The Road Ahead: What to Expect from Ford in 2019

As a leader in innovation, technology, and performance, we expect big things from Ford in 2019. From ground-breaking innovations in performance and manufacturing to new models and special editions, Ford is already poised to outdo itself this year. Here are a few of the biggest headlines coming in 2019.

Return of the Ranger

Ford Trucks make a come back to the mid-size segment with the all-new 2019 Ford Ranger. The automaker has dominated the full-size pickup category for the past few years (as it has for generations), thanks to the F-150’s lineup of beefy powertrains, cutting-edge technology, and spacious comfort. Now, the brand-new Ranger will bring that same design language and innovation to a smaller platform.

The 2019 Ford Ranger will offer the most fuel-efficient gas-powered option for mid-size pickup trucks in the US. The Ranger’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost® gasoline engine has been proven on the pavement and the trails, delivering best-in-class power at 310 lb-ft of torque, best-in-class max payload at 1,860 lbs, and best-in-class towing capacity at 7,500 lbs. And with all that capability, the Ranger will still save at the pump, returning an EPA-estimated 26 mpg on the highway.*

Midsize truck customers have been asking for a pickup that’s Built Ford Tough. And Ranger will deliver with durability, capability and fuel efficiency, while also providing in-city maneuverability and the freedom desired by many midsize pickup truck buyers to go off the grid.

- Todd Eckert, Ford truck group marketing manager

The new Ranger is currently being built right here in its American home at the Michigan Assembly Plant, and will begin arriving at dealers nationwide at the first of the year.

Ford Partners with Yakima

The adventures you’ll find in the new Ranger will get even better, thanks to a partnership with Yakima, the maker of world-class outdoor adventure products. The go-to source for functional, durable, and exceedingly enjoyable tools and storage equipment for outdoor enthusiasts will offer an extensive menu of automotive accessories alongside Ford trucks and SUVs this year. Starting with products specifically designed for the new Ford Ranger and eventually leading to more products for the F-150 and Explorer, Yakima products available from Ford will include kayak racks, bike racks, truck-bed storage solutions designed to transport longer items securely, and truck-bed tents that keep customers and their essentials off the ground.

Special Edition SUVs Join The Lineup

SUVs continue to lead the industry in sales, and Ford already offers some of the best-selling SUVs in the nation. To keep that excitement growing, the automaker has released four new special edition models for the 2019 market.

• The Expedition Stealth Edition features subdued tones and exterior upgrades. From gloss-black modifications to the grille, mirror caps, roof rails, running boards, tailgate appliqué, rear bumper skid plate and hitch cover, headlamp housing, fog lamp bezels, and taillamp housing to the 22-inch premium black-painted aluminum wheels and black “Expedition” badging, this unique release invites drivers to step over to the dark side.
• The Expedition Texas Edition also adds 22-inch wheels and exclusive badging. It builds on the existing Limited trim level of the Expedition, which offers added towing features and enhanced safety technology.
• The Explorer Limited Luxury Edition builds on that model’s Limited trim level with premium wheels and Active Motion® Nirvana leather seats with micro-perforation, an upgraded leather steering wheel, door trim with leather inserts, and chrome mirror caps.
• The Explorer Desert Copper Edition gets similar luxury appointments to the exterior, but also gets Ebony Black leather throughout the interior in the trim and seat covers.

For the Fuel-Blooded

Ford trucks have always enjoyed the spotlight in the brand’s lineup, but Ford won’t let you forget it’s track-inspired roots. Ford speed fans can get excited about a new special edition Mustang coming to showrooms soon. The Series 1 Mustang RTR is the result of a collaboration between Ford Performance and world champion drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his RTR Vehicles team. The Series 1 package can be installed on any Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package 1 or Mustang GT Performance Package 1 model. It will offer adjusted sway bars that can change the chassis balance to suit multiple driving conditions, like twisty back roads, furious lap times, majestic drifting, or high-demand drag racing.

For even more impressive performance, Ford will release a more street-friendly version of the game-changing supercar. The Ford GT Carbon Series loses weight and adds amenities to make it better suited for civilian drivers. With the addition of carbon fiber wheels and a polycarbonate engine cover, this GT shaves nearly 40 pounds. On the inside, drivers will enjoy comfort conveniences like air conditioning and an infotainment system with Ford’s SYNC® 3 suite of entertainment and navigation software. But when Ford says “limited edition,” it really means limited. Customers must go through an application process online at FordGT.com.

Ford Looks to The Future

This carmaker never stops looking forward, and the future of Ford truly represents the leading edge of the world’s automotive technology. The public will be able to reap the fruits of that labor very soon as Ford rolls out its partnership with Walmart and Postmates. Currently undergoing road-testing in Miami-Dade Country in Florida, this collaboration will use Ford’s self-driving vehicle technology to offer on-demand ridesharing and grocery delivery services. Check out the video below to see what autonomous vehicles from Ford will offer you next year.

In 2019, Ford will also pioneer new technology for building cars, continuing a long tradition that began more than a century ago by the brand’s founder and the father of automotive manufacturing: Henry Ford. Today, Ford has already invested $45 million in the new Advanced Manufacturing Center in Redford, Michigan. Ford engineers and designers will use wearable virtual reality gear and 3D printing technology to revolutionize the way we build cars in the near future, like the engineer pictured below taking part in the design of the soon-to-be-produced Shelby Mustang GT500.

More than 100 years ago, Ford created the moving assembly line, forever changing how vehicles would be mass-produced. Today, we are reinventing tomorrow’s assembly line—tapping technologies once only dreamed of on the big screen—to increase our manufacturing efficiency and quality.

- Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of Global Operations

…And This is Just the Beginning

Ford is kicking off the new year with a bang, and this is just the beginning. With intentions to expand performance, technology, and more, we couldn’t be part of the Ford family during a more exciting time in the brand’s history. For more information on everything to expect from the automaker or to take a look at the innovative line up for 2019, contact Lynch Ford Chevrolet today.

* EPA-estimated city/hwy mpg for the model indicated. See fueleconomy.gov for fuel economy of other engine/transmission combinations. Actual mileage will vary. On plug-in hybrid models and electric models, fuel economy is stated in MPGe. MPGe is the EPA equivalent measure of gasoline fuel efficiency for electric mode operation.

Image and Video Credit: Ford