USA - Ford Explorer Sport has higher %age of Gen X buyers than all other non-luxury brand midsize SUVs in the USA.

• Ford Explorer Sport has higher percentage of Gen X buyers than all other non-luxury brand midsize SUVs in the United States, according to new vehicle customer study by MaritzCX
• Exclusive Explorer Sport emerges as a favorite for professional Gen-Xers (born 1965-78)
• Average Ford Explorer Sport buyer has household income of $175,000, versus $112,000 for average midsize SUV buyer, study reveals

Professional Gen-Xers don’t always drive SUVs, but when they do they drive Ford Explorer Sport, according to a new vehicle customer study by MaritzCX.

Data from the study shows the vehicle has the highest percentage of Gen X buyers of any non-luxury SUV in the United States, reflecting this group’s preference for exclusivity and performance at a great value. 

With its 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost^® V6 engine mated to a six-speed SelectShift^® automatic transmission, Explorer Sport delivers 365 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 350 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm.

Explorer Sport has grabbed a significant 15 percent of total nameplate sales since its debut in 2014.

Jim Mulcrone, director of research services for MaritzCX, says 23 percent of buyers of other midsize SUVs, on average, are Gen-Xers, but Explorer Sport attracts nearly 40 percent of those born between 1965 and 1978.

“Ford has a very interesting customer with this product, and what’s unusual is that many are buying it without trading anything in,” he says. “Our study shows that while 17 percent of all non-luxury SUV buyers classify themselves as ‘specialty professionals,’ that number is closer to one in four with Explorer Sport. It seems this product is breaking through.”

Peak earning years for members of Generation X are between 47 and 54 years old, and these consumers have a more practical, experiential and family-oriented mindset than baby boomers did at this stage of life, says Sheryl Connelly, Ford manager of global trends and futuring. “Boomers felt the need to display their status in more obvious ways than Gen-Xers do,” she says. “While both groups are hugely important, automakers need to pay special attention to Gen-Xers. Our Explorer Sport fits the profile of the successful member of Generation X.” 

Average household income for a buyer of Explorer Sport is $175,000, versus $112,000 for the average midsize SUV buyer, the study reveals. Mulcrone says Explorer Sport buyers broaden Ford’s base by attracting more affluent consumers, including those who have owned premium brands. Moreover, those Explorer Sport customers who do trade in a vehicle are twice as likely as average midsize SUV buyers – 12 percent versus 6 percent – to trade in a premium one. 

“When consumers look at Explorer Sport, they see all the style and performance of a luxury SUV, but at roughly $20,000 less,” says Omar Odeh, Ford Explorer marketing manager. “Our surveys show Explorer Sport owners highly rate such attributes as ‘power and pick-up,’ ‘fun to drive’ and ‘overall performance.’ The best part is they represent incremental buyers for us, in that some don’t even set out looking at the Ford brand. Explorer Sport is proving it can stand on its own.”

USA - Ford prepares to celebrate the 5,000,000th F-Series pick-up.

• 5-millionth Ford F-Series Super Duty will roll off the assembly line at Kentucky Truck Plant in October, marking a major milestone for the best-selling heavy-duty pickup truck and chassis lineup
• Ford-designed, Ford-built second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke^® V8 turbo diesel delivers best-in-class 440 horsepower and best-in-class standard diesel torque of 860 lb.-ft.; F-450 pickup boasts best-in-class towing of 31,200 pounds
• Super Duty is the No. 1 heavy-duty pickup truck, with a market share of 44 percent over the past year, according to IHS Automotive Polk data, and the first choice of tradespeople in the hardest-working industries* – from emergency vehicles to construction to mining 

Ford, America’s truck leader, celebrates production of the 5-millionth Ford F-Series Super Duty next month.

For 15 years, Ford F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks and chassis cabs – from F-250 to F-550 – have rolled off the assembly line at Kentucky Truck Plant and into the hands of hardworking customers.

“Super Duty trucks are engineered to meet the needs of the toughest customers,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck group marketing manager. “Their continued sales dominance with these demanding customers proves how hard they deliver.”   

Power and efficiency

Truck customers demand maximum horsepower and torque to get the work done, but it’s also important the powertrain be as efficient as possible to help keep operating costs low.

In 1999, the largest gasoline engine in the original Super Duty – the Triton 6.8-liter V10 – produced 275 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft. of torque, while the 7.3-liter diesel engine produced 235 horsepower and 500 lb.-ft. of torque.

Today, Super Duty’s 6.2-liter gasoline V8 delivers 385 horsepower and 405 lb.-ft. of torque, and the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel supplies 440 horsepower and 860 lb.-ft. of torque. Both engines are more fuel-efficient than the 1999 powertrains.

Both of today’s engines deliver power through the efficient TorqShift^® six-speed SelectShift^® Automatic transmission, while the transmission offerings in the 1999 Super Duty trucks were a four-speed automatic and six-speed manual – the latter available only with the diesel.

Today’s TorqShift transmission offers live drive power takeoff, or PTO, to power auxiliary equipment such as snowplows, aerial lifts, tow truck lifts, cement mixers and dump trucks.

Super Duty trucks are known for their capability. For the 1999 F-350 Super Duty pickup, the maximum tow capacity rating was 14,600 pounds. Now, the 2015 F-450 Super Duty pickup leads the way with a best-in-class standard tow rating of 31,200 pounds, based on the Society of Automotive Engineers J2807 standard. That’s 1,200 pounds more than the nearest competing crew cab 4x4 heavy-duty pickup.

With its new tow rating, the 2015 F-450 ups its already best-in-class gross combined weight rating from 40,000 pounds to 40,400 pounds – beating its nearest competitor by 2,500 pounds.

We own work

Ford F-Series Super Duty is the No. 1 heavy-duty pickup truck, with 44 percent market share over the past year, according to IHS Automotive Polk data, and the first choice of tradespeople in the hardest-working industries* – from emergency vehicles to construction to mining.

Super Duty is the market leader in a variety of fields, including:

• 72 percent of metal mining workers
• 70 percent of law enforcement agencies
• 54 percent of highway maintenance workers

*Percentage based on IHS Automotive Polk U.S. heavy-duty pickup and class 2-5 pickup truck combined new registrations (January 2013 to May 2014 year-to-date) within emergency vehicles, mining/quarrying, construction, petroleum, metal, mining, moving/storage, petroleum refining and related industries, electric gas and sanitary services, justice, public order and safety, heavy construction except building, forestry/lumber products, manufacturing, agriculture/farm, auto repair services and parking/rental, road/highway maintenance, specialized/heavy hauling, landscaping and horticulture, wrecking and demolition, agriculture prod (sic or vocation)