Ford: Explorer News
07-26-2010, 09:13 AM
#82
My first Avatar....
07-26-2010, 09:38 AM
#83
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I was actually slightly worried that it was just going to be a FWD wagon with a Haldex coupler out back, like a downsized Flex.
Glad to see I was totally wrong. It looks very good. The 4Runner should be running scared, and the Grand Cherokee ought to sweat a little. Heck, the Pilot looks pretty low-tech now....
Glad to see I was totally wrong. It looks very good. The 4Runner should be running scared, and the Grand Cherokee ought to sweat a little. Heck, the Pilot looks pretty low-tech now....
07-26-2010, 09:54 AM
#85
Senior Moderator
Still getting over my initial surprise....but I think I like it. Will have to see it in person, of course, as the interior materials may disappoint, but it definitely has potential.
07-26-2010, 10:00 AM
#86
fap fap fap
07-26-2010, 10:03 AM
#87
Safety Car
i4 Premium
(Bloomberg) -- When Ford Motor Co. starts selling its re-engineered Explorer sport-utility vehicle, it will ask U.S. buyers to do something unusual: Pay more for less.
Bucking an automotive tradition of charging extra for more horsepower, Ford will ask buyers of its redesigned 2011 Explorer to pay a premium for a small, 4-cylinder engine when the vehicle goes on sale in December. The Explorer's standard engine will be a 3.5-liter V-6 with 290 horsepower, 53 more ponies than the optional 4-cylinder.
Ford will start trying to convince consumers they should spend to save when it unveils the Explorer at events in New York, Chicago and other locations today. The smaller engine has technology Ford said will give the seven-passenger SUV the same fuel economy as Toyota Motor Corp.'s Camry sedan that gets 19 mpg in city driving and 26 mpg on the highway. That's more than 30 percent better than the 2010 Explorer.
“We really want to make a statement that the old baggage on fuel economy with the Explorer is gone,” Jim Holland, the Explorer's chief engineer, said in an interview. “To get great fuel economy it takes technology, and it's our view that people will pay for that.”
The automaker will be challenged to command a premium for the more efficient engine because U.S. gasoline prices have fallen 34 percent from their peak of $4.11 per gallon two years ago, said Jim Hall, principal of automotive consulting firm 2953 Analytics in Birmingham, Mich.
“Why would you want to pay more for fuel economy when gas prices are going down?” said Hall, who expects the Explorer to sell for a starting price of about $30,000 like the current model. “People have very short memories.”
Smallest ever
Ford won't say how much extra it will charge for the smallest engine ever to power an Explorer. Ford charges a $3,000 to $6,000 premium on its Flex model for V-6 engines using the same direct-fuel-injection and turbo-charging technology as the 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder going into the Explorer, Hall said. The Explorer engine is likely to be less because it won't be packaged with all-wheel-drive like on the Flex, he said.
“The market will determine which really is the base engine,” Hall said. “If the market says, ‘Forget it,' they may have to lower the cost of this engine.”
The Explorer's 4-cylinder engine won't tow as much as the V-6, Ford said. The front-wheel-drive, 4-cylinder version that is most fuel efficient will have the least off-road capabilities, traditionally a key characteristic of the model.
Buyers of the Explorer will be willing to make those trade- offs for better fuel economy, Holland said. Ford says poor gas mileage is the No. 1 reason shoppers reject the Explorer, which saw sales fall 88 percent during the past decade, from 445,157 in 2000 to 52,190 last year.
‘More Responsible'
“The impact of rising gas prices has really stuck with people,” Holland said. “People now buy more expensive light bulbs to be more efficient. We're moving to a point where people make the choice to be more responsible.”
The Explorer's improved fuel economy will be central to a marketing campaign that will reach more than 50 million people through social media such as Facebook, said Jim Farley, Ford's global sales and marketing chief.
“Fuel economy is the core truth we have to get at,” Farley said at a media briefing on the Explorer July 20. Many of the 140,000 Explorer owners who trade in their SUV annually are “disappointed and want more on fuel economy.”
Wind tunnel
To improve the Explorer's mileage, Ford cut its weight by about 100 pounds by switching the SUV from a heavy pickup-truck frame to the same chassis as the Taurus sedan. Designers also sculpted the shape in a wind tunnel to lower wind resistance.
The Explorer with the 4-cylinder engine will be the most fuel-efficient mid-sized SUV on the market, according to Derrick Kuzak, Ford's product-development chief.
In the 1990s, the Explorer was the top-selling utility vehicle in the U.S. and earned as much as $10,000 per vehicle for the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker.
“As goes the Explorer, to some extent, so goes Ford,” Farley said. “It's the backbone of the brand.”
Ford expects to sell more of the new model, especially with optional equipment such as the 4-cylinder engine, Farley said, while declining to reveal a sales goal. Analysts estimate annual sales for the new Explorer may top 100,000 units.
“What's more important than the number we sell is that people see the value and that they're willing to buy the better, more highly equipped versions,” Farley said. “That's the key for us.”
07-26-2010, 10:15 AM
#89
The sizzle in the Steak
Fantastic! Another winner for Ford.
07-26-2010, 10:17 AM
#90
Punk Rocker
More money for a 4/cylinder, front-wheel drive Explorer that can only tow 2000 lbs??? 
Wtf! Besides, I highly doubt that thing will get such "amazing" fuel economy when driven by a normal person. Thats the way it always is with these turbo fours. The EPA says you'll get 26mpg but if you drive it, I dunno, like a real car its gonna be 19 mpg guaranteed...
