EcoBrick Bob
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Posted this AM on AutoWeek blog.
Amazing what Ford can do with the same general platform!
Game Changer? Ford has high hopes for its redesigned 2011 Explorer
By WES RAYNAL
The 2011 Ford Explorer is a little wider, a bit lower and will be available with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four that delivers a projected 237 hp at 5,500 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque from 1,700 rpm.
The 2011 Ford Explorer is a little wider, a bit lower and will be available with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four that delivers a projected 237 hp at 5,500 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque from 1,700 rpm.
Ford - 2011 Ford Explorer
Ford wants you to forget everything you know, or think you know, about its Explorer. The company has high hopes for its all-new SUV, and rightfully so. It's one of the most recognizable nameplates in the auto industry with, according to Ford, a 95 percent name-recognition rate.
The 2011 Explorer is a huge departure from the outgoing model and takes more than a couple of risks. Ford says it will “shatter customers' SUV perceptions” in terms of performance and fuel economy. (According to Ford, fuel economy is the No. 1 reason people say no to SUVs). The company challenged its engineers to make a truck that looks new and fresh inside and out, that will be instantly recognizable as an Explorer, and that not only gets better-than expected fuel economy but combines that with performance and capability people expect from an SUV.
“Our job is to myth-bust,” said group vice president Jim Farley, who is in charge of marketing Fords globally. “Everyone knows the name, but what do they know about it now? So it's my job to change what customers thought Explorer was versus what it has become.”
The truck is a little wider and a wee bit lower, with short overhangs and tucked-in body panels. One of the biggest changes is that the Explorer will be available with a four-cylinder engine. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost four delivers a projected 237 hp at 5,500 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque from 1,700 rpm.
The standard engine is a 3.5-liter V6 delivering an estimated 290 hp and 255 lb-ft. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Ford didn't release mpg numbers but said fuel economy should be up 30 percent. The EPA numbers are still pending. Today's Explorer is rated at 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway, so the new four-cylinder's numbers should be around 18 mpg/26 mpg. The V6 can tow 5,000 pounds; the four-cylinder, 2,000 pounds. Ford didn't say officially, but we wouldn't be at all shocked if the 355-hp, 3.5-liter EcoBoost is offered in the not-too-distant future since there's no V8 available.
The V6 is available with an all-wheel-drive system developed with formerly Ford-owned Land Rover, wherein a **** on the center console adjusts among snow, sand, mud and normal modes. Settings adjust engine behavior, throttle tip-in, transmission shifts and calibrations for traction and stability-control systems depending on road conditions. Terrain management includes Hill Descent Control, which brakes the engine to increase control down steep hills. The four-cylinder will be front drive.
The interior of the 2011 Ford Explorer.
Ford
The interior of the 2011 Ford Explorer.
Another departure is that the full frame is gone, replaced by a unibody structure with independent front and rear suspension. The Ford Taurus, the Lincoln MKS and the Ford Flex use the platform, too.
Ford really sweated the details on this baby. It looks clean and modern inside and out, and there's more headroom and shoulder room than before. We tried the third row, and our knees weren't jamming our chins. The interior also features the world's first use of inflatable seatbelts, under development for nearly 10 years, in the second row.
Ford engineers said they targeted Audi in terms of interior quality, switch-gear feel and soft touch points, and they did a good job. In fact, Ford design boss Moray Callum says it's the best interior Ford has done. The gaps are tight, the materials and fit and finish first-rate. We haven't driven the truck yet, but we sat in one, and the front buckets felt comfortable.
“Make it look expensive: That was my goal for the new Explorer interior,” said Mike Arbaugh, interior studio manager. He said he wants the new truck to challenge SUVs such as the BMW X5 and the Audi Q7, “so the interior design, craftsmanship and fit and finish should play in that league.”
Base, XLT and Limited trim levels will be available when the Explorer goes on sale this winter; there's no Eddie Bauer version yet. XLT and Limited models will have MyFord Touch technology with two driver-configurable LCD screens, an eight-inch color touch screen in the center stack, an expanded media hub with USB ports, an SD card reader, RCA video input jacks and Ford Sync.
No prices have been set yet but we'd guess the MSRP will be in line with today's Explorer, which starts at $29,280.
