2011 Ford Explorer Spotted in Detroit -- And It's Front-Wheel Drive

While not as handsome as the concept, (http://fordnewsblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/exploreramercon_45.jpg)
it's leaps and bounds better than the clunky '02-'10 model.

a couple of things.

1. not sure about the front end. not bad but perhaps one too many times to the parts bin
2. hopefully those aren't stock wheels.
3. can't really tell because of the scale but it looks like a grown up ford flex.
4. the C pillar back, to me, doesn't look like an old 4-Runner, it looks like the Sequoia in the back

Can it carry a sheet of drywall?

It all depends on the D pillar treatment. Personally I think the D-pillar being blacked out like the A & B pillars would give it a unique, cantilevered cabin cruiser look. As for the black front end, my guess is they are still fine tuning the air-dam/fascia for maximum fuel efficiency and haven't decided on a final one yet. Likely the same story with the wheels and exterior mirrors.

So we've got the Escape, Edge, Explorer, and Flex.

Why do we even need the Explorer anymore if it's not going to be BOF and RWD? Is this for people who think the Flex is ugly?

I say throw a small third row in the Edge and drop the Explorer.

Looks like most other SUV/Crossovers. As long as I can get the Ecoboost v6 for lots of money less than the Flex, I could be interested. The exterior is not that important. It's what is hidden that is most important.

Probably sounds crazy, the but blacked out cheese graters, I mean grill bars and headlights reminds me of some of the newer Land Rovers (I know, they were under Ford's wings for a while).

I'll reserve any further judgment until I see them on the road or at dealerships.

Taurus SUV meets tall Flex. Not a bad thing, but not necessarily the recipe for "Exploring".

Styling is okay. What I want to know is what is the capability? Will AWD models have a 2-speed transfer case? Can it tow 5K, or better? Or has this vehicle been completely neutered, so that it now merely a super-sized Escape?

The styling is fine. The parts seems equally fine - I'm just not sure it's needed.

Isn't this identical in concept to the Flex? Is it just a Flex XL? I thought it was going to be the size of a GMC Terrain, which would put it between the larger CUV's and the Kuga that supposedly is on it's way. But I can't tell how big it really is.

The Flex has no transfer case, so I doubt this one will, either. My guess is 4,500 will be the top tow rating, just like the Flex. You can only tow so much through a sidewinder powertrain and a hitch bolted to a unibody body. This is now a direct competitor to the Enclave/Acadia/Traverse.

The Expedition and Tahoe will now be the sole RWD BOF tow & off-road vehicles for as long as they survive. And pickups, of course.

Sounds like they're dumping the 2-speed transfer case.

Towing - at the top end will probaby be competitive with the Acadia, et all. Not the direct competitor, but the Flex is about a grand back on them.

Here's my problem:
Every person can make a case for every single vehicle they make; but when you have the Edge, Flex, Escape, Explorer, Expedition and Expedition EL, I think the pool is getting too crowded.

I think they could simplify the line-up (won't of course).

That looks nothing like the concept, which had a really cool rugged yet sleek futuristic look. I think the side profile isn't bad, but the face doesn't look right.

Reminds me a lot of the Taurus X; with a 2 year life-sapn I'm not sure that's a good thing. The X did have tons of room and drove decent, but the interior was muy cheapo! Ford seems to have learned a lot about interiors the past few years, so I'm confident that will be better. I do think Ford missed an opportunity here however. Why not fashion the Explorer along the lines of the Grand Cherokee; unit construction but not car based. Robust powertrains (maybe a DuraTorq V-6 diesel???) and the 2 speed transfer case so it has some off-road chops. Seem like Jeep is slowly abandoning that market, and the world (and Ford) really doesn't need another chopped and jacked up minivan or car-based SUV wannabe.

I actually really like it...I have liked almost all of the new cars ford has been coming out these days, but I would really like to see the interior of this.

I actually really like it...I have liked almost all of the new cars ford has been coming out these days, but I would really like to see the interior of this.

So this would be a direct competitor to the Pilot aka a CUV thrying really hard to pose as an SUV. Looks nice, but since Ford wants to position it as an urban cruiser I don't know where it fits. That's the Edge/ Flex's job. They just wanted to keep the name, which is understandable. I'll give it to Ford though. I'd rather buy this than an Edge/Flex.

People, calm down. This SUV is obviously still some sort of test mule. Look, it doesn't even have side mirrors on the door. All that black on the front bumper I'm willing to bet is just camo. Same for the blacked out wheels. Now when the official photos come out, and it still looks this psychedelic, then I'll gladly eat my words...

