“The all-new Explorer will deliver today’s SUV buyers the attributes they really want and value, and a few they might not even have dreamed of,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “We’re proud to introduce the new Explorer to customers and fans around the world today and pleased to begin a whole new era that blends strong SUV fuel economy and performance.”
The all-new Explorer launches today to its Facebook friends in a unique social media initiative, followed by reveal events throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Shattering SUV fuel economy and performance expectations
“The new Explorer simply does everything well,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “It raises the bar for ride and handling on the road and transforms the off-road experience. It’s the hands-down winner for towing capability and ease. All this capability – and three rows of seating – with amazing fuel economy will make Explorer the absolute right choice for families with a sense of adventure.”
The 2011 Explorer with V6 power is expected to deliver more than 20 percent better fuel economy than the 2010 model, shattering conventional expectations for SUV fuel efficiency. When equipped with the available 2.0-liter EcoBoost™ I-4 engine, Explorer fuel economy is expected to improve by more than 30 percent and exceed the 2010 Honda Pilot and 2010 Toyota Highlander V6.
Chief Nameplate Engineer Jim Holland said the team targeted two key objectives when developing the 2011 Ford Explorer.
“It had to look modern and contemporary – inside and out – yet be instantly recognizable as an Explorer,” said Holland. “Next, the new Explorer needed to deliver the fuel economy today’s customers want, combined with the performance, capability and empowerment they expect from an SUV.”
Driven by the commitment to give customers unsurpassed fuel efficiency with each new vehicle
<nobr style="color: rgb(74, 149, 225); font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; font-family: verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" id="itxt_nobr_13_0"></nobr> Ford attacked every detail to transform Explorer with significantly improved fuel economy:
* Twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT)[/COLOR] [COLOR=Black]
* Latest Ford EcoBoost engine
* Six-speed automatic transmissions
* Electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) to significantly reduce parasitic power loss
* Intelligent four-wheel drive (4WD)
* Variable-displacement air-conditioning compressor
* Optimized tires for reduced rolling resistance
* Slippery aerodynamics with harmonized front air dam and rear liftgate spoiler
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