Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition Production Gets A Needed Boost

Ford announced plans Tuesday to increase Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition production in order to meet unexpected demand.

Who’da thunk it? The 2019 Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition redesigned full-size SUVs are so popular, Ford has to transfer workers over at its Kentucky plant to ramp up production and keep up with demand.

Ford will be moving approximately 550 jobs from its plant in Louisville which builds the Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC.

Since launching early last year, both the Lincoln Navigator and the Ford Expedition saw their sales go through the roof. Sales of the new Navigator nearly doubled last year in Canada, going from 652 units sold in 2017 to 1,177 in 2018.

Sales of the Navigator in the U.S. increased from 10,528 to 17,839 last year, a 70 percent jump. Back in November, a Lincoln spokesperson confirmed a six-month waiting period for a new Navigator, something that Lincoln simply wasn’t used to seeing in its dealerships.

Sales of the Expedition decreased in Canada last year, but they were up 35 percent south of the border.

The new production plan at the Ford Kentucky plant is said to included more workstations and a faster assembly line. The ramp up will begin this summer after the July shutdown. The move should help Ford increase production by about 20 percent.

This news is further proof of the shift towards SUVs that has been operating in the industry for years now. Not only are compact sport utility vehicles more popular than ever, but full-size utility vehicles and high-end full-size SUVs are also seeing increased demand.

We’ve driven both the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator numerous times (Matt’s actually driving one this week), and we certainly understand their popularity.