For more Car news - Automotive Headlines, click here.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100726/CARNEWS/307269999#ixzz0unrfqe8b
Amazing what Ford can do with the same general platform!
Game Changer? Ford has high hopes for its redesigned 2011 Explorer
By WES RAYNAL
The 2011 Ford Explorer is a little wider, a bit lower and will be available with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four that delivers a projected 237 hp at 5,500 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque from 1,700 rpm.
The 2011 Ford Explorer is a little wider, a bit lower and will be available with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four that delivers a projected 237 hp at 5,500 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque from 1,700 rpm.
Ford - 2011 Ford Explorer
Ford wants you to forget everything you know, or think you know, about its Explorer. The company has high hopes for its all-new SUV, and rightfully so. It's one of the most recognizable nameplates in the auto industry with, according to Ford, a 95 percent name-recognition rate.
The 2011 Explorer is a huge departure from the outgoing model and takes more than a couple of risks. Ford says it will “shatter customers' SUV perceptions” in terms of performance and fuel economy. (According to Ford, fuel economy is the No. 1 reason people say no to SUVs). The company challenged its engineers to make a truck that looks new and fresh inside and out, that will be instantly recognizable as an Explorer, and that not only gets better-than expected fuel economy but combines that with performance and capability people expect from an SUV.
“Our job is to myth-bust,” said group vice president Jim Farley, who is in charge of marketing Fords globally. “Everyone knows the name, but what do they know about it now? So it's my job to change what customers thought Explorer was versus what it has become.”
The truck is a little wider and a wee bit lower, with short overhangs and tucked-in body panels. One of the biggest changes is that the Explorer will be available with a four-cylinder engine. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost four delivers a projected 237 hp at 5,500 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque from 1,700 rpm.
The standard engine is a 3.5-liter V6 delivering an estimated 290 hp and 255 lb-ft. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Ford didn't release mpg numbers but said fuel economy should be up 30 percent. The EPA numbers are still pending. Today's Explorer is rated at 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway, so the new four-cylinder's numbers should be around 18 mpg/26 mpg. The V6 can tow 5,000 pounds; the four-cylinder, 2,000 pounds. Ford didn't say officially, but we wouldn't be at all shocked if the 355-hp, 3.5-liter EcoBoost is offered in the not-too-distant future since there's no V8 available.
The V6 is available with an all-wheel-drive system developed with formerly Ford-owned Land Rover, wherein a **** on the center console adjusts among snow, sand, mud and normal modes. Settings adjust engine behavior, throttle tip-in, transmission shifts and calibrations for traction and stability-control systems depending on road conditions. Terrain management includes Hill Descent Control, which brakes the engine to increase control down steep hills. The four-cylinder will be front drive.
The interior of the 2011 Ford Explorer.
Ford
The interior of the 2011 Ford Explorer.
Another departure is that the full frame is gone, replaced by a unibody structure with independent front and rear suspension. The Ford Taurus, the Lincoln MKS and the Ford Flex use the platform, too.
Ford really sweated the details on this baby. It looks clean and modern inside and out, and there's more headroom and shoulder room than before. We tried the third row, and our knees weren't jamming our chins. The interior also features the world's first use of inflatable seatbelts, under development for nearly 10 years, in the second row.
Ford engineers said they targeted Audi in terms of interior quality, switch-gear feel and soft touch points, and they did a good job. In fact, Ford design boss Moray Callum says it's the best interior Ford has done. The gaps are tight, the materials and fit and finish first-rate. We haven't driven the truck yet, but we sat in one, and the front buckets felt comfortable.
“Make it look expensive: That was my goal for the new Explorer interior,” said Mike Arbaugh, interior studio manager. He said he wants the new truck to challenge SUVs such as the BMW X5 and the Audi Q7, “so the interior design, craftsmanship and fit and finish should play in that league.”
Base, XLT and Limited trim levels will be available when the Explorer goes on sale this winter; there's no Eddie Bauer version yet. XLT and Limited models will have MyFord Touch technology with two driver-configurable LCD screens, an eight-inch color touch screen in the center stack, an expanded media hub with USB ports, an SD card reader, RCA video input jacks and Ford Sync.
No prices have been set yet but we'd guess the MSRP will be in line with today's Explorer, which starts at $29,280.
For more Car news - Automotive Headlines, click here.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100726/CARNEWS/307269999#ixzz0unrfqe8b