BTW, that transport driver probably got his pink slip after this, but I'm sure he got paid well for his little stunt which I think was staged. Interesting that the cover happen to blow off right in the spot where the cameras were set up.

I hope the blackend-out A pillar isn't camouflage, I like it a lot; kind of gives it a wrap-around Saab look.
Blacking out A/D pillars seems to be a trend, and I'm not opposed to it (well... maybe minus the XJ)

Why are people saying Ford's CUV line-up is too crowded now? You have the Escape (small), Edge (medium), Explorer (stretched Edge w/3rd row), Flex (more of a niche player), and of course the BOF Expedition. I don't think people actually realize how big the Flex really is. Its about 202 inches long, by comparison the Expedition is only 3" longer. I feel the Flex is more of an alternative to a minivan if anything. There is definitely room between the Edge and Flex for another SUV/CUV/Crossover/Whatever thingy (Explorer) :p

Escape 175"
Edge 186"
Explorer 193"
Flex 202"
Expedition 205"

You can't have a 2 spd transfer case on a FWD setup. Reason is the transaxle is a direct link to the CV axles to the front wheels and the you have an output shaft from the transaxle linking it to the rear wheels. You can have a torsen or disengagement setup for the rear wheel drive shaft from a CVT, but you cannot have a dual speed transfer case.

Pretty much, the new Ford Explorer is just another minivan in an SUV disguise. Oh well, at least we still got the 4Runner and Cherokee offering the hardcore 4WD guts to the ppl that actually still do that.

cacressida says:
"You can't have a 2 spd transfer case on a FWD setup. Reason is the transaxle is a direct link to the CV axles to the front wheels and the you have an output shaft from the transaxle linking it to the rear wheels. You can have a torsen or disengagement setup for the rear wheel drive shaft from a CVT, but you cannot have a dual speed transfer case."

Depends on how it's done. For years Subaru has offered a dual-range gearbox on their (FWD-biased) AWD 5-speed manuals. In fact they still do in many markets other than North America. Below is the link to the spec page of the Australian Subaru Forester, which shows the dual-range reduction ratio on the 5-speed manual.

http://www.subaru.com.au/models/forester/x/wagon/specifications/all/

@actualsize:

The Chevy Traverse tows 5200 lbs. so there is hope for the new Explorer to break the 5000 lb. mark. So many people out in the forums forget that the current base Explorer with the tow package only tows around 5000 lbs. or just over.

It worked for GM, e.g., Trailblazer turn Traverse-Envoy turn Acadia-Rainier turn Enclave; more cross-over less truck, but with truck-like appearance.

Ford's doing the smart thing, they'll sell a ton too. This is where the market's going.

There aren't enough off-roaders or towers in the market to support volume sales, but there are enough soccer moms to.

actualsize,

You wrote "You can only tow so much through a sidewinder powertrain and a hitch bolted to a unibody body." I think the sidewinder (assuming you mean transverse engine mounting) is the problem, not unibody. The Volkswagen Touareg is unibody and has a 7700 pound tow rating, but it has a longitudinal engine mounting and it's ridiculously heavy, north of 5000 pounds.

New Explorer now belongs to the club of nanny wagons. Just glad we still have a few BOF RWD and AWD choices such as 4Runners, Tahoes and Yukons.

I agree, sadly, targeting the towing market is useless...folks don't understand that a mini-van is much better for hauling people...they want a tall station wagon instead.

Keep in mind the Freestyle/Taurus X and Flex replaced the minivan in Ford's lineup...their product planners do not consider the Flex as a competitor in the SUV market. They're positioning it against the Odyssey and Sienna (and Quest? Does Nissan still build those?).

FWD ? Unibody ? It seems like the Explorer will be redundant considering the other products Ford offers.

I like it...not as revolutionary as the Explorer show car led you to believe it would be, but it's OK. Kind of makes you wonder, though. Ford will have a pretty crowded stable with the Flex, Edge and then this Explorer. That, or incredibly good coverage of every angle in this arena of vehicles. I guess it depends how you look at it.

I agree with jacarig.

I like it. Looks more like a CUV-sized vehicle, but more rugged-looking than Equinox/Terrain, CRV, Rav4, or Tucson. I'll be looking for them at the local Ford dealer to take a test drive.

This vehicle and the whole CUV/crossover/quasi-minivan segement saddens me.

As the owner of a RWD vehicle (07 STS) living in the Midwest, and as someone who chooses not to drive this vehicle in the winter I have a basic NEED; get me through the snow without getting stuck. Having said that I do not like or WANT a CUV. Is it too much to ask for a capable, reasonably fuel-efficent SUV that doesn't look so much alike?

