Ford gained retail market share in the first quarter on the strength of a double-digit surge in large SUV sales and continued F-Series truck dominance, even as total volume fell 8.8% to 457,315 vehicles. The company’s estimated retail share rose 0.2 percentage points to 11.6%, driven by Explorer, Expedition, and Bronco sales that climbed 17.9% combined, the best start for this high-margin product lineup since 2002.
The volume decline reflects the planned phase-out of the Escape and Lincoln Corsair and a particularly strong March 2025 comparison in the prior year. Ford is betting that a narrower, higher-margin product mix carries more weight than total units moved.
Explorer led the charge with sales of 61,387 SUVs, up 29.7%. The three-row SUV continues as America’s best-selling model in the segment. Combined sales of the affordable Active and ST-line trims climbed 36.8%, while the higher-end Platinum and Tremor trims jumped 64.5%. Explorer Tremor posted its best monthly sales in March since launching in October.
Expedition sales rose 30.2% to 17,554 units, fueled by double-digit growth in every month of the quarter. The Bronco family, including Bronco and Bronco Sport, set a first-quarter record on sales of 66,218 SUVs. Bronco Sport delivered its best-ever Q1 with 35,021 units sold, up 5.0%. Entry-level Bronco Sport sales gained 10.3%.
Off-road performance trims, including all Bronco models, Raptor, Tremor, and FX4, accounted for 23.5% of Ford’s total U.S. mix, up 3.1 percentage points year over year. Sales of these trims rose 5.0% to 107,349 trucks and SUVs.
F-Series sold 159,901 trucks in the quarter and outsold its nearest competitor by 31,000 units. Sales grew sequentially in February and March, with March delivering the strongest volume at 62,238 trucks. Year-over-year sales reflect a retiming of commercial production, part of Ford’s recovery plan following last year’s Novelis plant fires. Ford expects the Novelis recovery to be uneven, with more volume in the second half of the year. Dealer inventory remained tight compared to prior-year levels.
The F-150 hybrid sold 12,904 vehicles, continuing as America’s best-selling full-size hybrid pickup. Maverick hybrid sales totaled 17,050 units, making it the best-selling overall hybrid pickup. Total pickup and van sales reached 257,475 vehicles.
Ford Transit sold 34,248 vans, maintaining its position as America’s best-selling van. Ford started the year as the No. 1 commercial vehicle seller based on the company’s analysis of January registration data, with Class 1-7 truck and van share up 1 percentage point year over year.
Ford Ranger sales rose 19.2% to 17,775 pickups. Entry-level XL Ranger sales jumped 45.5%. Ranger Raptor sales climbed 36.1%. Combined sales of entry-level trims for Maverick, Ranger, and Bronco Sport rose 8.4%.
At Lincoln, Aviator set a first-quarter record with sales of 6,266 vehicles, up 31.4%. Navigator sales rose 6.5% to 4,322 units.
Ford Pro Intelligence paid software subscriptions grew approximately 29% in Q1 to more than 865,000 active subscriptions. BlueCruise hands-free highway driving surpassed 10.1 million cumulative hours.
The gamble is whether high-margin SUVs and a trimmed lineup compensate for the volume lost to discontinued nameplates. Ford is entering the second half of the year with F-Series inventory normalizing and the Explorer and Bronco family gaining momentum. Whether that momentum holds depends on whether buyers in these segments keep paying up for Tremor and Platinum trims or start shopping down.
Source: Ford. Images courtesy of Ford.
