Has anyone seen this? Apparently this is the new direction Ford wants to take the Explorer (the 2008 concept is shown) but the production version won’t get here until about the 2009 or 2010 model year. I’m not sure what to think of it just yet, but I can’t help but wonder if my beloved Expedition may borrow some the design cues from this. The Expedition is slated for a major design overhaul after the end of this decade, maybe sooner.


(Click to enlarge)

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/detroit-2008-ford-explorer-america-concept/559728/
(More pictures here)

That one would take some getting used to. Don't most of the actual production vehicles usually end up looking substantially less futuristic than the concept cars, though?

Yes, usually they made the production cars a little less "futuristic", so they are less ugly and people think "it is not so bad"[compared to the concept car]

i like the roof and the wheels...the sad thing is when it comes out it'll have a sunroof like the Edge and then smaller wheels. I hate that. They did that with the concept for the new VW Tiguan. It had big wheels on it and then now the production model has normal so it looks like any other SUV...but I still want one

I just hope the Expedition doesn’t receive similar front end treatment like the new Explorer (The production version of the Explorer won’t have the concept’s interior for sure, but it will get similar exterior styling from the concept) As Ford is pointing the Expedition in a different direction than the Explorer, hopefully it (the Expedition) will not be affected cosmetically by this new styling change.

I like it. Not so much the looks, but the engine and the practicality. I love the sliding doors, which add a world of difference in practicality. I like that its on a minivan-like unibody construction, in lieu of a body-on-frame platform. What I find very fascinating is the roster of engines available. Its been confirmed that the engines in the Explorer America concept will be put into production as early as 2009. The engines are to be called the EcoBoost family of engines, and include a 2.0L turbocharged I4 (standard in the Explorer America) andn a 3.5L twin-turbochaged V6. The 3.5L will be available in the 2009 Lincoln MKS, and in future; Ford Flex, Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, and the future Lincoln version of Flex. The point of it is to offer V-8 power and V6 fuel economy. The 3.5L will get up to or more then 30% better fuel economy then a standard six cylinder Explorer, but will give you the power of the top end V8 model. Ford says the 3.5 will get 340HP and 350lb-ft of torque, while the 2.0L will get 273HP. You may recall the Lincoln MKR Concept which used a 3.5L "TwinForce" twin-turbocharged FlexFuel E85 V-6 that made 415HP. This was the basis for the EcoBoost engines, and its rumored a high-output variation of the 3.5L EcoBoost will be put into a future Mustang, as well as other top-end and performance cars. In a recent press release about the EcoBoost, it was hinted that Ford has a smaller EcoBoost engine in the works for either a future Focus or unnamed subcompact.

For the sake of practicality and power alone, I'd like to see this Explorer put into production.

well, i dont like the front style
it suxs
but the lines are cool
ok, is the the kind of explorer i want on the next years

but im not part of the designers team- i wish i was-so, i can't change it...

Oh please no!

This is the most awful design I have ever seen. I saw a commercial recently advertising the new Nissan Rogue which is aerodynamic, curvy, and feminine just like all the rest. It is one thing for them to design horrible egg-shaped crossovers but to call them names like Rogue when they are the complete opposite really gets to me. A Land Rover Defender is an example of rogue because it is outdoor looking, rugged, unique (here in the States), and able to handle any experience off-road.

I thought car companies use retrospective designs these days. But that new Explorer is just a big joke!...however, it is very high so that's cool.

It would be a shame if all US designers of SUVs were influenced by Hummers, but it's beginning to look that way ...

True... And Hummers just suck too much gas. Never mind looking like a big bag of rats.

While the concept vehicle itself is not bad I think that Ford has enough crossovers and this would be one too many. They have the Escape, Edge, Taurus X and the upcoming Flex. The Flex and Taurus X already fit the bill for a 3-row crossover. Even if they replace the Taurus X with the new Explorer I think it would be redundant to have it and the Flex.