Toronto, Ontario, July 16th, 2010

It’s been several years since I walked out of a downtown nightclub to have the morning sunshine hit my face, but bright and early this morning, I joined the media hounds gathered at the Kool Haus in Toronto to witness a rather special occasion, the launch of the all-new 2011 Ford Explorer.

Illusionist, Greg Frewin, the 2009 International Grand Champion of Magic, entertained us with a pretty impressive show, including transforming his delightful blond assistant into David Mondragon, the President & CEO of Ford of Canada. (Note: Apologies David, but although you enthralled me with your opening commentary, when Greg reopened the box, I was rather hoping she’d still be there!) 

Seriously though, it was a spectacular presentation for a vehicle launch, but then again, the Ford Explorer has been a major player in the company’s game for the past twenty years now. Yes, that’s how long the famed nameplate has been around. A pretty successful product by any measure, but will the new 2011 model uphold that tradition in a world which now scorns the SUV?

Well, if looks are anything to go by, I’m forecasting a healthy future for this vehicle because it is, without a doubt, the best looking Explorer to date. From the front, it’s hard not to notice a slight resemblance to the Range Rover Sport in its styling, but then again, Ford did own Land Rover for a number of years and its appearance is one of the Sport’s best attributes. There’s also the odd glimmer of Volvo to be seen if one looks closely enough, but of course, Ford’s been heavily involved with that brand also.

None of this is truly surprising as idea sharing and multiple platforms have become the way of the industry today (The new Explorer shares its platform with the Ford Taurus and is likewise available in either 2wd or 4wd).

However, what is little startling is that this SUV no longer sits on a full frame. Now I know some of you diehards will be saying, “Then it’s no longer a true SUV”, but I beg to differ. Unibody construction has come a long way over the years, and this vehicle sets out to prove just that. With an available towing capacity of 5000lbs, this is no lightweight crossover, and yet, in some ways it is. You see, what with the current backlash against fuel-hungry SUVs, Ford has set out to make this model the most fuel efficient in its class. The numbers for the 3.5L Ti-VCT V6 (290 hp) with the 6-speed automatic transmission, call for a 20% increase in fuel efficiency over the previous V6 powered Explorer, and if you go for the super-fuel-efficient 2.0L 4 cylinder Eco-Boost version (237hp), the improvement figure jumps to 30%. This pitches the new Explorer in the fuel figure category with sedans such as the 2010 Toyota Camry V6. That’s quite impressive for a vehicle as large as the new Explorer.

It should also be rather impressive when the pavement ends as much of the 4wd technology has been gained through collaboration with Land Rover, and speaking of which, it’s well known that several LR products are now unibody construction, and it hasn’t damaged their reputation for off-road prowess.

The new 4x4 Explorer uses a similar Terrain Management System to LR and Intelligent 4WD, and includes such features as Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control and my thinking is, this will prove to be the most capable Explorer to date.

It must also be the most technically advanced to date as the new 2011 Ford Explorer is loaded with modern technology. Touch controls and voice commands though MyFord Touch & Ford SYNC provide an easy-to-use way to control music, phone, temperature and navigation. It also boasts of an industry first, and an exclusive to Ford, inflatable rear seat belts. This innovative idea helps to spread crash forces over more areas of the body than conventional safety belts (And I thought I’d seen everything!).

In summing up, I have to admit to being extremely impressed with the look and feature list on the new Explorer and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of one. Those who thought the SUV was heading the way of the dodo bird may just have to rethink now because I believe we’re going to see a lot of these hitting the streets.

Well done Ford!