The Ford Explorer has long been synonymous with SUV — but it lost its market leadership and its luster in recent years. But for 2011, Ford has changed everything.
Is this a revolution? It just might be, because the 2011 Ford Explorer isn't just updated, it is a completely different Explorer than any that have gone before.
All previous Explorers were based on Ford's small truck chassis, the same one that the company uses for its small Ford Ranger pickups. The 2011 Explorer dispenses with that, and uses a new unibody structure that the company touts as lighter and stronger. This may put off traditional SUV buyers that associate body-on-frame construction with truck-like toughness. But it will almost certainly draw in buyers looking for a more nimble, car-like ride and handling experience.
Engine offerings are innovative and powerful. The Explorer comes equipped with a standard 3.5 liter V6. According to Ford, "It provides best-in-class 25 mpg while delivering an impressive 290 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft of torque. That's HP no SUV can beat. This means you have the power for merging, accelerating and pulling a trailer. You just may not visit the gas station as much."
As for options, the Explorer has never disappointed and for 2011 it offers a range of innovative features, including the new "terrain management system." According to Ford:
The available, class-exclusive Terrain Management System allows you to easily shift on the fly into one of four settings to match the terrain you’re driving in: • Normal – biases torque to the front wheels and sends it to the rear only as needed • Mud/Ruts – switches the throttle to a more aggressive mode, limits upshifting and desensitizes stability control allowing the tires to spin as needed • Sand – the throttle throws maximum torque to the wheels, placing the transmission in lower gears for as long as possible, which allows the wheels to spin aggressively • Grass/Gravel/Snow – places the throttle in a setting to minimize wheel slip.
That should help drivers dealing with a variety of conditions, but one wonders how often some of these modes will get used. Even the former truck-based Explorer rarely saw off-road duty. Will owners of the new car-based model really use the "Mud/Ruts" setting? Though, to be sure, drivers in northern areas subject to snow storms will probably use the "Grass/Gravel/Snow" setting with depressing regularity.
Something also should be said for the alternate available Ecoboost 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine. Available in early 2011, this engine combines direct injection with turbocharging to deliver good fuel economy plus outstanding power — it produces 237 horsepower, a very respectable number in a 4 cylinder engine.
Innovative safety features also abound, including inflatable rear safety belts. According to Ford, these belts, available in XLT and Limited models, "help reduce pressure on the chest while controlling head and neck motion for rear-seat passengers. In the event of a frontal or side crash, the inflatable safety belts hold the passenger in the appropriate seating position, helping to reduce risk of injury." Explorers can also be equipped with a blind spot information system that helps alert drivers to vehicles in their blind spots, an innovative feature that should be welcomed by most drivers. And, like most Fords across the lineup, the 2011 Explorer can be equipped with a variety of information and entertainment equipment like SYNC voice activated technology and a high quality Sony entertainment system.
