Angeles Auto Show opens to the public Nov. 21.
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.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford
Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in
Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six
continents. With about 189,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the
company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company
provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.
*Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Ford reports sales for
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania through our Finnish National Sales
Company, so sales data for the Baltic states is also included within
Euro 20.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and
video, visit www.media.ford.com.
Contacts:
Ford Motor Company
Mark Schirmer, 313.354.4962
mschirme@ford.com
or
William
A. Mattiace, 313.815.5449
wmattiac@ford.com
Source: Ford Motor Company
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