And as long as I'm giving my two cents I also do not like the current trend of stuffing three rows of seats into everything. In most vehicles the third row is not truely usable for adults and it impedes on valuable cargo space in the rear. Why not make that an option that can be deleted?

This vehicle and the whole CUV/crossover/quasi-minivan segement saddens me.

As the owner of a RWD vehicle (07 STS) living in the Midwest, and as someone who chooses not to drive this vehicle in the winter I have a basic NEED; get me through the snow without getting stuck. Having said that I do not like or WANT a CUV. Is it too much to ask for a capable, reasonably fuel-efficent SUV that doesn't look so much alike?

And as long as I'm giving my two cents I also do not like the current trend of stuffing three rows of seats into everything. In most vehicles the third row is not truely usable for adults and it impedes on valuable cargo space in the rear. Why not make that an option that can be deleted?

Half-ton trucks are now priced so low that anyone towing anything or doing light 4wheeling is better off getting an F-150 than the current Explorer. The current Explorer does not even have a fuel economy advantage over the F-150 w/the 4.6. And the F-150 has an even nicer interior. Of course, a cap over the bed does not quite give the same security. And a truck doesn't have the 3rd row so anyone wanting a 3rd row, and tow, and go 4WD will only have the Expedition in the future.

As jacarig pointed out, Ford is really splitting the hairs in the CUV segment so we'll probably never see the Explorer sell in the volumes that it used to even as a soccer mom mobile. CUVs are better than SUVs as soccer mom mobiles though.

Explorer is a highly competent overall performer with an outstanding array of available features," says Consumer Guide. "These include V8 power, seven-passenger seating, and a power-folding 3rd-row seat. Its traditional truck-type design serves trailering needs without giving up much refinement to lighter-duty midsize crossover SUVs." For smoother on-road performance, consider the Toyota Land Cruiser or GMC Acadia.
http://www.macktruck.org/2010-ford-explorer-sport-trac-get-the-best-of-both-worlds.html

I think it will compete more directly with the GM lambda platform corssovers, as the Flex is much different from those vehicles, so I don't see it as much a direct competitor. I like what they have done with this car, though. Even though it is now a crossover, it still has a tougher almost off-road look. I think this rounds up their lineup pretty well, but if you want a more unique vehicle, the Flex is the best for that in the CUV segment.

I hear people saying why do we need a FWD unibody Explorer when they have the Edge, Flex and Escape. But I don't really see the point of a BOF Exlporer when you could just get an Expedition. Just like a think most midsize pickups are pointless and you'd be better off getting a fullsize, I think the same goes for the Explorer. Its not that much cheaper, that much more fuel efficient so an Expedition is usually the better choice for towing and actual room for passengers.

This gives Ford buyers a third row seat option for people who find the Flex ugly. Which if I were in the market for one, I'd not give the Flex a close look at all because of its looks.

It looks nice from these shots. i think the flex is agreat comp with the traverse were the explorer will be better up against japan competion like toyota highlander and honda polit

@michael_s: Re: the Touareg and 7,700 lbs. I don't pay too much heed to European manufacturer tow ratings. European trailers aren't set up for 10% tongue weight (or more) like American ones are, the towing speeds are lower and they don't face the combination of heat and steep grades you'll find in the American western deserts. What's the tongue load limit of the Touareg? About 600 lbs, which means the effective US tow limit is 6,000 lbs (or less if the tongue weight percentage is greater than 10%, common with US travel trailers). But I do agree that longitudinal rear-drive architecture with the front axle driven off a transfer case is what makes the VW's tow rating possible.

Looks great. To add to the C pillar discussions, I see Mercedes M-Class, and the front end looks like a Range Rover (especially how the hood sits).

Is that a super sized landrover freelander?

The final slap in the face for "truck guys" a FWD Explorer.

This seems to represent the same sort of strategy as the Taurus. It's more about resurrecting a model with considerable brand equity than anything else. Ford still sells a considerable amount of the current model Explorer despite it being pretty outdated in almost every way. The Flex, while cool and clearly competent, isn't generating mainstream sales numbers, probably due to its non-mainstream styling (the GM Lambdas outsell the Flex despite most comparison tests favoring the Flex.) So, we end up with what is essentially a more mainstream looking Flex, with a nameplate that already has considerable recognition with the public. I'm guessing the new Explorer will quickly outsell the Flex, and the Flex will be axed within a couple years.

I'm personally hoping Ford manages an 8 passenger configuration in the new Explorer. If you're like me and need 8 passenger capability and AWD, your current choices are limited to the full size BOF gas guzzlers, and the GM Lambdas.

