All-New Ford Expedition Takes After the F-150

New for the 2018 model year, the Ford Expedition switches to an aluminum body, moves to a 10-speed transmission, and has enough power outlets and Wi-Fi to serve as a pop-up electronics store.

byWill Sabel Courtney|
Ford Expedition photo
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Americans love new stuff, and they love their SUVs. So we're sure the all-new Ford Expedition is sure to delight many a U.S. citizen across the land...especially anyone who already has a bit of a thing for the latest F-150, because Ford's new full-sized sport-ute very much takes after its pickup truck relative.

Just like the F-150, the new Ford Expedition uses a high-strength steel frame and an aluminum body to save weight—as much as 300 pounds, according to the carmaker. Granted, that's not a huge change, considering the Expedition exists in a class of vehicles that often exceeds three tons, but every pound of weight loss helps when it comes to efficiency. It also allowed Ford to drop more features into its giant SUV without dragging down gas mileage, which is a plus. (Again: Americans love new stuff.)

EcoBoost V6 meets 10-speed automatic

Also helping with fuel economy, at least on paper: the new Expedition's powertrain. The 3.5-liter twin turbo V6 used by the outgoing model since 2014 stick around; Ford didn't specify power figures, but we're guessing the new SUV will match the 2017 F-150's output of 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. As with the F-150, that engine comes connected to the new 10-speed automatic jointly developed by Ford and General Motors. And there's a new electronic limited-slip diff out back, to boost the Expedition's off-road prowess. 

New Ford Expedition packs plenty of tech

On the tech front, Ford loaded the new Expedition up with feature after feature—many of which push this SUV into the semi-autonomous driving world. The sport-ute offers the latest version of the company's active parking assist feature, which can steer this monster into parallel parking spaces for you. And between the adaptive cruise control, emergency braking assistance, a lane-keeping system, and blind-spot awareness function, the Expedition should give moms the peace of mind to take their eyes off the road long enough to yell at the seven kids packed into the car.

Not that those kids will be causing much, trouble, given the Expedition's arsenal of entertainment features. The built-in Wi-Fi network can connect to up to 10 devices at once, and with a total of 11 power ports—six USB jacks, four 12V plugs, and a 110V outlet—there's enough places to keep all those gadgets juiced, too. The rear-seat entertainment system, which comes with twin headrest-mounted monitors, lets occupants watch on-board media or their cable channels from home (presumably using some sort of Sling-type program). And of course, the new Expedition comes with the latest, less-rage-worthy version of Ford's Sync infotainment system, which even enables drivers to lock, unlock, or start the vehicle using the FordPass smartphone app.  

All of which, clearly, is important—and will likely help Ford sell a ton of new Expeditions starting this fall, when it goes on sale. On top of that, though...Ford will probably move plenty of these based on this rig's good looks alone. 

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