Ford Excursion: Американдық ауыр салмақты SUV

American heavy duty SUV

The Ford Excursion is a heavy duty (Class 2) SUV that was sold by Ford Motor Company from 2000 to 2005. At the time of its introduction, the Excursion was the longest and heaviest SUV ever to enter mass production. The third Ford SUV derived from the F Series pickup trucks (after the Ford Bronco and the Ford Expedition), the model line used a heavier duty chassis and frame than the Expedition; both vehicles competed against the Chevrolet Suburban. Developed as a competitor for the 2500 series ( ton) Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL, the Ford Excursion was derived from the ton F 250 Super Duty pickup truck (sharing its chassis with the regular cab, long bed chassis). The model line was produced for a single generation; a shortened 2006 model year was offered exclusively for Mexico. Sold nearly exclusively in the North American market, limited numbers of the model line were produced for export. As of current production, the Excursion remains the largest mass produced SUV (matched in length by the 2023 introduction of the lighter Jeep Grand Wagoneer L); currently, only the GMC Hummer EV SUV is heavier. Throughout its production run, the Excursion was assembled at its Kentucky Truck Plant (Louisville, Kentucky) alongside the Ford Super Duty line; the final example was produced on September 30, 2005. For 2007, Ford introduced the extended length Ford Expedition EL/MAX (today, Expedition MAX), competing more closely against the 1500 series Suburban in capability.

For the 1973 model year, General Motors redesigned its Suburban utility wagon (sold by both Chevrolet and GMC) as part of its Rounded Line C/K trucks. As a central part of the redesign, a fourth passenger door was added, allowing the model line to compete directly against the similar size International Harvester Travelall wagon for the first time. Following the 1975 discontinuation of the Travelall, the Suburban became the only wagon style full size SUV (a distinction it would hold until the 1997 introduction of the Expedition), competing primarily against the smaller Jeep Wagoneer. For 1978, the second generation Ford Bronco was released, becoming a full size SUV. To better compete against the Chevrolet K5 Blazer/GMC Jimmy and Dodge Ramcharger, the Bronco adopted design commonality with the contemporary Ford F 100 pickup truck while retaining its previous body style: a three door half cab wagon with a lift off hardtop (a configuration also used by the Blazer/Jimmy). In contrast to the Rounded Line pickup trucks serving as the basis for both the K5 Blazer and the Suburban (which shared much of its bodywork with crew cab pickup trucks), Ford did not develop a five door station wagon body from its trucks. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Ford marketed four door versions of the Bronco on a special order basis. License built by second party manufacturers, the designs mated the rear body of the Bronco to crew cab F Series bodywork. Examples used the 1 ton F 350 chassis (a first since the IHC Travelall) as a basis, in contrast to the Suburban, offered with ½ ton or ¾ ton payload In contrast to the Expedition (which replaced the Bronco), the Excursion had no direct predecessor in the Ford truck line. In terms of dimensions, the model line is outranked in length (both body and wheelbase) and height by the Ford E 350 12/15 passenger van.

The Excursion adopted the trim nomenclature adopted across Ford light trucks in North America. The base trim was XL (marketed nearly exclusively for fleet sales), XLT (standard trim in retail markets), and Limited (highest trim line). Following its use across many Ford light trucks, an Eddie Bauer trim package was introduced for the Excursion for 2003 (differing from the Limited primarily in appearance). XLT: Included three rows of seating, leather wrapped steering wheel with speed control, a security system, keyless entry, chrome steel rims or optional alloy rims, trailer towing package, an AM/FM radio with cassette and single disc CD player with six premium speakers, and air conditioning. Limited: Included same features as XLT, but adds a power driver's seat, rear audio controls, illuminated running boards, alloy rims, front speed sensitive windshield wipers, five power points, ten cupholders, leather seats (with heated first row), and an optional rear entertainment system with DVD player.

Being launched on September 30, 1999, the 2000 Ford Excursion was described by Popular Science as the "biggest sport utility on the planet." This would be the most successful model year for the Excursion, with nearly 69,000 examples sold. After largely meeting sales projections at its launch, In 2007, Time selected it as one of the "Fifty Worst Cars of All Time."

From 1998 to 2012, a second party SUV conversion of the Ford F 250 was sold in Brazil. Similar in design and layout to the Excursion, the F 250 Tropivan differed primarily by its assembly as a second party conversion (similar to the Centurion Classic). In contrast to the Excursion, two different wheelbases of the Tropivan were produced. As with all Super Duty trucks in Brazil, the Tropivan had a different engine selection throughout its production run, including a 4.2L Essex gasoline V6 and two types of diesels: a 3.9L Cummins B series and the 4.2L MWM Sprint 6.07TCA straight 6.

During and since its production, the Excursion has become a basis for several types of aftermarket vehicles. As a result of its body commonality with the Super Duty model range, the bodywork of the Excursion led to aftermarket conversions of Ford medium duty truck chassis (Ford F 650 and F 750) to SUVs; to accommodate the longer wheelbase, the body typically is fitted with an extra set of doors. At the other end of the size scale, the Hennessey VelociRaptor SUV was created by mating the rear bodywork of the Excursion with the bodywork of the first generation Ford Raptor (a practice similar to the creation of the 1990s Centurion Classic C350). As the Excursion shares a large degree of design commonality with the 1999 2016 Ford F 250, the SUV has been customized by replacing the 2000 2005 front bodywork with the bodywork of 2008–2016 Super Duty pickup trucks. The Excursion also has served as a basis for stretch limousines. Though Ford imposed a strict 120 inch length limit on body extensions (on full frame cars such as the Lincoln Town Car), many examples of the Excursion have been extended longer on an unofficial basis, coinciding with its heavier duty chassis.