All right. Ford has the Escape, Edge, Taurus X (for now) and Flex. Does it need another crossover? The automaker's hope is that a 2011 Explorer, based on the Taurus/Flex's D3 front-drive unibody platform can capture a small portion of the 400,000+ per-year buyers the body-on-frame Explorer attracted in its heyday.
Previewed by the 2008 Explorer America concept drawn up at Freeman Thomas' advanced design studio in California, the next model looks to become a direct competitor for the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot, delineating itself from the Flex's larger, people-mover image. Unlike the current Explorer, it's not likely to be offered with a V-8 engine, but with V-6s ranging up to the 3.5L Ecoboost engine.
Bottom Line: The Explorer goes from erstwhile bestseller to niche model within Ford's thinly sliced lineup of crossovers.
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