Photo: Ford Motor Company
Ford revealed this month that the new Explorer ST has been quite the hit stateside with 21 percent of cumulative sales for the next-gen Explorer going to its first-ever Ford Performance variant. But how is the Explorer ST doing up north in Canada? By all indications, not too bad so far.
In June of last year, Ford Canada SUV Product Marketing Manager Gonzalo Contreras said that Ford was expecting to sell a higher percentage of Explorer STs than it did with the Edge ST. Sales of the Ford Edge ST only made up a single-digit percentage of all Edge sales, but Contreras attributes that more to the purpose-built nature of the Edge versus the rugged rep of the Explorer. He told Automotive News Canada that the expectation was that the mix could be as high as the low 20 percent range — right around where it’s performed in the United States.
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“When you launch a new vehicle at the beginning, there’s always a richer mix,” he said. “At the beginning, I’m sure it will happen because of a rich launch mix. Every single dealer will want one on their lot to sell. So, for the first few months I guarantee it’s going to be over that. Then, through the year, it may come down a little.
“Time will tell,” he added. “The initial reactions have been extremely positive.”
As for how the Explorer ST has shaken out thus far in terms of market take, Ford hasn’t specified, but it has continued to garner praise. David Booth of Driving expressed some confusion about the intention of the Explorer ST but called it a bargain for folks who want excitement thanks to its 400-horsepower performance and its upscale interior. That follows the trend in the U.S. where the Explorer ST has a 28 percent conquest rate against luxury brands.
Though the Explorer is the best-selling SUV of all time in America, it’s fair to say that it’s got a pretty strong market in Canada as well.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.
