Here’s a new look at what is possibly the 2011 Ford Explorer. Except that it’s not really the whole car. Actually, it’s more of like a partial vehicle display of what is possibly the 2011 Ford Explorer. So, what if it’s not complete. Beggars can’t be choosers, right?
Despite it being only a partial display, it’s becoming increasingly clear that, with all the subtle hints this particular display and the 2011 Ford Explorer have in common, this is, indeed, the one. Among the notable characteristics this display has in common with spy shots of the new Explorer we’ve already seen include a nearly identical C-pillar that is found on both the real SUV and this display. In addition to that, Jim Buczkowski, Ford’s Electrical Systems Director, talked about a number of electronic and safety features found on the car, including an electronic parking system, and a new safety restrained "seat bag" system, which Buczkowski said would be included in the new Ford Explorer.
While we are all sitting around and waiting to see the final production version of the 2012 Ford Explorer, all we seem to get are more and more renderings of the future Explorer. The Australian magazine, Car Advice, revealed today new details on the future SUV that will be released at the end of the year along with a computer generated rendering as seen above.
For the 2012 Explorer, Ford will use a 2.0-liter turbocharged, directly injected, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine that will find its way to a few other products as well. There will also be a more powerful 3.5-liter Ecoboost with 355 hp (265 kW / 360 PS) and 350 lb-ft (474 Nm) of torque, which, according to Ford, should give the Explorer "best-in-class fuel economy and V6 performance." The Explorer will also be made of a unibody construction that will allow for a decrease in weight that, in turn, will provide better fuel economy.
The Explorer will also share Land Rover’s Terrain Response traction control system. The terrain management program will provide appropriate traction for any driving conditions the road may present to the driver using powertrain and braking controls. The system is utilized by a console-mounted, switchable knob that can provide assistance through normal driving conditions, mud, sand, and snow.
It’s not much, but it’s something that we can still hang our hats on. Ahead of its debut, which is scheduled to be later this year, Ford released a teaser image of the 2011 Explorer with chief engineer Jim Holland.
It doesn’t show a great deal of the new SUV except for parts of the clamshell hood, the sweptback headlights, and, of course, Holland’s smiling mug. Nonetheless, Holland is confident that the new Explorer would carry the high-standing tradition its predecessors have built over the years. "When you see it, you know it’s a Ford, you will know it is an SUV, and you will know it’s a very modern interpretation of our Explorer," he said.
While recent spy shots of the Explorer have given us more light on its design aesthetics, we do know that the new SUV will come with an option between a 2.0-liter four-cylinder Ecoboost and a more powerful 3.5-liter Ecoboost with 355 hp (265 kW / 360 PS) and 350 lb-ft (474 Nm) of torque, which, according to Ford, should give the Explorer "best-in-class fuel economy and V6 performance."
Ford has yet to announce the exact date and place of the new Explorer’s debut, but we’re pretty sure that it’s going to happen within the year, maybe towards the latter part of 2010. Either way, it should be something a lot of us will look forward to.
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