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.