Ford unveiled its redesigned 2011 Explorer SUV

Ford unveiled its redesigned 2011 Explorer SUV

Ford unveiled its redesigned Explorer SUV this morning in New York’s Herald Square. The new vehicle, which borrows design cues from Ford’s former Land Rover unit, represents the biggest change by far in Ford’s approach to its bread-and-butter family hauler and onetime sales superstar.

Company officials say the new Explorer reflects CEO Alan Mulally’s philosophy of developing a broader range of vehicles that can be tailored closely to what customers want. In some ways the Explorer also seeks to appeal to a wider audience than ever before.

In the early 1990s the then-brand-new Explorer defined the mid-size SUV category. Its only real competition at the time came from the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, both vehicles that wore their he-man truck credentials in plain view. The Explorer also had a rugged outdoorsy image, but was just soft and friendly enough to attract a wide range of baby-boomers who wanted to at least look adventurous even if they never drove off-road.

The new vehicle casts an even wider net. It can still tow a 5,000-pound trailer, but its looks and mechanical underpinnings are more car-like — designed for a smooth, quiet ride. The standard engine is a 290 horsepower V6. but instead of an optional V8 with more power, Ford is offering the truck with a 237-horsepower four-cylinder EcoBoost engine that is supposed to give V6 performance with 30% better fuel economy. The real history-making announcement: The smaller engine will cost more than the larger, more powerful one. Ford has not revealed pricing for the vehicle or the optional engine.

Author: Paola