2011 Ford Explorer prototype spied

The Ford Explorer is getting a redesign for 2011 and moving to a unibody platform, a here is the first prototype of the new SUV we've seen, getting a test drive on public roads.

The Ford Explorer is the automaker's flagship SUV. The unibody platform for the 2011 model is a version being used for the Ford Flex wagon and the Ford Taurus/Lincoln MKS sedans. In this prototype of the 2011 Ford Explorer, we can see where it picks up the A-pillars and roofline of the Flex.

The redesigned Ford Explorer will have a long wheelbase, as seen on this prototype, to accommodate three rows of seats. But the Explorer prototype has more ground clearance than the Flex.

The styling of the 2011 Explorer is based on the Ford Explorer America concept that rolled out at the Detroit auto show in 2008. Keeping a square look for the Explorer helps set it apart from Ford's crossovers, such as the Edge.

The new Explorer will continue to offer off-road and towing capabilities, although the limits may be diminished with a shift to the unibody platform.

Under the hood will be Ford's EcoBoost engines, which combine direct fuel injection and turbocharging to wring more power out of smaller displacements. We look for four- and six-cylinder engines to be available in the new Explorer.

Production of the Explorer is likely to shift from the Ford's truck plant in Louisville to its car plant in Chicago that builds the Ford Taurus and the Lincoln MKS.

By Dale Jewett