INTERNATIONAL – Ford Motor Company reported on Wednesday it sold 650,336 vehicles in the second quarter of 2019 in the United States, dropping 4.1 percent from the same period last year.
However, Ford's total pickup sales in the second-quarter increased 7 percent, accelerating at a faster rate than first quarter growth of 5 percent. Second quarter represented Ford's best overall pickup truck sales performance since 2004.
The Detroit-based automaker said strategy to focus on its winning portfolio led to a strong pickup and SUV mix while expanding transaction pricing.
Truck and SUVs totaled 83 percent of the second-quarter sales-4 percentage points higher than a year ago.
According to its sales report, Ford sold over 230,000 F-Series pickups in second quarter.
Ranger retail sales have grown every month since January, adding 20,880 trucks to Ford's total pickup truck sales for the quarter.
The second-quarter Ranger sales more than doubled relative to first quarter results.
Expedition continues to perform and expand both sales and share in every region of the country, climbing 50 percent, with 21,796 sold.
All-new Explorer went on sale at the end of the second-quarter. The plant changeover was responsible for lower Ford SUV sales in the second quarter.
"In a very competitive market, we grew our total pickup segment share in the second-quarter, and we have extended F-Series' leadership this year and now with the Ranger introduction we have further broadened America's best-selling lineup," said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service, in a statement.
"We also began selling our all-new Explorer at the end of the quarter. With the Explorer and the all-new Escape coming soon, we are on track to have the freshest SUV lineup in the industry by year's end," he said.