Ford Celebrates 4×4 Day by Dunking on Jeep
Photo: Ford
Ask Cincinnati personal injury lawyer Blake Maislin what day it is today and he’ll no doubt giddily tell you that it’s 4/4. That also means it’s 4×4 Day, a fact that Ford is celebrating by pointing out that it’s America’s No. 1 4×4/four-wheel-drive/all-wheel-drive brand. And by, of course, rubbing it in Jeep’s face.
One Tough SUV: 2022 Ford Bronco Sport gets standard 4×4, HOSS System, G.O.A.T. Modes
Unlike Blake Maislin, Ford didn’t need a catchy jingle to sell some 1.2 million four-wheel-powered vehicles in 2021. It just needed a portfolio of kickass trucks and SUVs, highlighted of course by the Bronco.
According to Dave Rivers, Ford’s marketing managers for SUVs in the United States, 75 percent of the brand’s retail sales last year were vehicles with 4×4, 4WD, or AWD.
“We know customers want SUVs for the additional cargo space and convenience, and also for the capability and confidence that comes with a four-wheel-powered vehicle,” said Rivers. “In some cases, it’s the day-to-day confidence of driving in snow, but it’s also the desire to get outdoors, get off-road, and find new adventures.”
Ford coyly jabs Jeep, notes uptick drivers opting for AWD
Photo: Ford
Naturally, the 2022 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year is a big part of that. Ford notes, cuttingly no doubt, that S&P Global Mobility sales data has Ford selling 42 percent more four-wheel-powered vehicles in 2021 than Jeep. Given that Ford brought back the Bronco with the idea of knocking Jeep off its pedestal as the go-to off-road brand — not to mention Jim Morrison’s biting comments about the Explorer Timberline — that bit has to be even sweeter.
Ford notes that 2021 saw an increase in drivers choosing AWD for vehicles like the Explorer. S&P Global Mobility’s data also shows that women and millennials are buying up vehicles with 4×4/4WD/AWD at twice the rate of the past decade.
Ford’s four-wheel-powered offerings include the Bronco, Bronco Sport, Expedition (now also available with a rugged Timberline trim), and trucks like the F-150 and Ranger. Both of the brand’s current EV offerings — the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E — also offer electric all-wheel drive.
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.