---

---

---

Earlier this year, we showed you the first spy shots of the upcoming 2006 Ford Explorer. Now, a Michigan reader has spotted the '06 Explorer on the street - and we have the pictures.

Ford's current model Ford Explorer four-door SUV was completely redesigned for the 2002 model year. Now these latest photos of a prototype under test show that Ford is developing an update to the Explorer with new styling front and rear.

While most of the sheetmetal stays unchanged, there is a new front-end design, which can be seen somewhat through the disguise front cover. The new headlight design replaces the old square look with the now-fashionable design of overlapping round lights. The updated grille has a simpler design, replacing the many small square boxes with a lesser number of larger, rectangular openings. The lower bumper is also restyled, with a wide horizontal slot for air entry that is not as tall as the air opening on the previous design. Also note that the truck does not have any plastic side cladding, as was used on most (but not all) current-model Explorers.

The freshened Explorer will likely be introduced in mid-2005 as a 2006 model.

---

---

When you see this new face on the 2006 Ford Explorer this fall, remember to look behind the grille for what’s really important: a new, higher-output 4.6-liter V8. Like its Mercury Mountaineer sibling that debuted at the Chicago auto show in February, the new-look Explorer gets an optional V8 lifted directly from the 2005 Mustang.

Variable valve timing and three valves per cylinder boost the 4.6-liter’s output to 292 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, up from 239 hp and 282 lb-ft in the two-valve V8 it replaces. The V8 Explorer also gets a new six-speed automatic transmission.

For those who don’t like change, the base Explorer will still come with the same 4.0-liter, 210-hp, 254-lb-ft V6 and five-speed automatic.

---

---

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. - Ford Motor Co. spent big bucks redoing the 2006 Ford Explorer, but officials say the vehicle probably never will be the cash cow it once was because of the crowded market and its effect on SUV prices.

"We've been making less money for a while" on the Explorer, said Ford Division President Darryl Hazel. "We don't expect to make even … less, but as we keep working at things, it's always inevitable."

The 2006 Explorer arrives in dealerships in about a month, with new standard features and with prices for comparably equipped models that average about $1,750 less across the model range.

The basics: The 2006 Explorer gets its second new frame in four years. The new one shares some features with the F-150 pickup. To increase stiffness and rigidity, the Explorer frame has cross-members that run through the frame rails. Judy Curran, Explorer chief engineer, said the frame enables the Explorer to meet safety standards on the books through 2010.

The old frame would have needed substantial upgrades to meet those standards, she said. Because of price pressure from Ford, Tower Automotive Inc., maker of the old frame, refused to bid on the new one. Cosma, a business unit of Magna International, makes the new frame, but Curran would not say if Ford is paying more for it.

The new frame, which Ford says is 63 percent more resistant to twisting and 55 percent more resistant to bending when compared with the previous frame, is the centerpiece of the 2006 model. It has enabled the engineers to tune the Explorer's four-wheel independent suspension system for a smooth and quiet ride on road and off.

Two engines are available. The base model 4.0-liter V-6 is rated at 210 hp and is teamed with a five-speed automatic transmission. Ford says the V-6 produces 74 percent less smog-forming emissions than the 2005 model and runs as cleanly as the Escape Hybrid. The optional 4.6-liter V-8 has three valves per cylinder, is rated at 292 hp and is pretty much the same as the engine in the Mustang GT. That engine is bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission, a first for the Explorer.

The starting price of $27,175, including shipping, means many buyers will spend $30,000 before they get out the door. And that's for a V-6 model.

Notable features: With the Explorer tire recall still in Ford's rearview mirror, safety has been given a high priority in the 2006 model. Ford says the Explorer's 10 standard safety systems are the most in its class. All models come with a tire pressure monitoring system, stability control, a new energy-absorbing steering column and an occupant classification system that senses the size and position of the person in the seat and tailors the airbag deployment for that occupant.

Ford's interior decorators also took cues from the F-150 for the instrument panel and console-mounted shifter. The 2006 model features a luxurious look, with some models sporting faux wood trim and a chrome trimmed instrument panel. A power third-row folding seat is optional.

What Ford says: "It is still the best selling SUV, and we expect it to continue to be that way," says Hazel. "Certainly the competition continues to increase, and we will just see what happens. You can look at the sales rate for the first six months of the year or the last six months, and I think the last six months will be quite a bit better."

Compromises and shortcomings: The new instrument panel is nicely designed and conveys class, but that effort is marred some by the plastic panels. The door handles are low on the inside of the front doors, which makes it awkward to close the doors.

Nuts and bolts: The 2006 Explorer is technically excellent. The V-8 engine delivers better fuel economy than last year's model. It makes a lovely muted hum under full acceleration. The transmission goes about its business without fuss.

Ford won't give volume projections. But Explorer sales, down about 18 percent this year, are being hurt by tough competition, the move to car-based crossovers and high gasoline prices.

The skinny: The styling changes are minor, and that could be trouble in a market that seems to get excited by bold new designs. But Ford has sold 5.4 million Explorers since the vehicle's 1991 debut, and fans of the old model will love the new one.

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Ford will trim output of the Explorer SUV from itsLouisville, Ky., plant next year as it tries to match production with lagging sales.

The Dow Jones newswires reports that the third-largest automaker in the world will cut Explorer production by 20 percent in the fourth quarter, and will trim even more in 2007 as demand for truck-based SUVs is expected to fall. Ford also has been emphasizing its new fleet of crossover vehicles-the new 2007 Ford Edge, the Escape and Escape Hybrid, and the Ford Freestyle-and downplaying its older truck-based SUVs as consumer taste shifts toward the car-based crossovers.

