The 2011 Ford Explorer will be Ford’s first demonstration of massive changes to the Explorer in an attempt to compete in the domestic SUV market. Ford is attempting to claw its way back up to the top of the rankings in SUV sales, a title it once held in the 90s. At the moment, the Explorer ranks 13th in domestic SUV sales. This fall, Ford will begin selling a revamped 2011 Explorer that features several new additions and a very different look and a fuel efficiency that is more like a Chevy Malibu rather than a F-150. Other domestic SUV models have fared much better than the explorer such as the Chevy Suburban and Tahoe Hybrid, whose replacements parts can be found at this Port Charlotte Chevy Parts store.
Ford has struggled with public perceptions of the Explorer as being a gas guzzler, truck-like, and fuel inefficient. The redesign to the 2011 Explorer is intended to address that with a lighter weight, greater fuel efficiency, and a sleeker and sportier design. Major improvements include a chassis switch to the Taurus’s chassis, which is far lighter than the previous heavy pickup frame. The shape of the new Explorer is also much more aerodynamic, which helps with the fuel economy. Also, a very light turbocharged 4 cylinder 2 liter motor will greatly reduce the weight of the new Explorer.
The question still remains whether the redesigns are a good idea for Ford, or whether they will be enough to catapult the Explorer into the top 10 for domestic SUV sales. However, it is certain that some type of change needed to be made in order to boost slacking sales for the Explorer. Although popularity of SUVs overall took a hit in 2007 when gas prices rose to $3 per gallon and higher, SUVs sales have quickly bounced back. SUVs now account for 30% of domestic automobiles sales every year with 3.5 million vehicles sold each year.
