DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is reconsidering plans to discontinue its hulking Excursion sport utility vehicle, which the company says remains popular among a core group of customers.
Ford announced last summer it would shelve the Excursion after the 2004 model year. Now, the automaker says it has no official date to end production, which takes place in Louisville, Ky.
"There continues to be a viable market, so we're taking a second look at its production schedule," Ford spokeswoman Susan Krusel said Tuesday. "Nothing has been finalized."
The large SUV was introduced as a competitor to the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL in 1999.
Environmentalists have criticized the vehicle for its 13 miles-per-gallon fuel efficiency, and the Sierra Club dubbed it the Ford "Valdez," a reference to the tanker that spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil off the Alaskan coast 13 years ago.
A new diesel engine increases the SUV's fuel economy to 18 miles per gallon and reduces emissions, Krusel said. She said about half the Excursions sold have a diesel engine.
"It's capable of getting 20 miles per gallon in highway driving," Krusel said.
Through September, Ford sold 17,887 Excursions in the United States, down 22 percent from the same period a year ago. But analysts say it's a high-profit vehicle, despite incentives.
Excursions range in price from $37,000 to $50,000, depending on the engine type and options. Ford's largest SUV, they're nearly 19 feet long and can weigh as much as 7,688 pounds. Ford's smallest SUV, the Escape, is about 14 1/2 feet long and tops out at 3,350 pounds.