Game Changers: The rules of building a truck, sport/ute or crossover have been thrown out the window
FORD EXPLORER AMERICA
In the face of overwhelming crossover competition and rising gas prices, it's time for the Explorer to reinvent itself. The car-based unibody Explorer America may be a thinly veiled look at the next-gen Explorer. Designed by Freeman Thomas, the America is slightly smaller than the current Explorer and has a passenger-side sliding rear door that isn't likely to make it to production. The next-gen Explorer should be about 500 pounds lighter, powered by fuel-efficient, CO2-friendly direct-injection gasoline turbocharged I-4 and V-6 engines mated to six-speed transmissions. The V-8 option may disappear, to be replaced by a higher-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6.
SUM UP: Is the original SUV ready to truly evolve?
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