New Explorer Launch Date Uncertain

[mackinaw]

From today's Automotive News:

 

"..........Dealers who attended the meeting said Ford also told them it is undecided on whether the Explorer will arrive as a 2011 or 2012 model.

 

"Ford gave no reason for the indecision. It has been reported that Ford would build and sell the redesigned Explorer late this year as a 2011 model. To qualify as a 2012 model, Ford would have to wait until Jan. 1 to sell the SUV.

 

“This now puts the launch date in question,” said a dealer who attended the meeting in Detroit.

 

"A spokesman for Ford said no delay on the Explorer production has occurred.

 

“We have not announced the model year for the Explorer,” Jay Ward, a Ford spokesman, wrote in an e-mail to Automotive News. “I can confirm that the vehicle goes into production in 2010 and that there are no delays in the program.”

 

"Ford will publicly reveal the Explorer later this summer, Ward said."

[silvrsvt]

I'm gonna call it as production starts in October or so and goes on sale in January of next year

[Marginal Economist]

Fields was the one who made the comment after the Explorer was driven across the stage. At this point, I think it will come down to if they want the revenue in 2010Q4 or 2011Q1.

[ExplorerDude]

Rest assured it will be a 2011 model. It would be very silly to not call it a 2011, as they would go from the 2010 to 2012 skipping a model year. They need to keep that "consistency of purpose" mantra going. Don't give the press the time of day to run a story that Ford discontinued the Explorer for 2011. You know that's the way they are and it will come across as that. Be smart Ford!

Edited May 5, 2010 by ExplorerDude

[KCM1]

Rest assured it will be a 2011 model. It would be very silly to not call it a 2011, as they would go from the 2010 to 2012 skipping a model year. They need to keep that "consistency of purpose" mantra going.

 

Wouldn't be the first time an automaker skipped a year. Chevy did it with the Corvette in 1983, though it was due to quality problems. None were ever sold to the public, as they went from a 1982 to an all new 1984 model. 1984 was one of the top selling years for the Corvette, so didn't hurt them any. Ford could skip a model year just to seperate the old style Explorer from the completely new model.

[2b2]

skipping a model doesn't seem like a big thing to me personally

I wonder more about the sequence of new vehicles - the Focus, which I consider the most important car of this century, is due to go on sale very early next year (so far/afaik)

so my concern is that the Focus and Explorer don't crowd eachother for the spotlight

AND imho the Focus needs to reach the market ASAPossible**...

...maybe they could release the Explorer with a single drivetrain late Fall'10 as a 2011my then next spring after the Focus is out, switch to 2012my with a full lineup of Explorers - kinda like a half-model-year run to start ....which sounds vaguely familiar from a long time ago.

 

 

** and NOTHING better interfere with the launch of the Mercury C557/tRacer NOTHING!!!!!

(because naturally I rate the C557/tRacer "a bit nicer than" "the most important car of this century")

Edited May 5, 2010 by 2b2

[atvman]

It's not a big deal to me. I'm interested in the Explorer as a potential replacement for my Edge, but that won't happen until calendar year 2012 or 2013 anyways. I think Ford would like to get this model out as soon as possible though, I can't think of a good reason to purposely delay it.

 

On a side note, does anybody know when it will be officially unveiled?

[rkisler]

Rest assured it will be a 2011 model. It would be very silly to not call it a 2011, as they would go from the 2010 to 2012 skipping a model year. They need to keep that "consistency of purpose" mantra going. Don't give the press the time of day to run a story that Ford discontinued the Explorer for 2011. You know that's the way they are and it will come across as that. Be smart Ford!

 

Don't forget that there also could be CAFE planning reasons for model year labeling which can and do superceed marketing reasons from time to time. Not sayin' that's what the decision will be based on, but it is a factor.

[NickF1011]

skipping a model doesn't seem like a big thing to me personally

I wonder more about the sequence of new vehicles - the Focus, which I consider the most important car of this century, is due to go on sale very early next year (so far/afaik)

so my concern is that the Focus and Explorer don't crowd eachother for the spotlight

AND imho the Focus needs to reach the market ASAPossible**...

...maybe they could release the Explorer with a single drivetrain late Fall'10 as a 2011my then next spring after the Focus is out, switch to 2012my with a full lineup of Explorers - kinda like a half-model-year run to start ....which sounds vaguely familiar from a long time ago.

 

Eh, I don't really see any way the Focus and Explorer would steal each other's spotlight. They are completely different vehicles in completely different segments. Nobody is cross-shopping a Focus with an Explorer.

[battyr]

I think they are planning to bring it out as a 2011, but don't want to be criticized if they have to delay it to get the quality right. Better to say it now, but not have to change it than being accused of not being able to meet deadlines when the product is released. They are doing it right, so good.

 

It only means that they won't have an extra model year before 2013 to bring in new options and improvements.

[NickF1011]

It only means that they won't have an extra model year before 2013 to bring in new options and improvements.

 

Eh, no big deal there. Ford has added options and improvements mid-year on products several times. I could see several Job 2 changes for it since it would be a long model year if launched as a 2012.

[battyr]

Eh, no big deal there. Ford has added options and improvements mid-year on products several times. I could see several Job 2 changes for it since it would be a long model year if launched as a 2012.

 

True. It is nice to make a big promotional announcements of improvements that come with the introduction of the new model year to get thinks selling.

[T'Cal]

Sorry! Double post.

Edited May 10, 2010 by T'Cal

[T'Cal]

I'm looking forward to seeing not only the regular production Explorer, but also the Police Interceptor model. I'll bet it does very well in Police fleet sales especially if its price is similar to that of the Taurus, which shares its platform. The only other pursuit rated SUV available for law enforcement is the costly, heavy, gas-sucking Tahoe and that comes only as RWD. An AWD Explorer with the base V6 (likely to have 285hp by the time it comes out) will provide a great alternative not only to the Tahoe but to a regular police sedan.

[taurus10]

Rest assured it will be a 2011 model. It would be very silly to not call it a 2011, as they would go from the 2010 to 2012 skipping a model year. They need to keep that "consistency of purpose" mantra going. Don't give the press the time of day to run a story that Ford discontinued the Explorer for 2011. You know that's the way they are and it will come across as that. Be smart Ford!

 

Even if new Explorer sales started in January(calling it a 2012 model), you have forgotten that the old explorer is still being produced until late November and could be labeled a 2011. Then you don't have the skip in years.

[focus05]

Looking at the most recent order guides, the 2011 Explorer has gone from TBD to N/A. Not sure if that means they are still deciding or have finally decided to go to 2012 altogether.