Is Ford Quietly Prepping an Excursion Comeback? Here’s What My Sources Say

If you’ve been around trucks long enough, you already know what the name “Excursion” does to people. Eyes light up. Stories pour out—usually about a 7.3 Power Stroke doing 400k miles while hauling an entire zip code. It’s the SUV that made Expeditions look like Explorers and left suburban parking lots with emotional damage.

I wasn’t hunting for this story. It found me—first as a whisper during Roadkill Nights in Detroit, then as a pair of separate nudges from folks inside the Blue Oval. Both said the same thing: Ford has been running the numbers and taking the temperature on a modern Excursion—and the temperature is running hot.

What I’m Hearing (and What I’m Not)

Two different sources (in different parts of the company) painted a consistent picture:

• Market research has been circulating inside Ford, testing dealer appetite and customer willingness to pay for a Super Duty–based SUV. Early read? Strong interest.
• A concept vehicle is being explored—something purpose-built to steal oxygen at SEMA: big stance, big torque, unmistakably Super Duty bones. Think lifted. Think unapologetic. Think “we’re back.”

Notice what I didn’t say: there’s no public program code, no press release drafts, no timeline, and no hard powertrain confirmation. This is still very much pre-decision theater. But when a legacy automaker greenlights internal research and has a concept path sketched for SEMA, it’s not a meme—it’s a probe.

Why Now?

Short answer: demand and money.

The XL/Extended-length SUV space has been trading punches between GM’s Suburban/Yukon XL and the premium Escalade ESV for years with almost no truly heavy-duty, tow-first competitor. Meanwhile, truck buyers keep sliding up into ¾-ton and 1-ton pickups for payload, durability, and power. An Excursion revival stitches those threads together: family seating, real cargo, serious towing, and that “boss energy” you can’t fake with a light-duty frame.

There’s also a competitive nudge. If Stellantis/Ram actually moves on a full-size, body-on-frame SUV (the name “Ramcharger” keeps bouncing around the industry like a ping-pong ball), Ford won’t want to watch from the bleachers.

The SEMA Play

Here’s how I think this rolls out if it happens:

1. SEMA splash piece that looks production-possible: Super Duty underpinnings, proper wheelbase, three rows, and tow numbers that start with a “1” and are followed by a lot of zeros.
2. Spec sheet that winks, not shouts: no pricing, no on-sale date—just enough “if you know, you know” to send forums and dealers into overdrive.
3. Dealer feedback loop over the winter. If reservations, deposits, and serious hand-raisers materialize, product planning sharpens pencils and starts talking timing.

Could Ford show it and then go quiet? Sure. But SEMA is where you tease the future, not just flex a one-off. If they bring an Excursion there, it’s because they want the reaction measured in decibels and dollars.

Powertrain: The Hot Potato

Let’s talk engines before anyone gets themselves canceled. I’ve seen the same Detroit mules you’ve heard rumors about—Super Duty trucks running calibration tests without emissions hardware. That doesn’t mean Ford is about to sell a non-compliant street vehicle. Engineers strip and swap parts during development all the time to validate maps, thermal loads, and failure modes. It does mean diesel’s still a serious part of the conversation inside Dearborn.

If the Excursion returns, expect options:

• Gas V8 (Godzilla 7.3L or the new 6.8L architecture): easier certification path, plenty of grunt, and fewer political headaches.
• Power Stroke diesel (likely the 6.7L, emissions-compliant): for the towing crowd who actually uses the platform the way Excursion owners used to—long-distance, heavy loads, family in tow.
• A high-output variant? Ford won’t say that out loud this early, but a halo spec exists for a reason.

Important reality check: any show vehicle that appears de-smogged is posturing, not a promise. If Ford builds it for customers, it’ll meet the letter of the law—period.

How It Would Be Built

Don’t overthink the recipe. Ford already forges the ingredients daily:

• Frame: Super Duty ladder frame, shortened and tuned for SUV dynamics.
• Axles & suspension: HD hardware, revised rates, and a ride/handling target closer to “confident” than “concrete.”
• Body: New upper with a long greenhouse, true third row, and a cargo hold you can live in.
• Interior: King Ranch/Platinum vibes, with towing intelligence baked into the dash (cameras, trailer profiles, integrated brake, the whole brains-trust).
• Rating: If it doesn’t tow five digits with margin, it’s not an Excursion.

Packaging-wise, that puts it over Expedition MAX and nose-to-nose with GM’s long SUVs—just heavier duty, on purpose.

Pricing (Where the Internet Will Lose Its Mind)

Here’s the trick: the original Excursion never tried to be everyone’s SUV. It was purpose-built and priced accordingly. In 2025/26 money, a base ¾-ton-based SUV with a gas V8 lands well above an Expedition but below a high-trim Super Duty. Diesel and luxury trims climb fast from there.

The only way it pencils is volume discipline plus margin per unit—and that’s perfectly fine for a flagship. Not every full-size needs to be a fleet darling.

What Could Kill It

• Regulatory headwinds or a sudden pivot back to “all electrified everything.” (Less likely given the current market swing toward ICE/hybrid pragmatism.)
• Internal cannibalization fears with Expedition MAX or high-trim Super Duties. (This is where product planners earn their pay.)
• Capital allocation—if other programs scream louder for dollars, even a strong concept can get paused.

What Could Seal It

• Real SEMA buzz that turns into dealer demand and early deposits.
• A credible Ram SUV announcement—nothing accelerates a product plan like a rival planting a flag.
• Strong consumer messaging: family space + legit tow + Super Duty pedigree = problem solved.

Bottom Line

I never thought I’d be typing this, but here we are: an Excursion revival is on Ford’s whiteboard, and the first public breadcrumb could be a concept designed to dominate SEMA. Don’t confuse that with a signed-off product—yet. But the interest is real, the business case is plausible, and the timing makes sense in a market that’s rediscovering the value of displacement and duty cycle.

If Ford builds it, will people buy it? The research says yes. The internet will say shut up and take my money. Now it’s on Dearborn to decide whether they want to own the biggest, baddest family hauler on sale, again.