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Spy Shots: Next-gen unibody Ford Explorer mules caught

Our spy photographers have noticed a test mule running around Detroit, and we agree with their guess that it's the upcoming reinvention of the Ford Explorer on a unibody platform. Since its inception, the Explorer has been a true SUV built on a sturdy truck frame, but the market has turned its back on traditional SUVs, so Ford came up with the Explorer America concept that debuted at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. The concept previews the vehicle you see here, though current mules for the production version are cobbled together with bits of Taurus X and Flex body panels. The new Explorer will be ditching its truckish roots and climbing onboard a new car-based platform that's shared with the Flex. The new unibody structure will effectively make the next Explorer a large CUV rather than an SUV. The mules are wearing a Flex front end with a modified lower grille to allow more cooling air to reach the engine, but after the more steeply raked A-pillar we find the body of a Ford Taurus X. Our spies note that the wheelbase of these mules appears to be shorter than that of the Flex, though we expect the new Explorer to sport a third row of seats regardless. The mules also appear to be wider than a Taurus X or Flex, which is fitting with the SUV image the new Explorer must project.
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:24:01 PM
Ford cuts inspired by Honda

For years, the success of vehicles such as the Ford F-Series pickups and Explorer SUV kept the Blue Oval brand from improving its line of mostly uncompetitive sedans. Automakers like Honda, though, never went the way of body-on-frame trucks and SUVs, preferring instead to continually improve its range of cars and crossover utility vehicles. That strategy is paying dividends in these days of high fuel prices, and Ford has taken notice. Asked whether he would prefer a more car-oriented model-mix, like that of Honda or Toyota, CEO Alan Mullaly recently answered, "Absolutely. We just don't have enough of those small or medium-sized vehicles yet, and that's what we need to concentrate on." Of course, all is not lost. As Automotive News points out, Ford has a new F-150 on the horizon, which is likely to improve its sales somewhat, and the brand as a whole has sold 647,140 vehicles, placing it well above Honda through April. Profitability, on the other hand, is another matter entirely.
posted : 6/1/2008 @1:00:34 AM



Turbocharging has long been associated with performance, but the 103-year-old technology is also very efficient. A small displacement gasoline engine with a turbocharger can equal or out-perform similarly sized naturally aspirated motors while also saving fuel. Europe is all over turbo engines for everything from high-performance Porsches to family wagons, but here in the States, force-fed engines are mainly sold in low volume sports cars.

Ford intends to jump into the turbocharging arena in a big way with "EcoBoost", and is planning to move up to 500,000 vehicles in the U.S. annually with twin-spool technology. Ford claims its EcoBoost suite of engine technoloies will give customers fuel savings of up to 20% versus a like-powered naturally aspirated engine, and the first samples are scheduled to go on sale in about a year. We wanted to learn more about Ford's plan, so we accepted an invitation to speak with Ford's director of Advanced Powertrain, Dan Kapp. Click play on the video above to see what Dan has to say about EcoBoost.

posted : 4/1/2008 @9:34:28 AM
Detroit 2008: Ford Explorer America Concept says bye-bye to body-on-frame

For more than a decade the Ford Explorer was the top-selling SUV in the US with annual sales topping 400,000 units for many years. The best days of the body-on-frame SUV are clearly behind it, though, as the market has shifted toward crossovers like the smaller Escape and Honda CR-V, as well as larger vehicles like the Ford Edge. Ford has seen the light and the next generation Explorer is finally abandoning the traditional setup in favor of a new unit body design.
more ...
posted : 1/14/2008 @4:30:08 PM
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