The SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) market is growing at an amazing rate in the USA. More SUVs and Pick-ups are sold per year than 'normal' cars. Ford is THE major player in this market and is constantly updating its models to keep them in the number 1 spot.

They recently developed a vehicle that they knew would sell well and would be in demand. However the specification of this vehicle did not fit well with their increasingly 'environmentally friendly' image so it was released for sale with no fanfair and little publicity.

That vehicle is the EXCURSION. Its 19' (5.75m) long, 6'8" (2.03m) wide and 6'8" high (2.03m) it weighs a staggering 3.25 tonnes. Propelling all this forward is a 6.8 V10 engine (7.3 V8 Turbo Diesel is optional) giving 14-20mpg, which is amazing considering the Range Rover 4.6 HSE struggles to get anywhere near that kind of consumption. All engines come with a four-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment; no manual transmission is offered in the Excursion.

The Excursion offers more interior room and cargo capacity than the previous heavy-weight title holder, the Chevrolet Suburban. At the same time, Ford is touting the Excursion's "earth-friendly" aspects like an engine lineup that meets LEV standards and the fact that 85 percent of the Excursion, by weight, is recyclable (never mind that the remaining 15 percent of an Excursion still equals about 2.5 Honda Civics).

Two trim levels are available. The base XLT model includes a three-piece rear door, running boards, remote keyless entry, driver and front-passenger airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, an AM/FM/cassette/CD stereo, six cupholders, power door locks, power windows, an overhead console, cloth seats, a 40/20/40 split-bench front seat and a third-row removable bench seat. With the Limited trim level you get leather seating, front captain's chairs, woodgrain trim, rear-seat audio controls, a trip computer, power rear-quarter windows, 10 cupholders, alloy wheels and illuminated running boards. Additional options like heated seats, heated exterior mirrors, a six-disc CD changer and a limited-slip axle can be ordered as well.

Since it's based off the F-250 Super Duty (the front doors, fenders, and hood will swap between them), Ford was able to develop the Excursion with a bare-minimum investment of company funds. This means a large profit margin for each Excursion sold, even by SUV standards. These same market forces were behind the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator and Lexus LX470.

All that for around $40,000 - cheaper than a Mid-range Discovery in the UK!

Cleaner is Better

• A low-emission vehicle (LEV) - or better - in all states and on all engines, Excursion produces up to 43 percent less smog-forming exhaust emissions than permitted by law
• Excursion features superior passenger and cargo room. It takes two average full-size sedans to move the nine passengers and luggage that can be easily accommodated by one Excursion ñ making Excursion the more fuel-efficient transportation alternative.
• Nearly one-fifth of each Excursion is made out of recycled consumer material, including various steel, aluminum, rubber and plastic parts
• Excursion also is highly recyclable. More than 85 percent of this vehicle can be recycled by weight at the end of its automotive life.
• Excursion is a heavy-duty SUV that's as environmentally responsible as it is useful to active families who crave adventure and to businesses that demand versatility.

Using the latest technology, the team has made all Excursion models low- emission vehicles - or better. Available with 5.4- and 6.8 petrol engines or 7.3 diesel engines, Excursion produces up to 43 percent less smog-forming exhaust emissions than permitted by law.

This effort is part of Ford's sweeping commitment to make clean SUVs and Windstar minivans at no cost to customers. In addition, Ford will introduce a test fleet of propane-powered Excursions. The fleet will be used to evaluate use of this alternative fuel in such a vehicle.

The propane-powered Excursion could emit significantly fewer emissions than competitive vehicles in its class and it would meet stringent standards for California's super ultra-low emission vehicles an industry first in the segment.

That has the Excursion engineering team breathing a little easier, especially considering that this heavy-duty SUV has enough interior room to accommodate as many as nine people and their luggage. That's the same amount two average full-size sedans can handle - but Excursion does it using less fuel.

Estimated fuel economy on Excursion ranges from 10 to 18 miles per gallon, competitive with other vehicles in its class. It's also on par with other vehicles in terms of recyclable content. More than 85 percent of each Excursion can be recycled by weight at the end of its automotive life.

Environmentally focused Excursion engineers paid painstaking attention to detail when designing this vehicle, in part because Ford trained several team members at a special company program called "Design for the Environment."

For instance, the team designed Excursion using fewer metal fasteners, making parts easier to recycle. Plus, many door and interior trim panels are molded from a single type of plastic to reduce the risk of mixing incompatible plastics when they're eventually recycled.

The team also relied on recycled materials for building Excursion. Nearly one-fifth of this SUV is made of recycled consumer materials, including steel, aluminum, rubber and plastics.

Three powerful engines are available. The two-wheel drive is standard with Ford's 5.4-liter Triton™ V-8, which has a projected 260 horsepower @ 4,500 rpm. The four-wheel drive is standard with Ford's 6.8-liter

Triton V-10, which delivers a projected 300 horsepower @ 4,250 rpm. Both of these proven petrol engines are built for heavy-duty usage with a chain-driven single overhead cam, tuned intake, forged steel crankshaft, cast-iron block with aluminum cylinder head, 6-quart oil cooler, distributorless coil-on-plug ignition that eliminates spark plug wires and platinum-tipped spark plugs. Both allow for 100,000-mile scheduled tuneup intervals under normal driving conditions with routine fluid and filter changes.

Triton engines also feature an electronic fail-safe cooling system that alerts the driver to overheating or loss of coolant and automatically begins an alternating sequence of cross-bank, half-cylinder firing to help protect the engine against damage.

Also available is the 7.3 Power Stroke® V-8 diesel. Turbocharged and intercooled, it generates a projected 235 horsepower @ 2,700 rpm - coupled with a Ford estimated fuel economy rating of 15/18 mpg (city/suburban).

The four-wheel-drive option is standard with the 6.8 Triton V-10 engine. Customers can order the 5.4 Triton V-8 and 7.3 Power Stroke® diesel engines with four-wheel drive. The four-wheel-drive system features a part-time, two-speed transfer case with electronic shift-on-the-fly convenience. Power to the front wheels is engaged and disengaged using a dash-mounted selector switch that operates a patented electro-pneumatic pulse vacuum hub-locking system. Power switching is virtually silent and with no shift delays, even in severely cold weather.