DETROIT – As fans of hip-hop culture skew increasingly toward luxury looks, Ford wants to tap the market with the new Sport Trac Adrenalin. Workers at the Louisville Assembly Plant have just begun assembling the tricked-out, streetwise version of the Explorer Sport Trac, according to www.courier-journal.com. The truck will hit dealer showrooms next month, but its price hasn’t been released.

With a 292-horsepower V-8 engine, 20-inch wheels, and flashy chrome and styling that makes it appear to ride low to the ground, the performance truck helps Ford define an emerging sales category that the automaker calls “urban luxury.”

Ford expects the truck to be attractive to upwardly mobile young, white, black, and Latino drivers.

General Motors started the trend, finding huge success with the Cadillac Escalade among affluent younger buyers, particularly in Los Angeles.

Ford has recast its entire vehicle lineup with an urban edge on a company Web site, www.FordUrban.com. There, celebrities like singer Chris Brown, disc jockey Funkmaster Flex, and rapper Jiv tout Ford products for their muscle and flash. The Adrenalin will be featured when the Web site is relaunched soon with new content.