The 2011 Ford Explorer may take its styling cues from the Explorer America concept, which is pictured here.

Consumer Guide’s Impressions of the 2011 Ford Explorer

Crossovers are hot, trucky SUVs are not, so Explorer is being reimagined as a thriftier, eco-friendlier car-based wagon. But does Ford really need a fourth midsize crossover?

What We Know About the 2011 Ford Explorer

If Ford Motor Company had a theme song these days, it might be “The Party’s Over.” After all, its two biggest cash cows of the past 20 years, the big F-Series pickup and Explorer SUV, are suffering mighty sales losses as consumers embrace more rational vehicles to cope with soaring gas prices and other economic woes. But while there will always be demand for big, burly pickups, the SUV market is shifting decisively from truck-based rigs like Explorer to thriftier, more-civilized car-based SUVs like Ford’s own Edge, not to mention a host of domestic- and import-brand competitors. Trouble is, Ford missed the mark with its first midsize crossover, the 2005 Freestyle, now reconstituted as the Taurus X. And the upcoming 2009 Ford Flex wagon is a sort-of new-age minivan that answers a question no one seems to be asking. At least the Edge is selling respectably--so far--a rare bright spot in the corporate sales picture.

With all this, there’s a sense that Ford is still grasping for a smash-hit crossover. Which likely explains the Explorer America concept unwrapped at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Many observers think this exercise previews an all-new 2011 Ford Explorer that breaks with tradition by literally crossing over into the popular realm dominated by the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. It’s amazing they didn’t do this before. Consumers are crazy for crossovers, and the Explorer name still carries a ton of goodwill from some 6.5 million sales since the debut 1990 model.

Assuming the Explorer America actually is the template, the 2011 Ford Explorer will abandon truck-style body-on-frame construction for a unibody structure, a defining feature of the crossover genre. Some suspect the structure is basically the same one inside the Taurus X, but we can’t confirm that. Dimensions would likely be close to those of the concept, which rides a two-inch-longer wheelbase than today’s Explorer, but measures two inches shorter, a whopping six inches wider and 3.2 inches lower. Despite those changes, Ford says the America is 150 pounds lighter than a current V6 Explorer. The weight loss reflects both the unibody design and more-extensive use of lightweight materials.

Paring pounds is important. Weight works against fuel economy, performance, and a vehicle’s carbon footprint, and the 2011 Ford Explorer aims to be the greenest, thriftiest Explorer ever. That’s why it’s sure to rely on Ford’s new “EcoBoost” family of turbocharged four-cylinder and V6 engines with efficiency-enhancing direct fuel injection. The concept points the way by running a 2.0-liter turbo-four claiming 275 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. That compares with 210 horses and 254 pound-feet for today’s non-turbo 4.0-liter Explorer V6, and should be more than adequate for curb weight that will still well exceed two tons. Similarly, a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 is expected to out muscle today’s 4.6-liter Explorer V8 by providing around 340 horsepower and 340 pound-feet versus 292 and 300.

Both engines will mate with a six-speed automatic transmission, another ingredient in the fuel-saving recipe, plus the usual choice of rear-wheel and four-wheel drive. The latter could technically end up as all-wheel drive, without the low-range gearing characteristic of a true 4WD system. Depending on powerteam, Ford projects fuel-economy gains of 15-30 percent versus a current V6 Explorer. But rated towing capacity will be about 50 percent lower, Ford says: 3500 pounds max versus 7300 now. Then again, heavyweight trailering isn’t a deal-breaker for most crossover buyers.

As for appearance, the 2011 Ford Explorer should take major cues from the America concept, including heavily bulged wheel arches, rounded body corners, and a high, bluff front with a shiny three-bar Ford-brand grille. Show car gimmicks like the see-through roof panel, sliding rear side doors and jumbo wheels probably won’t survive, but we could be wrong. Similarly, the production interior should be less futuristic than the concept’s, but still very modern--and with three-row seating, of course.

So, the SUV that started the craze will soon morph from truck to “car,” and we see that as a good thing. Times have changed, and Ford had to do something, now that Explorer sales are on the ropes. Besides, Dearborn doubtless realizes the name is too valuable to lose. The question is, will that name be enough to make this crossover any more successful than Ford’s other entries in the class? The answer is a little less than three years away.

The 2011 Ford Explorer will have unibody construction, unlike the current model. The Explorer America concept is shown here.

The America concept sports three novelties that could conceivably carry over in some form to the 2011 Ford Explorer. Ford PR describes these as “single-touch” stackable, sliding seats that allow for convenient access to the second row; a work table with seats that deploy from the tailgate; and a three-dimensional compass and navigation system unit with a topographical map built right into the instrument panel. The concept’s 2-2-2 seating package may also be available, though we suspect the standard setup will include a three-person second-row bench and a two-person third-row bench.

Buying Advice for the 2011 Ford Explorer

We have no hot-deal tips at this early stage, but we do have some observations. With the Edge, Flex, Taurus X and now a likely transformed Explorer, Ford seems intent on blanketing the market with crossovers in hopes that one will hit big. The only trouble with that is, you run the risk of competing as much with yourself as you do with the other guys.

Moreover, Ford is doomed to disappointment if it thinks a car-like redesign alone will restore Explorer sales to their 1990s boom levels (at least 200,000 a year). After all, the market has changed radically and competitors have multiplied since Explorer led the SUV field in product design and sales. And though the model name may still be a big plus, a crossover Explorer will be just another crossover, and with the difficult task of taking sales away from class “default choices” like Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander, not to mention upstarts from Korea and even General Motors.

On the other hand, an America-like 2011 Ford Explorer could well be the profit engine Ford desperately needs and a class game-changer--as it will have to be to win significant buyer attention. One thing is sure: However the next Explorer turns out, buyers will have no shortage of attractive choices in midsize crossovers in the coming decade, and that, too, is a good thing. How many will be Fords is another question. Would, say, the similar Taurus X be dropped by 2011 to make room for the crossover Explorer? Could be. And today’s Explorer Sport Trac pickup might not even last that long. Stay tuned.

2011 Ford Explorer Release Date: The America concept may look showroom-ready, but a production version is still some ways from being finished. That said, we’d look for an on-sale date in the first or second quarter of calendar 2010.

2011 Ford Explorer First Test Drive: Assuming the above on-sale timing, press previews could be held as early as autumn 2009 and probably no later than March of 2010.

2011 Ford Explorer Prices: A lot can happen in three years, so we can only make a rough guess at this point. All things considered, though, we suspect a 2011 Ford Explorer won’t cost a great deal more than a 2008, with probable base stickers ranging from $27,500 to $32,500.

Ford's 2011 Explorer will be powered by the company's "EcoBoost" engine family. The Ford Explorer America concept is shown here.

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