Ford and Toyota Introduce Special Edition Trucks and SUVs at Texas State Fair

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Image courtesy Kevin Brown/State Fair of Texas

Ford and Toyota were among the vendors displaying their wares at the State Fair of Texas, and both companies had a number of special edition 2019 vehicles on display. Toyota announced two special editions of their Tundra and Tacoma pickups and a special edition 4Runner SUV. In an attempt to bolster their record sales surge, Ford unveiled new models of the Expedition and the Explorer SUVs.

Toyota announced recently that they were making Texas their new US home state, and to commemorate that announcement they unveiled three exciting new special editions of current models during Media Day activities at the Fair. The new models are the 2019 Toyota Tacoma and Tundra SX Packages and a 4Runner Nightshade Special Edition.

Image courtesy Toyota Newsroom

The Tacoma SX package is available on both two-wheel- (2WD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) Access Cab models and is an addition to the Tacoma SR grades. The Tacoma SX Package consists of mostly cosmetic additions, such as a blackout treatment on most of the brightwork (Toyota calls them “high visibility parts)-grille, mirror caps, door handles, etc. and is meant to allow customers to customize their trucks without breaking the bank.

Image courtesy Toyota Newsroom

The Tundra SX package is also available on Access Cab 2Wd and 4WD models as an addition to the Tundra SR5 Double Cab models. The SX Package blacks-out the wheels, goes with color-keyed accents and removes the exterior badging, streamlining the truck’s exterior. The Tundra SX Package also comes with new black allow 18 inch rims and upgraded bucket seats for added comfort, plus Toyota’s i-Force 5.7-liter (about 350 cubic inches) v8 engine.

Image courtesy Toyota Newsroom

Toyota says the 4Runner Nightshade Special Edition adds mystique to the 4Runner Limited package. That mystique is partly generated by the blackout treatment the Package brings to the table - window moldings, rocker panels, door handles, exterior mirrors and the badging, plus both front and rear bumper spoilers, as well as the exhaust tips and black chrome inserts in the grille. The 4Runner Nightshade Special Edition is available on 2WD and 4WD 4Runner Limited Editions and is the most expensive of the three new packages, at a suggested additional price of $1,740.

Images courtesy Ford Media

Ford is the leader in vehicle sales in Texas, and SUVs make up a large portion of sales in Texas (Ford reports that almost 25 percent of Expedition sales are made in Texas), so the company decided to commemorate this fact by announcing four new SUV Special Editions at the State Fair of Texas Media Day. These special editions are based upon Ford’s Expedition and Explorer SUVs and include the Expedition Stealth Edition, Expedition Texas Edition, Explorer Limited Luxury Edition and the Explorer Desert Copper Edition.

Images courtesy Ford Media

Above: The interior of the 2019 Ford Explorer XLT Desert Copper Edition.

Craig Patterson, Ford’s large SUV marketing manager said, “Texans love their SUVs, and these four special-edition models were created very much with them in mind. Each of these vehicles is a proof point that Ford takes seriously the need to continuously freshen an SUV lineup that is so popular with so many.”

Images courtesy Ford Media

The Expedition Stealth Edition upgrades the current Limited by adding gloss black accessories (grille, mirror caps, roof rails, running boards, and more), 22-inch “premium” blacked-out aluminum wheels and continuously-controlled damping for starters. The package also includes special black badging, including a black “Expedition” badge up front and a black “Limited” badge on the tailgate.

Images courtesy Ford Media

The Expedition Texas Edition starts with 22-inch wheels. It will also include special new “Texas Edition” badging to differentiate it from the current Special Edition Package for the Limited Edition model up which it’s based. The Expedition Texas Edition will retain the Limited Edition’s Cargo, Heavy-Duty Trailer Towing and enhanced Active Parking Assist Packages.

Images courtesy Ford Media

The Explorer Limited Luxury Edition is also based on the current Limited Edition. The package includes 20-inch aluminum wheels with a paint scheme unique to this package, multi-contour seats with Ford’s Active Motion® to combat driver fatigue, micro-perforated Nirvana leather seats and more, including an updated leather steering wheel and leather door inserts.

Images courtesy Ford Media

Upgrading the Explorer XLT is the 2019 Ford Explorer Desert Copper Edition. The most obvious external upgrade is the polished aluminum 20-inch wheels, accented by chrome mirror caps. Interior features of this version of the 2019 Explorer include copper highlights and stitching in the Ebony Black leather trim in the first two rows of seats and the door trim panels. Copper-accented Ebony Black vinyl third-row seats round out the Explorer Desert Copper Edition’s list of special features.