2000 Ford Excursion
Move Over Suburban . . .
Heck, Move Over Peterbuilt . . .
Here Comes Excursion

This Was The Truck Too Extreme For Many Auto Shows.
While Bound To Be The Target Of Critics,
Ford Is Likely To Sell All Of These Mega-SUVs It Wants To Make.

By Bob Storck

Price Range: $34,135 to $45,000

Engines 5.4-liter, 260-horsepower V8; or 6.8-liter 300 hp V-10 gasoline or 7.3-liter 235 hp V-8 diesel Front Engine/Rear or 4-Wheel Drive

Fuel Economy: TBD

Safety Features: Driver and passenger side airbags and ABS anti-lock brakes are standard

Boazman, Montana -- We knew we had reached the rugged part of the west when our plane taxied up to the terminal and we noted that the sport utilities outnumbered all others 2 to 1 in the rental car slots. In fact, at least one enterprising firm was renting Hummers. What do you expect from a town that counts Evil Knievel among its distinguished citizenry?

This was one vehicle absent from many of the auto shows, and while Ford spoke of not wanting to dilute the impact of new intros like the Focus and Taurus, there are a lot of extremist activist groups and periodicals which would like to have had an easy target. Close to 20 feet long and weighing about 3-¸ tons, it's a target that's hard to miss.

The foundation for Excursion is the Super Duty F-Series platform, another example of Ford's dual truck platform strategy, which is designed to make effective and efficient use of common platforms to provide better value.

The all-new Ford Excursion offers more space and convenience for passengers, more utility for activities such as towing and more versatility for carrying cargo and luggage. Still Ford is anxious to point out the extreme attention to safety and the environment.