Edgey Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/...175.A11401.html GM has already made the leap to replace its SUVs with Crossovers, Ford is still supplementing the Explorer with crossovers. When is Ford going to go ahead and replace the Explorer with a Crossover? From what I see of the Fairlane, it's mostly a Freestyle replacement and resembles it in shape, size, and overall functionality. It will not take on the Pilots, Lamdas, and Pacificas of the world. Is there still a sustainable niche for the Explorer, or has the time come to cut this one out of the portfolio. Ford really doesn't need another Taurus and Crown Victoria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waymondospiff Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 GM has already made the leap to replace its SUVs with Crossovers, Ford is still supplementing the Explorer with crossovers. When is Ford going to go ahead and replace the Explorer with a Crossover? From what I see of the Fairlane, it's mostly a Freestyle replacement and resembles it in shape, size, and overall functionality. It will not take on the Pilots, Lamdas, and Pacificas of the world. With a name like "Edgey" I know you're not serious. GM: Theta - Vue, Equinox, Torrent Lambda - Enclave, Outlook, Acadia Ford: CD2 - Escape, Mariner CD3 - Edge, MKX D3 - Freestyle & soon-to-be "Fairlane" & D472. And the Freestyle & Explorer are already within inches of each other in every way except height. And it's been on the market for two years, the Lambdas haven't even hit the street yet. GM & Chrysler are both behind on the crossover market. GM only has two CUV designs and Chrysler has one really ugly one. Ford is really the most progressive domestic manufacturer in the CUV market - if you discount the more car-like wagons HHR & PT Cruiser...which I do. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I wish Trotman "we'll go 70% trucks" lived to see his folly! The old saying "all eggs in one basket" never rang more true. What does Nassar have to say these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 (edited) Ford doesn't need anymore crossovers than what they already have or have in the pipeline, they just need to improve on what they have. The Explorer is still a market Ford needs to be in, especially with GM giving up on it, and the Explorer can do everything better than the Edge, it just needs an all-new design. Which means ditching the ancient looking greenhouse and moving away from the nasty 06 front end. Edited November 21, 2006 by Blueblood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Well, they are stuck with the one year old stlye for a few years. They can't "whip up" an all new one in a matter of weeks as some expect here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 and it seems very likely the Explorer WILL BECOME a Crossover .... for 2010 model year ... lookup the thread on BOF. Igor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLPRacing Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 and it seems very likely the Explorer WILL BECOME a Crossover .... for 2010 model year ... look up the thread on BOF. Igor I saw that thread, too, but I was always under the impression that the future Explorers would become more "rugged" and share more parts with future Land Rover's. I guess that plan has changed? It would probably be smart to leverage the Explorer name on a well done CUV, but to give up completely on the mid-size BOF market would not be a good idea. Maybe they'll replace the BOF Explorer with a true off road capable Bronco and share parts with the next LR2 & Defender. There I go dreaming again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I saw that thread, too, but I was always under the impression that the future Explorers would become more "rugged" and share more parts with future Land Rover's. I guess that plan has changed? It would probably be smart to leverage the Explorer name on a well done CUV, but to give up completely on the mid-size BOF market would not be a good idea. Maybe they'll replace the BOF Explorer with a true off road capable Bronco and share parts with the next LR2 & Defender. There I go dreaming again... none of Land Rovers are actually true BOF - they are sort of Hybrids between BOF and Unitbody ... (LR2 is of course truly unitbody) I do not claim anymore to know anything else than what was mentioned in that thread - I used to believe the next Explorer was to go back to Bronco - off-road roots, too - but the info in that thread seems correct ... Igor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLPRacing Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 none of Land Rovers are actually true BOF - they are sort of Hybrids between BOF and Unitbody ... (LR2 is of course truly unitbody) I do not claim anymore to know anything else than what was mentioned in that thread - I used to believe the next Explorer was to go back to Bronco - off-road roots, too - but the info in that thread seems correct ... Igor I knew Land Rover's weren't BOF, I just had a bit of a brain fart. I really thought the Explorer (or at least the replacement for the BOF Explorer ) would be more rugged like the Land Rover's and share parts, chassis, etc. I guess we'll just have to wait & see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Which means ditching the ancient looking greenhouse and moving away from the nasty 06 front end. Yeah because vehicles such as the Trailblazer, 4Runner, and Pathfinder sport greenhouses that put the Explorer to shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swenson88 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Seems to me it wouldn't make sense to make the Explorer a CUV if the Freestyle still exists, they'd be essentially the same vehicle. Not to mention the Fairlane in there as well. The Explorer doesn't necessarily need to stay BOF, RWD unibody would certainly be fine. But a FWD-based CUV? Ford will have enough of those by the time the Explorer is redone. I think gradually both the fullsize and midsize BOF market will go back to pre-1991 levels, when outdoor enthusiasts and a few "rugged" poseurs bought them, not soccer moms and keeping-up-with-the-Joneses types. The Explorer will need to be built at a flex plant that will allow it to have much lower sales volume and still make money, and hopefully the Ranger will be built off a joint platform to amortize costs. