Automotive News Canada - August 2017 - v2 - 16

* AUGUST 2017

Ford three-pack plugs holes in leaky utility lineup
New EcoSport,
Expedition and
upcoming Bronco
intended to fill
segment 'white
spaces'
By KELLY TAYLOR

WINNIPEG CORRESPONDENT

LAKE JOSEPH, ONT. - FORD
holds the Number One spot in
utility-vehicle sales in Canada,
but currently leaves "white
space" to its competitors that it

intends to close, an executive
said.
Gonzalo Contreras, product marketing manager for
crossovers and SUVs at Ford
of Canada, said three vehicles
coming to market over the next
two to three years are intended
to grow Ford sales.
"We are Number One in
SUVs, and we are Number One
because of the vehicles we sell,"
Contreras said.
The 2018 Expedition fullsize utility vehicle - the first
redesigned Expedition this century - and the new EcoSport
compact utility are due out in
Ford's 2018 Expedition will be the first redesigned Expedition this century. It will use the
frame from the Ford F-150 and have aluminum body panels. ( P H O T O : F O R D O F C A N A D A )

The Ford EcoSport is a vehicle that exists in other markets.
For Canada, buyers will get a choice of a 1.0-litre turbocharged
three-cylinder and a 2.0-litre non-turbo four-cylinder.
(PHOTO: FORD OF CANADA)

the next year. Filling a long-vacant spot in the Ford lineup -
a vehicle with the image of a
true off-roader such as the Jeep
Wrangler or Toyota FJ Cruiser
- will be the midsize Bronco,
due out in 2020.
"We are very excited,"
Contreras said of the Bronco,
announced at the 2017 North
American International Auto
Show in Detroit, Mich., in
January. "We know it has a
very loyal customer base. You
go on the website, and there are
many groups who have been
asking for it for years.
"So yes, that is a white
space, and we know the segment is growing and this will
be an excellent way for us to
keep growing.
The Bronco was last seen

The EcoSport arrives in
2018 to battle with established competitors such as
the Toyota C-HR, Nissan
Qashqai, Honda HR-V and
the Chevrolet Trax.
(PHOTO: FORD OF CANADA)

The new Bronco will take
inspiration from past models, such as this 1973 version. The 2020 Bronco is
intended as a competitor to
the Jeep Wrangler.
(PHOTO: FORD OF CANADA)

as a 1996 model, while Bronco
was discontinued in 1990.

ALUMINUM-BODIED EXPEDITION
The Expedition, which
since 1998 has received only
updates, has its sights set
on the Chevrolet Tahoe and
GMC Yukon. Combined sales
of the two outpaced the Ford
Expedition, 5,904 units to 3,729,
in 2016.
The Expedition remains
a body-on-frame vehicle, but
it will be based on the current-generation F-150 and will
have an aluminum body. That,
along with other advanced
materials, saves about 150 kilograms. The vehicle also gets
a new turbocharged 3.5-litre
V-6 rated at, depending on the
model, either 375 or 400 horsepower, and 470 or 480 poundfeet of torque.
At the other end of size spectrum, nested between the Focus
small car and the Escape utility
vehicle, is the EcoSport. It's a
nameplate that has been in the
Ford portfolio in other parts
of the world since 2003. It will
compete with the Honda HR-V,
Toyota C-HR, Mazda CX-3 and
Chevrolet Trax, among others.
The EcoSport comes
with a 1.0-litre four-cylinder or a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and optional all-

We are Number One in
SUVs, and we are Number
One because of the
vehicles we sell.
GONZALO CONTRERAS

Product marketing manager,
Ford of Canada
wheel-drive. Pricing has not
been announced, The 2018
Expedition will start at $61,789
for the XLT, including $1,790
freight, and top out at $82,789
for the Platinum. That's a significant jump from the current base price of $47,948 and
more than the base price of
a Chevrolet Tahoe ($59,620,
including $1,800 freight).
Ford spokeswoman
Christine Hollander said the
price differences reflect the
level of content customers actually buy.
Meanwhile, Ford has
tweaked Escape, Explorer,
Edge and Flex to try to keep
sales momentum rolling.
FordPass, a system that lets
smartphone users find their
cars, check fuel levels and even
start the vehicles from anywhere in the world, is now
available on most Ford utility
vehicles. - ANC

Gonzalo Contreras, product marketing manager for
crossovers and SUVs at Ford
of Canada, shows off the
FordPass smartphone system. It helps owners locate
their vehicles and start them
from anywhere with Internet
access. ( P H O T O : K E L LY TAY L O R )

http://joeverde.com/can

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Automotive News Canada - August 2017 - v2