Ford Vehicle

Click for High-Res Photo Gallery: 2008 Ford Explorer America Concept Ford’s Explorer ruled the sales charts in the 1990s, but the Firestone tire debacle and the emergence of crossovers has sapped the sport-ute’s lifeblood. Ford is hoping to change that with the debut of its Explorer America concept vehicle at this month’s Detroit auto show.

While officially described as a concept car, company insiders hint that a close look at the America concept will reveal the shape of what’s to come when Ford relaunches its mid-size SUV in a couple of years. The concept suggests that Ford will follow in the tracks of its new crossover competition, migrating from body-on-frame to unibody construction.

There are clearly some trade-offs with the change: while there’s a reduction in weight (150 pounds for the V-6 version) and a notable improvement in on-road driving dynamics, off-road capabilities are reduced, as is towing capacity. But for the average motorist, that’s likely to matter little. 2008 Ford Explorer America Concept | The most notable new technology on the Explorer America concept is the EcoBoost powertrain.

More accurately, Ford is showing two of these gasoline turbocharged direct-injection (GTDI) engines. There’s a 2.0-liter in-line four making a hefty 275 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, as much as a typical SUV V-6. Meanwhile, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 produces the power normally found in a V-8, 340 hp and 350 lb-ft.