2018 Ford Expedition: Bigger, Aluminumier, EcoBoostier

The Ford Expedition has been around since the late 1990s, and despite an overhaul for 2003, the company itself characterizes this all-new model as only the second generation of its biggest SUV. No matter how you count the versions, the Expedition’s revamp is long overdue, and it brings wholesale changes that are significant.

Like its pickup sibling, the Ford F-150, the 2018 Expedition has switched to an aluminum-intensive architecture for weight reduction. With its aluminum body panels attached to a redesigned steel frame, the new vehicle is said to be up to 300 pounds lighter than the outgoing model. And yet the Expedition is bigger—the 2018 short-wheelbase version is four inches longer than before, while the extended-wheelbase Expedition L is one inch longer than the previous model.

Tech Turnup

Ford also added a lot of safety and convenience technology to the Expedition, including Sync 3 and Sync Connect with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities, wireless device charging in the center console, and an available Wi-Fi hotspot with a 50-foot range. Six USB ports (two per row), four 12-volt power sources, and a 110-volt AC outlet are standard, while a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system and a second-row headrest-mounted entertainment system is optional.

Ford claims the 2018 Expedition has 40 new-to-the-model features and optional driver-assist technologies. Maneuvering is made easier with a 360-degree camera, parking sensors, and trailer backup assist. It also will offer lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision warning with automatic braking, and blind-spot monitoring.

One Engine Fits All

The Expedition retains Ford’s EcoBoost-branded turbocharging and direct fuel-injection technologies, but the old twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 has been replaced with an updated, second-gen version found in the 2017 F-150, equipped with both port and direct fuel injection. In the F-series it makes 375 horsepower at 5000 rpm and 470 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm, but no output has been confirmed for the Expedition yet. Given that Ford says the engine was tuned differently here, the peak ratings may change.

In place of the outgoing truck’s six-speed automatic transmission, the redesigned version uses the new 10-speed automatic also found in the F-150 and co-developed by Ford and General Motors. Ford ditched the traditional shift lever for a rotary gear selector. Just below it is a drive-mode switch that offers Normal, Sport, Tow/Haul, Eco, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Sand, and Mud/Rut settings. An available electronic limited-slip differential also is new.

Both the 2018 Expedition and the extended-wheelbase Expedition L will be available in three trim levels—XLT, Limited, and Platinum (there’s also an XL for fleets). The new model goes on sale this fall; pricing should be announced by the end of summer, but don’t look for the new truck to move too far away from the current range, which spans from roughly $48,000 to $72,000.