While unveiling the face-lifted-for-2011 Edge, Ford also dropped a little nugget of quasi-news. (That's no small thing these days of over-rehersed speeches and blaring music).
We've reported before that the new Exlplorer, which according to Mark Fields "will redefine the SUV for the modern era," will offer an EcoBoost motor. What wasn't totally clear until today was that at least the base-level EcoBoost will be the 2.0-liter four-cylinder that will also be available by the end of this year in the 2011 Edge.
Although if you or we were paying attention, you/we would realize that the Ford Explorer America concept that the company unveiled at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show was claimed to have a 275-hp 2.0-liter, direct-injection, turbo four-cylinder and a 340-hp 3.5-liter turbo V6. Not so much a concept as a preview then.
Ford has yet to provide any estimated output numbers for the new production motor, but we're going to take a wild stab hear and say somewhere around 275. The Explorer will go on sale by the end of the year.
Read Inside Line's full story on the 2011 Ford Edge.
brn says:
08:31 AM, 02/10/10
As long as it doesn't look as ugly as the concept in the picture, sign me up for the 2.0.
hondacura4 says:
08:37 AM, 02/10/10
Will the Explorer be positioned above the Edge or the other way around?
bankerdanny says:
09:15 AM, 02/10/10
That's a lot of power for a 2.0. Even with a turbo and DI, the power and torque would come in at a pretty high RPM. Not a recipe for good driveability in a heavy 4WD SUV. The new Explorer might be lighter than the current one, but that doesn't mean it will be light.
notabigdeal says:
09:33 AM, 02/10/10
Audi get 211 hp out of their 2.0T. I donno how ford will make 275 and make it decently affordable (between 30k~35k for the escape).
It seems that these days only Hyundai and Ford are advancing the competition. GM is making competitive products but not outstanding. Toyota is kinda in the craps (its only new car the Venza is being eaten up by the Subaru Outback and soon the Kia Sorento). Honda make the crosstour and that is all i have to say.
greenpony says:
10:17 AM, 02/10/10
Doesn't GM get 260 hp out of their turbo DI 2.0 L? Why is it such a stretch of the imagination to add another 15 hp?
powell_jr says:
10:18 AM, 02/10/10
Good job Ford keep on pushing everyone else to make better probucts.
Now all I want to know is:
How did they get that concept on the moon for the photo op?
inlinesix says:
10:24 AM, 02/10/10
That's not unlikely power (Im thinking of the 2.0T from Mitsu. which had 317hp in the Japanese spec Evo IX). Also the torque (due to turbo) should come on reletively low in the power band. The 276 (rated) hp Evo V had 275 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm...
the beauty of forced induction
inlinesix says:
10:25 AM, 02/10/10
that photo looks good IMO
bc1960 says:
10:44 AM, 02/10/10
"Audi get 211 hp out of their 2.0T. I donno how ford will make 275 and make it decently affordable (between 30k~35k for the escape). "
The 2.0T gets 270 hp in the VW Golf R (and Audi S3 which is not sold here). Which will probably be in the same price range (R32 was $33.6K and the only option was $1800 navi). Substitute practical and luxury touches for the Golf R's high performance spec, and North American parts and labor costs for Deutchland's, and it seems doable.
firstwagon says:
11:09 AM, 02/10/10
You can get as much power as you want out of a turbo. That's not the problem.
The question will be what will the drivability be like in a heavy truck (assuming it's still a truck)?
If you need to have the engine in the boost all the time just to keep up with traffic then there will be little or no mileage advantage and a shorter engine life relative to a more laid back V6.
It will likely get good EPA numbers though which will look for the TV ads.
billt9 says:
11:16 AM, 02/10/10
The Explorer concept is gorgeous!
Hopefully the production looks just like it.
brn says:
01:17 PM, 02/10/10
Bankerdanny: "Even with a turbo and DI, the power and torque would come in at a pretty high RPM."
You're missing the magic of the Ford Ecoboost motor(s). They have very broad power curves. The V6 Ecoboost has a broader power curve than a NA V8. I would expect the 2.0L Ecoboost to have a broader power curve than a V6.
A 2.0L Ecoboost should do just fine in the new Explorer.
inlinesix says:
04:22 PM, 02/10/10
agree with brn.
@Firstwagon
I had a 2.5L Turbo 2008 WRX (rated with more torque than hp). The car has a good bit of torque down low (2,800 RPM is peak torque). I started to drive the car like a diesel, using the lower RPMs instead of revving it. It would've been better suited in a truck. From reading the specs and from driving other recent turbo cars, a driver could mistake a turbo 2.0 for a much larger V6. Reliability should also not be a factor.
I'm not sure about fuel economy, but a person shouldn't have to keep it in boost just to keep up with traffic.
firstwagon says:
08:27 PM, 02/10/10
inlinesix
Remember weight is everything when it comes to torque. I don't know what the new Explorer will weigh but a fair guess is somewhere betweeen 1000 to 2000 lbs more then your WRX.
Also the Subaru 2.5 is a very torquey engine to begin with, the smaller 2.0 Ford will be hard pressed to make the same claim.
The other problem is not reliability but durability. Running an engine under boost all the time causes more stress and more wear. All things being equal it will not last as long.
And you will have to keep it in the boost most of the time. Picture a non turbo 2.0 in a 2 tonne + SUV, think that would keep up with traffic? Not likely. It's only the turbo that will make this engine capable of moving this truck at anymore then a grandmothers driving pace.
Thus you will in the boost.
inlinesix says:
01:49 AM, 02/11/10
firstwagon:
The old 1999 Explorers with a 4.0L made 160 hp and 220 torque. I'm willing to bet that this motor will make the torque and the power to move the SUV well. Ive got to bring up the 275+ lb ft of torque from the Mitsubishi 2.0T again.
A person can run partial boost most of the time and still get the necessary power to move quickly and cruise with good fuel economy. A lot will depend on the driving style and the gearing.
Good point about the durability, but Subaru has used turbos for a long time with good results--why not Ford?
I'm not saying that this is the greatest thing ever invented, but...
dino6 says:
03:08 AM, 02/11/10
Still not sure how to differentiate the Explorer from the Edge until I see the details. I think the Edmunds rep misheard the Ford rep - that was probably 275 lb ft of torque, not hp. First of all, this SUV does not need to be fast. The old Explorer used to be the No. 1 soccer mom mobile of America in the 90s. The way to differentiate it from the Edge would be to give it some towing and mild off-road capabillities which mean torque not hp.
cr_driver says:
05:13 PM, 02/11/10
More good news coming from FORD.