Highlights:

• All-new redesign with new architecture and powertrain
• Unibody construction, lower weight and improved fuel efficiency
• Standard 3.5-liter 6-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission
• Available 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
• Standard front-wheel drive with optional all-wheel drive
• 4WD models offer Terrain Management System
• V-6 models rated to tow 5,000 pounds
• Assembled in the United States
• Available in late 2010

IntroductionThe midsized Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle replaced the Ford Bronco II for the 1991 model year. The first-generation Explorer was based on the Ford Ranger pickup truck. As such, both models featured body-on-frame platforms, shared V-6 engines, and offered many similar options. Designed to compete against the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, a model launched years earlier, the 5-passenger Explorer was available in 2- or 4-door body styles and with a choice of rear- or 4-wheel drive (4WD). The standard engine was a 4.0-liter 6-cylinder rated at 155 horsepower.

The second-generation Ford Explorer debuted in 1995. The original truck-based front suspension was upgraded for a better ride, and the 2-door model was renamed the Ford Explorer Sport. An 8-cylinder engine option was added in 1996, and a full-time all-wheel-drive powertrain (improving on the part-time system) emerged on the upscale Eddie Bauer and Limited models.

The third-generation Ford Explorer appeared in 2002. The redesigned 4-door Explorer was fitted with an independent rear suspension to improve its ride (however, the Explorer Sport retained the live axle). While still offered with V-6 and V-8 engine choices, the truck-based model had grown to an increased 7-passenger capacity, thanks to its new third-row seating. The 2-door Explorer Sport was discontinued in 2003. The fourth-generation Ford Explorer, with redesigned rear suspension and a new one-piece rear door, debuted in 2006.

An all-new fifth-generation Ford Explorer debuts for the 2011 model year. Its arrival marks a radical departure from its previous generations as the new model features a unibody platform, front-wheel-drive powertrain, and a 4-cylinder base engine. It is expected to arrive in showrooms in late 2010.

For More Information:

• See photos of the 2011 Ford Explorer
  
• Informationand Ratings for the 2010 Ford Explorer
  
• Information and Ratings on All FordModels
• Read More Articles
• View PhotoGalleries
• View Ratings
• FollowJ.D. Power on Twitter