DEARBORN, Mich. — The Ford Explorer was once one of the best-selling vehicles in the U.S., but as demand for big, trucklike SUVs fell, so did sales.
Now Ford is trying to breathe new life into the Explorer by reinventing it as a more carlike, fuel-efficient vehicle.
The marketing campaign for 2011 Ford Explorer started Monday. It will be in dealerships this winter. The automaker promises a sport-utility vehicle with seating for seven that has similar fuel economy to a Toyota Camry sedan. At $28,190, the base price is also $1,000 less than the 2010 Explorer.
The new Explorer has been completely redesigned. The most obvious difference:It’s built on a car platform. The new Explorer shares a platform with the Taurus X sedan.
The new Explorer will have less towing capacity than the outgoing model - 5,000 pounds, versus 7,115 pounds - and it won’t offer a V-8 engine.
“Ford’s challenge is to match the idea of the Explorer to this product,” said Aaron Bragman, an analyst with IHS Automotive. “It’s a good test for Ford to determine what an SUV is these days.”
Business, Pages 20 on 07/27/2010