4 Ways Ford SUVs Are Wooing Millennials
CARS.COM — While millennials and Generation Z are moving to become the fastest growing group of car buyers, Ford is moving to ensure its vehicles meet their demands, and it’s starting with SUVs. The automaker has filled the recently rolled-out 2018 EcoSport and 2018 Expedition with conspicuous technology options to cater to a younger clientele.
Related: Ford Says Tomorrow’s Cars Could Adapt to Your Mood
It’s not just the increase in size options — the subcompact EcoSport is new to the U.S., and the Expedition’s body has grown about an inch in length and width for 2018 — that Ford is offering. Here are four features that caught our eye and ought to get the youths swooning.
Watch Live TV From the Road
The most notable tech amenity of the 2018 Expedition might be Evo, the rear-seat entertainment system that allows passengers to watch live TV. The system uses Slingplayer — a first for the smart TV solutions provider in a vehicle — to connect to a user’s home Slingbox and control the TV signal from the vehicle. No more worrying about missing a crucial play during the latest big sports event or hearing about an Oscar snafu secondhand, then.
Wi-Fi Inside the Vehicle, and Out
The Expedition also features an available Wi-Fi hot spot that Ford says can support up to 10 devices at once. But just in case you absolutely have to check your Instagram feed during a bathroom break at a rest stop, Ford says that the hot spot is effective up to 50 feet away from the Expedition.
Streaming
If you don’t have Slingplayer, an in-vehicle wireless hub aboard the Expedition allows you to connect using the Android-based Miracast streaming app. Evo’s own SmartStream function, which works both on iOS and Android devices, is also an additional option.
As the budget SUV of Ford’s lineup both in size and price, the EcoSport is primed for first-time and younger buyers with less rather than more. The automaker opted to ditch space on the front console normally reserved for a CD player in favor of a storage bin over the glove box that Ford none-too-subtly suggests is great for holding your phone. The ergonomic decision, coupled with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, appears squarely aimed at drivers streaming their entertainment rather than using CDs or cassettes (just don’t mention the vinyl resurgence).
Gaming on the Go
Approximately 56 percent of America’s 155 million gamers are younger than 35, and Ford has heeded the gamer’s call with an HDMI port to enable play in the Expedition. The Expedition’s system also includes two wireless headsets to keep the gamers focused on the gaming — and the driver focused on the driving, a major concern for millennials.