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Well, they are stuck with the one year old stlye for a few years. They can't "whip up" an all new one in a matter of weeks as some expect here. They can revise the front fascia of the Zephyr in one year. Why not the Explorer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Hey Nick. You got any pics of that Corvette? -- Oh, yes, and Ford is cutting Explorer production. Does this surprise anyone? I'd like to see it on a cheaped out Land Rover frame, but I don't think that's possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev-Mo Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 What Ford really needs is a great Bronco to compete with the XTerra, Wrangler and FJ. Other than that, they have a strong lineup of SUVs and Crossovers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wescoent Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Seeing how the market is, and knowing the typical Explorer customer, my personal idea would pan out around MY2010: -Kill the current Explorer architecture, and put the next-gen Explorer on D3, with Land Rover-esque styling cues -Take the new global small truck architecture, and bring out a Ranger (crew-cab and all), and a Bronco (4 and 2 door), both available with V8's, to satisfy the people who need that type of vehicle, with lots of Land Rover hand me down goodies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 D3 is probably going to get phased out, in place of EUCD2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLPRacing Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 D3 is probably going to get phased out, in place of EUCD2. I doubt the next gen rumored CUV Explorer would move to D3 or EUCD2. If anything, it would have to move to a RWD/AWD architecture like the rumored E8 that FoA is working on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZanatWork Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Moving the Explorer name to the next Freestyle (with minorly upgraded offroad capability) and making a "Bronco" with more modest sales expectations...and possibly off the upcoming Ranger platform...actually seems to be a plausible solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Hey Nick. You got any pics of that Corvette? Don't have any real good ones since it's in a rather bad state of disrepair right now, but these are what I've got handy: It's mostly all original save for the radio, speakers, carpet, and mufflers. It needs new calipers, tires, and battery, but other than that it's not in too bad a shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 (edited) Cool. Paint doesn't look too bad, and the vinyl doesn't either. Looks like it hasn't sat outside for most of its life. Just how much work needs to be done, apart from tires and brakes? I'm torn between the C3 and C4 Vettes, I don't like any of the ones before or since, as much as I like the early C3s and C4s. Nice thing about fiberglas, I guess, is it doesn't rust. Eh? BTW, have you ever seen the '64 Pontiac Banshee concept car? Edited November 21, 2006 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Cool. Paint doesn't look too bad, and the vinyl doesn't either. Looks like it hasn't sat outside for most of its life. Just how much work needs to be done, apart from tires and brakes? I'm torn between the C3 and C4 Vettes, I don't like any of the ones before or since, as much as I like the early C3s and C4s. Nice thing about fiberglas, I guess, is it doesn't rust. Eh? BTW, have you ever seen the '64 Pontiac Banshee concept car? Yeah, I've seen the Banshee before...pretty cool. As far as anything else that needs work -- it's mostly just clean-up stuff. The sideview mirror needs to be put back on too -- it encountered a box falling out of the attic several years back. My dad is still kicking himself for that one. Ooops! It has been garage-kept since about 1975 or so. Surprisingly, it spent its first 6 years parked outside in upstate New York and managed not to get destroyed. It was quite rusty though underneath -- hence the new mufflers I mentioned. Also, back in 1996 we had the body taken off and had the frame sandblasted and repainted. That's when we redid the carpet and stereo. All it really needs is the battery and the motor turns over fine. It doesn't leak anything except brake fluid from 3 of the calipers. Its worst enemy over the past 10 years or so is that it really has not been driven much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Yeah, I've seen the Banshee before...pretty cool. As far as anything else that needs work -- it's mostly just clean-up stuff. The sideview mirror needs to be put back on too -- it encountered a box falling out of the attic several years back. My dad is still kicking himself for that one. Ooops! It has been garage-kept since about 1975 or so. Surprisingly, it spent its first 6 years parked outside in upstate New York and managed not to get destroyed. It was quite rusty though underneath -- hence the new mufflers I mentioned. Also, back in 1996 we had the body taken off and had the frame sandblasted and repainted. That's when we redid the carpet and stereo. All it really needs is the battery and the motor turns over fine. It doesn't leak anything except brake fluid from 3 of the calipers. Its worst enemy over the past 10 years or so is that it really has not been driven much. I think the older a car gets, the worse it is to leave it outside---probably got all that rust underneath started during those six years it got left outside, though. Leaky brake fluid-----reminds me of a great Homer Simpson line, which I've stolen and used myself quite a few times: "Well if your brakes didn't work, you should've gotten here early". If the calipers are leaking onto the discs that'd be reeeeeeeal fun to stop---no pressure and greased discs to boot. On a side note, I can't believe that vinyl used to be acceptable in cars.... Even up to the early 80s, that was a selling point: "Deluxe leatherette interior" or some such. Can you imagine a Corvette today with a vinyl interior? I can just see the salesman, "Oh yeah, you'll love the vinyl. It gets waaaaaaaaaaay hotter than leather in summer." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 I think the older a car gets, the worse it is to leave it outside---probably got all that rust underneath started during those six years it got left outside, though. Leaky brake fluid-----reminds me of a great Homer Simpson line, which I've stolen and used myself quite a few times: "Well if your brakes didn't work, you should've gotten here early". If the calipers are leaking onto the discs that'd be reeeeeeeal fun to stop---no pressure and greased discs to boot. On a side note, I can't believe that vinyl used to be acceptable in cars.... Even up to the early 80s, that was a selling point: "Deluxe leatherette interior" or some such. Can you imagine a Corvette today with a vinyl interior? I can just see the salesman, "Oh yeah, you'll love the vinyl. It gets waaaaaaaaaaay hotter than leather in summer." Well, about the only thing I really do like about the vinyl interior on that Vette is that it has held up incredibly well over the years. Leather or even cloth by now probably would have deteriorated like the carpet did. The vinyl almost looks brand new when you wipe it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted November 21, 2006 Share Posted November 21, 2006 Yeah because vehicles such as the Trailblazer, 4Runner, and Pathfinder sport greenhouses that put the Explorer to shame. Well that's your opinion. Your acceptance of mediocrity is why Ford is in the position they are in now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted November 22, 2006 Share Posted November 22, 2006 Well that's your opinion. Your acceptance of mediocrity is why Ford is in the position they are in now. Yeah. Because he's president of Ford, right? Stop making this personal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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