Why would anyone pay a premium for that over the "base" one that has 40 more hp, can tow three times as much, and is offered in AWD???
Wtf! Besides, I highly doubt that thing will get such "amazing" fuel economy when driven by a normal person. Thats the way it always is with these turbo fours. The EPA says you'll get 26mpg but if you drive it, I dunno, like a real car its gonna be 19 mpg guaranteed...Why would anyone pay a premium for that over the "base" one that has 40 more hp, can tow three times as much, and is offered in AWD???
07-26-2010, 10:22 AM
#91
Three Wheelin'
More money for a 4/cylinder, front-wheel drive Explorer that can only tow 2000 lbs??? Wtf! Besides, I highly doubt that thing will get such "amazing" fuel economy when driven by a normal person. Thats the way it always is with these turbo fours. The EPA says you'll get 26mpg but if you drive it, I dunno, like a real car its gonna be 19 mpg guaranteed...
Why would anyone pay a premium for that over the "base" one that has 40 more hp, can tow three times as much, and is offered in AWD???
Wtf! Besides, I highly doubt that thing will get such "amazing" fuel economy when driven by a normal person. Thats the way it always is with these turbo fours. The EPA says you'll get 26mpg but if you drive it, I dunno, like a real car its gonna be 19 mpg guaranteed...Why would anyone pay a premium for that over the "base" one that has 40 more hp, can tow three times as much, and is offered in AWD???
07-26-2010, 10:25 AM
#93
Corn-Fed Mule
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The 4Runner is simply fug
...
07-26-2010, 10:31 AM
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07-26-2010, 10:33 AM
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Makes buying a Highlander or Pilot a bit pointless.
07-26-2010, 10:35 AM
#98
Three Wheelin'
Very Land Rover...me likey...
We've been kicking around replacing our MDX by the end of the year, this baby will surely be on our list. Finally 3-rows of seats (a must on our list as we carry a lot of family). That grille is killer.
Go Ford
We've been kicking around replacing our MDX by the end of the year, this baby will surely be on our list. Finally 3-rows of seats (a must on our list as we carry a lot of family). That grille is killer.
Go Ford
Forward Industries Inc.
07-26-2010, 02:39 PM
#107
Chloe @ 17mo
Interesting looks. Aggressive and bulky. That rear overhang though, seems extremely massive. Hopefully, real life pics will reveal a much better lloking car.
07-26-2010, 03:56 PM
#111
That was uncalled for...
I too thought the high price of the SHO would be it's down fall, and I'm sure it's turned away more than a few buyers, but I've read some articles saying more and more people are choosing the SHO version over the Limited models.
I think it'll be the same situation here.... Especially when this looks as good as it does.
07-26-2010, 04:34 PM
#113
it may be a mid-size, but judging by the Taurus which this is based on, I think this thing is going to be on the bigger end of the mid-size status.
07-26-2010, 07:27 PM
#114
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As seen with the Taurus (SHO), Ford has no problems selling a "non-premium" vehicle for a fairly premium price...
I too thought the high price of the SHO would be it's down fall, and I'm sure it's turned away more than a few buyers, but I've read some articles saying more and more people are choosing the SHO version over the Limited models.
I think it'll be the same situation here.... Especially when this looks as good as it does.
I too thought the high price of the SHO would be it's down fall, and I'm sure it's turned away more than a few buyers, but I've read some articles saying more and more people are choosing the SHO version over the Limited models.
I think it'll be the same situation here.... Especially when this looks as good as it does.
But I'm not even saying it will fail. I'm just surprised by the price.
07-26-2010, 07:42 PM
#115
My first Avatar....
However...
to 50K for the Explorer. I thought that the SHO was going to be price too high as well....I must admit, I am one of those who think, "45K for a Ford?" Maybe it's just me. 
07-26-2010, 08:22 PM
#116
Senior Moderator
That thing looks great. I bet they get the eco boost in there shortly.
07-26-2010, 08:45 PM
#117
I feel the need...
This seems to be a common refrain from a lot of peeps. Ford truly is on a roll. If the interiors are upgraded in quality (sat in a Fusion/Taurus recently, was unimpressed) and the reliability scores are for real - they are going to crush the appliance makers (Toyota comes to mind).
07-26-2010, 08:51 PM
#118
Senior Moderator
Hmm, side view makes it look enormous and boxy. Liking it a bit less now.
Also, I can't imagine a 4 banger powering this massive vehicle. 0-60 must be 12 seconds.
Also, I can't imagine a 4 banger powering this massive vehicle. 0-60 must be 12 seconds.
07-26-2010, 09:12 PM
#119
^ it's a turbo-4, but even then this thing's gotta be heavy. i'd say it would muster 60 in a crz-like 10 seconds
07-26-2010, 09:43 PM
#120
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I don't know about the Traverse. I kinda like that one too. It's another bright spot for American vehicles. imo.
However... to 50K for the Explorer. I thought that the SHO was going to be price too high as well....I must admit, I am one of those who think, "45K for a Ford?" Maybe it's just me.
However...
to 50K for the Explorer. I thought that the SHO was going to be price too high as well....I must admit, I am one of those who think, "45K for a Ford?" Maybe it's just me. I'm okay with the price of the Taurus (which buyers are agreeing, buying up Limiteds and SHOs), but this is less so. Nevertheless, I hope it's a success.
It's got 237 horsepower and torque rating of 250, so it should be adequate....and far from swift. The outgoing V6 makes 210 hp/240 tq.