Is Ford Really Bringing Back The Excursion In 2025?

Ford has risen to become one of the most well-known automotive brands of all time, and it's not hard to figure out why. In the United States in particular, it's celebrated as one of the oldest car manufacturers still in business, and it has made headlines with vehicles of all shapes and sizes. There are even Ford models out there you likely didn't know existed. While numerous Ford rides have stuck around for the long haul, others disappeared within a few short years of their introduction. Take, for instance, the Ford Excursion, a full-size SUV line that was only in production from 2000 to 2005.

2025 marks 20 years since the disappearance of the Excursion from showroom floors, but according to some online, it's allegedly up for a big comeback. Some automotive news sources have claimed that Ford has plans to bring back the Excursion after all this time, while others have shared supposed photos of this returning ride. The fact of the matter is that the Excursion isn't being revived for 2025, 2026, or any other upcoming year. Ford has yet to officially announce such a plan, so those claiming it has been set in motion aren't telling the truth. Not to mention, the pictures of the alleged new Excursion, like the one seen above, are fake and created by a technology at the center of increasingly complicated debate: artificial intelligence.

Though they can be convincing, some fake car news and AI-generated images like those purporting the comeback of the Ford Excursion can be disproven easily if you pay close attention to the image.

It's important to look at the history of the Excursion and see even more clearly why Ford won't bring it back. To put it plainly, the Excursion was a bit of a flop. It was only around for a short period of time and couldn't meet sales expectations. It was also a vehicle of its time, much like the gas-powered Hummer. Fuel was cheap, so it didn't matter as much to drivers if it barely achieved double-digit miles per gallon. These days, Ford won't put itself into another financial or environmental bind with a new Excursion. 

Additionally, the Excursion wouldn't really have any place in Ford's modern lineup. You can already get an 8-seater Expedition MAX, and the Lincoln Navigator has the bases covered in the luxury department. Giant gas-guzzling SUVs haven't gone the way of the dinosaur yet, but with efficiency and mass market appeal being Ford's bread and butter, a big new three-row just doesn't make sense.

AI-generated descriptions of the fictitious 2025 Excursion are all over the place when it comes to proposed engines and specifications. For example, one popular claim is that the Excursion will have an 8.6-liter V10, which is so ridiculous it can be discounted outright. An 8.6-liter V10 would rank as one of the largest production engines ever built. It would also likely be so inefficient that it would put the old Excursion to shame.

For diesel options, one site lists a 6.0-liter PowerStroke engine as a choice. Ford hasn't made a 6.0-liter PowerStroke in a number of years; if Ford were to resurrect a diesel-powered Excursion (again, it isn't), it would probably stick with the currently produced 6.7-liter PowerStroke. 

Through all of the word salad that typically populates AI-generated trash, there are occasional bits that might seem feasible. However, you can quickly debunk just about any claim churned out by a large language model with even the smallest amount of research. 

If you were fooled by the Ford Excursion return reports, or you're worried about AI and online misinformation in general, there are some best practices you can follow. First, you'll want to dig deeper and see where the information about these alleged new cars is coming from. Reputable automotive news sites and manufacturers will report on such topics immediately. If they haven't covered it, then you're more than likely looking at false information.

As for images, despite the advancement of AI image generators, picking apart a fake car image is still very much possible. One starting point is to look for text, as in the above image of a 2025 Ford Excursion "concept." Some AI models can struggle to generate text – although this is not a foolproof debunking method. AI-generated cars can also be extremely shiny, with detail and lighting inconsistencies that wouldn't happen in the real world. Again, though, this giveaway isn't universal. As seen in the above image, specifically on the seats, AI can sometimes fail to keep repeating texture patterns in order. In the top image, you'll note that there is a wheel partially embedded in the floor. 

Regardless of whether AI is truly the future or just a passing trend, the technology has already seeped into the car space, and unfounded reports that long-retired cars like the Ford Excursion are coming back will continue in the years to come. All we can do is stay vigilant, closely looking over these stories and images to prevent falsehoods from flourishing.