And you're positive this isn't a Land Rover (grill, shoulder line, head lights?)

I'm thinking Range Rover LRX 5 door.

A very attractive package so far. Ford is doing all the right moves. Does this model come with seatbelt airbags in the rear? I remember hearing about the technology not too long ago.

Damn it Ford, its not even an SUV anymore, they basically stripped it of all its dignity. Theres no point in keeping it when you have the Edge and Flex, and FWD? What the hell?

I dub thee FordRunner

An Explorer should be RWD plain and simple

yankee831 says:

"An Explorer should be RWD plain and simple"

What kind of nonsense is that?

The biggest challenge is where to place this with Flex in the lineup. A 7-seat version would perhaps compete more directly with Traverse/Acadia, but Flex becomes out-of-sync (not SYNC) giving Ford no option that hauls people as well as Traverse (whose third row is larger than Flex but less comfortable and refined otherwise) or tows as well as competitors'.

It would be natural with Flex driving more like a car for Explorer to drive more like a truck, and in 5-passenger form to be priced lower, but it seems like Explorer fits within Ford's lineup pretty well without necessarily giving Ford a "category killer" in any one particular segment except perhaps just being a nicer overall driving experience, but not necessarily more useful.

I don't understand this. The Explorer brand is a damaged brand. Many remember the roll over risks and while it kicked off the entire SUV revolution in many ways it was also viewed as being surpassed by the unibody designs. Now Ford is trying to morph it away from it's underlying DNA. I'd understand that if the brand had a lot of value but as I mentioned it doesn't.

Toyota has seen sales of 4Runners drop dramatically but that's ok - they're more than offset by the Highlander sales. Toyota keeps 4Runners close to their brand and roots - still very capable offroad. Ford should have killed the Explorer name or at least stayed true to it's roots and make it a 4Runner competitor.

Ford is doing a lot right these days but I'm not sure I get this. Every husband who is looking at the Highlander, Pilot or Traverse/Acadia will say to his wife "let's go test drive an Explorer" and the wife will go "Oh, i don't want one of those big clunky SUV's." is my guess.

I rented the Flex for 10 days. I found it had a nice ride/handling but felt it was too big for me as well as poor gas mileage. It appears to me the Explorer's length is not as long and if they can put a fuel efficient v6 engine in it I would seriously consider it for my next car.

Do people still actually buy these vehicles? They are so 1990s, the world has moved on....

Why not just build a light weight car and be done with it. A front wheel explorer lets make jeep a front wheel drive.

@jusben1369: Moving from BOF to unibody addresses the rollover risk issue head-on. That's why everyone else has made the same move. A unibody has a far lower center of gravity, and that improves the static stability factor, the numerical representation of the likelihood of a rollover. They are more agile. Lower weight for better fuel economy is another huge benefit. Less unsprung weight from car-based mechanicals means improved ride. It gives customers big gains in many areas they care about.

Off-road performance is of course gutted, but no significant number of first owners ever takes these things off road in the true sense of the word. Most people buy 4x4 because of snow. Want proof? Almost all SUVs sold in southern California and other non-snow states are 4x2. Almost all sold where it snows are 4x4. It averages out to 50/50 nationally for almost every SUV nameplate that offers a choice. Apart from the IMAGE of 4-wheel drive machismo, the ability to move around in snow is all that 99% of 4x4 SUV buyers ever needed. It was all a big family hauler fad, fueled by cheap gas. SUVs were simply the "next big thing" that came after station wagons, big vans, and minivans. They've had their day. Crossovers are having theirs now.

What will be next? Jacked-up 4-door hatchback sedans like the Honda Crosstour? Don't think so. People with families have gotten used to three rows. Child seat laws practically demand it.

Dan

This new Explorer is a great move for Ford for a number of reasons:
- Old BOF Explorer was too heavy, inefficent and never that good off-road anyway
- Leverage existing D4 platform (Flex, MKT) for new Explorer = cheaper/lighter to build
- Unibody (like Jeep Cherokee) can be very off-road capable - expect an FX4 model
- Boxy Flex is not selling well enough, Ford needs 3-row CUV/SUV to compete
- Expect XLT "value" model with 2.0 I4 EcoBoost getting 30MPG = market "Game Changer"!
- Ford is extending all of their brand lines - expect 6+ model Explorers - XLT, Eddie Bauer, Limited/King Ranch, Sport (3.5 V6 EcoBoost), FX4 Off-Roader, Police Special, etc.
- Current Explorer only sellling 60K/year, new Explorer should boost sales to 150,000+