[silvrsvt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/24/spy-sho...-ford-explorer/

[NickF1011]

OMG! That's so ugly!! It just looks like a lifted Taurus X!

[silvrsvt]

NickF1011, on Sep 24 2009, 11:06 AM, said:

OMG! That's so ugly!! It just looks like a lifted Taurus X!

:huh:

[NickF1011]

silvrsvt, on Sep 24 2009, 11:18 AM, said:

:huh:

You knew somebody was going to say it. Just getting it out of the way. :D

[FordBuyer]

I saw the Explorer mule on road again yesterday. And I've seen it parked in Plymouth, MI. It's basically a cobble together Taurus X raised up with dual exhaust and cobbled together interior. Nothing new here. The mule I see has missing Ford logos also. I also saw a camoed Edge on I94 by Metro Airport a couple weeks ago. You could see through the camo however and tell the front and back end of new Edge is very different plus all new interior and probably engines.

[NLPRacing]

I'm liking the beefy looking class III receiver. If it can tow at least 6000 pounds, nobody will care if it's unibody. Can't wait for its NAIAS debut!

[Ralph Greene]

We want another Explorer. Something a tad shorter amd perhaps a tad taller than the Flex. Don't want 3rd row seats, don't want to haul around seat structures.

[NLPRacing]

Ralph Greene, on Sep 24 2009, 10:43 AM, said:

We want another Explorer. Something a tad shorter amd perhaps a tad taller than the Flex. Don't want 3rd row seats, don't want to haul around seat structures.

Sounds like you described an Edge.

[silvrsvt]

NickF1011, on Sep 24 2009, 11:21 AM, said:

You knew somebody was going to say it. Just getting it out of the way. :D

:P

[Ralph Greene]

NLPRacing, on Sep 24 2009, 11:57 AM, said:

Sounds like you described an Edge.

I don't think an Edge hauls much. I want to be able to haul two bicycles upright inside, with seats in place, with front wheels out and fork mounted. I can do that in current Explorer.

[silvrsvt]

NLPRacing, on Sep 24 2009, 11:57 AM, said:

Sounds like you described an Edge.

The Edge is only a little bigger then the Escape, think of the Explorer as a taller/better looking Taurus X, which in turn was turned into a longer Flex.

Anyways this is how it will go Flex>Explorer>Edge>Escape>B CUV/SUV?

If you notice Ford will have a "tough looking CUV" matched up with a more softroader CUV with the new Explorer

[Pioneer]

It's going to be interesting to see how Ford differentiates all of their CUV's. On paper, they seem to have too many.

Here's also hoping that the new Explorer is everything the Flex should be. I will be purchasing a new "family hauler" in Jan. '12, and the only thing Ford has that comes close to what I want is the Expedition.

[NickF1011]

Pioneer, on Sep 24 2009, 01:01 PM, said:

Here's also hoping that the new Explorer is everything the Flex should be.

What should the Flex be that it isn't? :headscratch:

[silvrsvt]

Pioneer, on Sep 24 2009, 01:01 PM, said:

It's going to be interesting to see how Ford differentiates all of their CUV's. On paper, they seem to have too many.

I like how we go from not having enough product to having too much of it? The Market is just going to get more fractured as time goes on and your going to need different cars to keep your Customers coming back or attract new ones. One-size-fit-all isn't gonna cut it.

[akirby]

NLPRacing, on Sep 24 2009, 11:37 AM, said:

I'm liking the beefy looking class III receiver. If it can tow at least 6000 pounds, nobody will care if it's unibody. Can't wait for its NAIAS debut!

5500

[NickF1011]

silvrsvt, on Sep 24 2009, 01:21 PM, said:

I like how we go from not having enough product to having too much of it? The Market is just going to get more fractured as time goes on and your going to need different cars to keep your Customers coming back or attract new ones. One-size-fit-all isn't gonna cut it.

With platform sharing being as extensive as it is now, it's not like development of these different variants costs nearly as much as it previously may have. Doubt this generation of Explorer is costing anywhere close to develop as the previous generation did on its own unique platform.

[Deanh]

Pioneer, on Sep 24 2009, 01:01 PM, said:

It's going to be interesting to see how Ford differentiates all of their CUV's. On paper, they seem to have too many.

Here's also hoping that the new Explorer is everything the Flex should be. I will be purchasing a new "family hauler" in Jan. '12, and the only thing Ford has that comes close to what I want is the Expedition.

sorry, it wont have sliders and I even doubt 7 seats, but who knows.....AND it wont have the length and thus storage capability of the flex....that Yakima's looking better all the time...LOL!

[silvrsvt]

NickF1011, on Sep 24 2009, 01:28 PM, said:

With platform sharing being as extensive as it is now, it's not like development of these different variants costs nearly as much as it previously may have. Doubt this generation of Explorer is costing anywhere close to develop as the previous generation did on its own unique platform.

Exactly!!

But is the Explorer gonna be built at Chicago (I'm assuming it is) or will it go to Oakville?

[NickF1011]

silvrsvt, on Sep 24 2009, 01:33 PM, said:

Exactly!!

But is the Explorer gonna be built at Chicago (I'm assuming it is) or will it go to Oakville?

Believe it has already been confirmed for Chicago.

[NLPRacing]

Pioneer, on Sep 24 2009, 12:01 PM, said:

It's going to be interesting to see how Ford differentiates all of their CUV's. On paper, they seem to have too many.

I think it'll brake down like this:

Crossovers (CUV)
C-Max
Edge
Flex

SUV's
Escape
Explorer
Expedition

Just because it's unibody, doesn't make it a crossover just like having a body-on-frame doesn't make it a truck/SUV.

akirby, on Sep 24 2009, 12:22 PM, said:

5500

5500 would be more than adequate to tow my boat, is that with the EB3.5? But I wonder if a max 5500 lb towing capacity is adequate for the segment? Can I assume it will be flat towable behind an RV like the other 6R tranny equipped Fords?