(Photos: Ford Motor Company) Apparently the theme of the Chicago Auto Show is “new sport-utility vehicle”, because that’s all the news we’ve been seeing so far. Lohnes touched on the eye-raising Dodge Durango SRT, and on the other side of the coin…mostly the one that measures sanity…is Ford, who unveiled the next generation Expedition, the first in a new wave of sport-utility and crossover vehicles that they plan on bringing out by 2020. If you’re surprised, you shouldn’t be: sport-utility vehicles are money makers, both historically and currently, and Ford has proven to be good at rolling out new product in a timely manner. The fourth-generation Expedition will be a body-on-frame sport-ute and will visually and mechanically align with the current F-150…and yes, that means “EcoBoost” V6 power and aluminum skins.

But what about the other SUVs? Well, there is the confirmed Ford Bronco that is eagerly anticipated, and since the Expedition has arrived, it’s only a matter of time before the updated Lincoln Navigator appears, hopefully with the same kind of eye for details that the Continental sedan brought to the brand. Lincoln desperately needs the sales and if they can work the same kind of magic again, they might be able to capture the magic that has evaded the Navigator nameplate since the first generation lost favor with buyers. Add to that the EcoSport crossover, the mysterious 300-mile EV crossover, two smaller crossovers for Ford that should be roughly Focus and Fiesta in size, and a smaller Lincoln that may or may not be the reborn Aviator, and Ford Motor Company has their hands full for a while.