2011 Ford Explorer By ALAN GELL www.CarColumns.Net It was an unusual event, much different than historical vehicle unveilings. Generally, auto manufacturers have held the “launch” of a new vehicle at a large auto show in a major city. Ford has combined a Facebook page with multi-city extravaganzas to show off their all-new 2011 Ford Explorer.             Albert Einstein wrote a letter to his son Eduard back in 1930 and said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”

  Apparently, the Ford people subscribe to Einstein’s belief and they just keep moving forward. The new-generation 2011 Ford Explorer is a great example. For years, it was a wildly popular SUV. Those were days when gasoline was very inexpensive and driving a large, truck-looking vehicle put the family squarely in the “We-have-arrived-class.” Ford was selling upwards of 400,000 units each year.

            Today’s economy is different and consumers are questioning all purchases, including homes, cars, eating out, and even higher education. Joblessness is still pervasive. Ford only sold 52,000 Explorers during 2009. Yet, Ford is moving forward. Jim Farley is the marketing guru. At a preview in Dearborn, Michigan, Farley commented that he would be the “myth-buster” about the new Explorer. He elaborated that a lot of people think that a large SUV is costly to operate, has bad fuel efficiency, and not very good performance and he wants to prove them wrong. He said his main job is to convince consumers that the 2011 Explorer really is new and different.

            The North American unveiling of the new 2011 Explorer was shown with bloggings and photos so thick that it almost clogged up Facebook. Simultaneous events were held in Toronto, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Miami, Denver, Salt Lake City, Chicago, and Fort Worth/Dallas. Journalists, Dealers, Salesmen, and others were invited to the special event. Ken Czubay, Ford’s Vice-President for Marketing, was at the DFW event at the Dallas Trinity River Audubon Center. He said that the new Explorer will achieve a 30 percent increase in fuel economy. “Consumers want utility and off-road capability, as well as superior fuel economy.”
           
Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas, commented “The Explorer nameplate is so recognizable among consumers. It has 96% recognition.” He also mentioned that consumers “still want SUV’s with capability and can offer family adventures. Customers want fuel efficiency and driving dynamics.” During a technical briefing, it was repeatedly said that “The 2011 Ford Explorer can go where the pavement does not go." It offers seven passenger seating, spirited performance, and a quiet, comfortable ride, both on and off-road.

            If you were a Cliff Notes fan in school, you probably like to cut through all the verbiage and go straight to the meat of the subject. That is what Ford is attempting to do with the new Explorer and this unusual launch. Albert Einstein said, “Everything should be as simple as possible, but not simpler.” That is how the use of technology in the Explorer appears. The new pairing of Sync and MyFordTouch is really quite simple to work, but it is so much more advanced. MyFordTouch offers almost all the features in a voice-activated format. It has voice interface, touch interface, and graphic interface. It simplifies the interaction for music, cell phones, entertainment, navigation, and climate control. Even text messages can be received so the driver can listen to it and reply with a call – all with the use of voice commands.

            The 2011 Ford Explorer is based on the Taurus car platform instead of a large pickup truck base. This should make the ride much smoother and more comfortable. It is powered by a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder EcoBoost engine, as an option. This is the same engine in the Ford Edge. It is rated at 237 horsepower and 250 ft-lbs of torque. The standard is a 3.5 liter V6 engine, although the 4 cylinder is expected to sell more. The new Terrain Management System is somewhat like some other manufacturers. It uses a 4x4 shift-on-the-fly that only requires a simple twist of a knob on the center console. Simple graphics depict a symbol for mud, sand, snow, and hill descent. These four options make the adjustments in the vehicle’s traction, speed, and handling.

            Towing and hauling continue to be an important feature of the Explorer, although not quite as significant as the early years. It does offer trailer sway control and a rear view camera. For safety concerns, Ford has added the first inflatable second row safety belt. It was noted that this is important due to the number of younger passengers as well as older, senior passengers. The added protection for them is important to the owners.

            Exact mileage figures are not yet established by the EPA. Pricing is expected to begin slightly less than $30,000. The new 2011 Explorer is expected to be in Ford dealer showrooms late fall, 2010.

                Ford said that consumers still want a vehicle that can carry a lot of stuff, have room for seven people, and can go off-road occasionally. So, in a word, the new Explorer has been “re-invented” as simple but certainly not simpler. It offers luxury craftsmanship, clever storage, and is very contemporary, capable with convenience features, without compromised performance.