Ford Vans, Trucks Post Big Sales in Q3
Ford Motor Company considers the year 2019 “a transitional one” with so much changing in its product lineup, but that didn’t stop some of its stalwarts from scoring major sales in Q3 2019. Ford vans, including the Transit and Transit Connect, were up 21 percent at 65,288 vehicles delivered, resulting in a new third-quarter record. Pickup sales, helped by a big quarter for the new Ranger, totaled 240,387 trucks for the highest third-quarter mark since 2005.
On the whole, Ford’s sales totaled 580,251 vehicles, which was down 4.9 percent from Q3 2018. Truck sales were in the black at 309,920 delivered, up 8.8 percent year-over-year, but SUV sales fell 10.5 percent at 193,100 vehicles and car sales dropped 29.5 percent to 77,231 vehicles. With new products hitting the lineup this year and in the year ahead, these fortunes are due for an imminent turn around.
Ford Tough: 2019 Ford F-150 continues to reign atop the full-size pickup segment with more tech, power, and capability
“As planned, this year is a transitional one for Ford as we move from our sedan lineup to an all-new winning portfolio of trucks and SUVs,” said Ford Vice President of U.S. Marketing, Sales, and Service Mark LaNeve. “Ranger sales continue to accelerate, and the all-new Explorer and Escape are hitting dealer showrooms now. Our truck, van, and commercial business continued to be strong in the third quarter, with record van sales and continued F-Series sales leadership.”
Highlights for Ford SUVs in Q3 include a 10.7 uptick in sales for the EcoSport at 16,271 vehicles; an 18.7 percent increase for the new Edge at 36,660 vehicles; and a 47.7 percent increase for the Expedition at 18,586 vehicles. The recent launch of the next-generation Explorer and impending launch of the 2020 Escape should help both finish out 2019 on a winning note. Ford notes that the Explorer ST and Explorer Platinum cover 46 percent of retail Explorer sales and that one third of all Explorer retail sales come from the ST.
More on the Ford Explorer: How Ford made its high-selling SUV even better for a new generation
While the absence of the Focus and discontinuation of the Taurus largely made up Ford’ Q3 car sales decline, the Fiesta and Fusion pulled their weight with respective sales of 14,717 vehicles and 37,557 vehicles. Both the Fiesta and Fusion are poised to finish 2019 with sales gains, with the former sitting on a 44.7 percent to-date increase and the latter up 7.2 percent through September.
Through September, Ford sales are down 3.5 percent on the whole with 1,820,836 vehicles delivered.
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.