DALLAS, March 16, 1999 - Ford's all-new heavy duty sport utility vehicle - the 2000 Excursion -- debuted today in the heart of truck country at the Dallas Auto Show. The unveiling featured a stampede of new Ford sport SUVs and pickup trucks, and the music of country superstar Alan Jackson who is featured in a new Ford truck advertising campaign launching next month.

The Excursion is equipped with a 5.4 -liter V-8 engine, 6.8-liter V-10 or a 7.3-liter V-8 diesel. Built on the "Ford Tough" Super Duty F-Series platform, Excursion seats nine people and their luggage in three rows, with class leading cargo volume and class leading head, leg and shoulder room.

"We're here in the heart of Ford truck country to unveil our new heavy-duty SUV because we wanted some of our most loyal customers to enjoy the first look," said Jim O'Connor, Ford vice president and general manager, Ford Division.

"One out of every four SUVs purchased in the U.S. are made by Ford. We dominate the SUV market nationwide, but the people of Texas have been especially good to us," O'Connor added. "Here in the Southwest, Explorer holds more than 32 percent of the compact utility segment and Expedition owns nearly 45 percent of the large utility segment. We're expecting a similarly warm Texas welcome for the Excursion."

Building on Ford Motor Company's pledge to offer cleaner, safer and more efficient vehicles, Ford's largest SUV offers a number of innovations:

Putting safety first, Excursion features dual front air bags and a Ford first below-bumper beam (BlockerBeam ™) to help prevent a car from sliding under Excursion in the event of a frontal collision.
Excursion will join Ford's other SUVs and the Windstar minivan in meeting Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) standards or better in all states, producing up to 43 percent less smog-forming exhaust emissions than permitted by law. In fact, Excursion meets Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) standards in 49 states.
Excursion offers greater fuel efficiency than two average full-size sedans combined - what it would take to haul nine passengers and their cargo.
Nearly one-fifth of Excursion is made from recycled materials - steel, aluminum, rubber and plastic. More than 85 percent of the SUV is recyclable by weight at the end of its automotive life.

Underscoring Ford's commitment to the environment, Excursion Chief Program Engineer Ken Timmer announced that Ford is launching a test fleet of propane Excursion vehicles that are Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (SULEV). These are the first propane vehicles to meet SULEV standards - California's strictest emissions standard for trucks. ....

If you are already logged in and are seeing this message, your web browser is blocking session cookies. Change your browser cookie settings to allow session cookies.