Ford will also cut jobs at the plant as it cuts back on the number of Explorers it builds, but a spokesperson could not confirm how many jobs would be lost. Ford closed a second Explorer plant in St. Louis earlier this year as part of its Way Forward turnaround plan.

Though the 2006 Explorer was heavily revamped, with new interior styling and exterior trim, sales still are sliding. The Explorer is off 30 percent so far this year, the news agency reports, and Ford has built 15 percent fewer Explorers this year than it did in the same period in 2005.

For 2007, the Explorer is slimmed down to a simplified lineup of base XLT, Eddie Bauer, and Limited, in 4x2 and 4x4 configurations, with a new Ironman Package available on XLT models. A 210-horsepower 4.0-liter V-6 is standard, while an available 4.6-liter V-8 powerplant provides 292 horsepower and comes with a six-speed automatic transmission. There's a choice of Ford's ControlTrac four-wheel drive or full-time all-wheel-drive systems. Stability control is standard across the line.

---

---

Ford's newest version of the Explorer doesn't run on gasoline, or even diesel. Instead, the company's most traditional sport-utility vehicle has been implanted with a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain for a concept due at the 2006 L.A. auto show.

The fuel-cell-powered exploreR (spelling theirs), Ford says, will deliver more road-going miles than any fuel-cell vehicle on the road today. The fuel-cell Explorer retains its six-passenger and cargo-carrying capacity, even with the new powertrain that's capable of 350-mile range. The hydrogen tank is fitted in the space normally occupied by the Explorer's six-speed automatic transmission.

Developed under a Department of Energy program to encourage hydrogen infrastructure development, the exploreR, Ford says, has been tested for more than 17,000 miles and has set a new record for miles driven by a fuel-cell vehicle (1556 mi) in 24 hours.

Ford says it will show another fuel-cell vehicle at the Detroit auto show in January.

---

---

The Ford Explorer America concept showcases a new kind of utility for the vehicle customers have known and loved for years: even better fuel efficiency.

“Customers are smart. They value vehicles – the more efficient, the better,” said Jim Farley, Ford group vice president of Marketing and Communications. “Ford gets it.

“Innovative technologies can transform people’s favorite vehicles. Look at SYNC, the Ford system that connects people and their favorite portable devices, including media players and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, while in their vehicles.”

Technologies and engineering innovations help Explorer America concept deliver an approximately 20 to 30 percent fuel-economy improvement, depending on engine selection, while providing room for six and their gear as well as moderate towing and off-roading capabilities.

This smarter utility concept simplifies Ford Motor Company’s systems approach for delivering sustainable vehicles, specifically demonstrating:

A powertrain lineup that includes a 4-cylinder 2-liter engine with EcoBoost technology delivering 275 hp and 280 lb.-ft. of torque or, as a premium engine, a 3.5-liter V-6 delivering about 340 hp. Depending on engine selection, fuel-efficiency will improve by 20 to 30 percent versus today’s V-6 Explorer

Migration from current body-on-frame to unibody construction, reducing weight and delivering superior driving dynamics

A fuel-efficient 6-speed transmission with auto shift control, allowing the driver to select and hold a lower gear with just the turn of a dial when conditions warrant it

A weight reduction of 150 pounds for the V-6 version thanks to its downsized – yet superior performing – engine, as well as more lightweight materials, suspension and chassis components

Fuel-saving electric power assisted steering (EPAS) and other engine actions that deliver a fuel savings benefit of about 5 percent. Between 80 to 90 percent of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles will have EPAS by 2012

In addition to its fuel-efficient powertrain and technologies, the Explorer America concept addresses how the SUV market has changed in the past 15 years.

In the 1990s, customers were drawn by SUVs aligned with people’s adventurous, more rugged lifestyles. Today’s consumers are more discerning, demanding products that are capable and flexible – but more intelligently executed.

The Explorer America concept looks the part, too, with a modern, muscular design language that belies its ability to harness today’s active lifestyles. Its integrated three-bar grille, defined power dome hood, wrap-around rear glass panel window and sliding rear door give the appearance that this concept is ready for modern Lewis-and-Clark types to explore, from their own neighborhoods to the trail head.

Inside, intelligent features abound, including: single-touch stackable, sliding seats that allow for convenient access to the second row; a work table with seats deploy from the tailgate; and a three-dimensional compass and navigation unit with a topographical map built right into the instrument panel.

---

---

It's never good to be caught by the paparazzi in the buff. Unless, of course, that was your plan all along in order to get your C-list self some much-needed coverage in the various gossip rags. But we digress. Our intrepid spy photographers managed to snap off a giant series of photos of the hotly anticipated 2012 Ford Explorer completely uncovered, and that is a very, very good thing indeed.

For the first time ever, thanks to an unruly gust of wind, we get to see the first-ever unibody Explorer in all its glory. That looks to include a new take on the familiar in-your-face three-bar grille with newly perforated top and bottom rungs bisected by two thin chrome strips up front. Note, too, the mildly sculpted flanks that lead to the currently en vogue fastback-like sharply raked C-pillar. A closer look at the fascia reveals not-yet-completed projector headlamps ensconced in clear covers that angle well back into the fenders. Lookin' good so far, we'd say.

Though we don't quite get a good look at the rear fascia, we do get a clear shot underneath the car from the hind quarters. This is most definitely a front-wheel drive chassis, and though this particular mule isn't equipped with one, there will surely be an optional rear differential for all-wheel drive duty. See all the shots for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.

---