The Ford Explorer used to be one of the best-selling vehicles in the US, but as demand for big, truck-like SUVs fell, so did its sales. Now Ford is trying to breathe new life into the Explorer by reinventing it as a more car-like, fuel-efficient utility. Ford begins a marketing campaign Monday for the 2011 Ford Explorer, which will be in dealerships this winter. The automaker promises a utility vehicle with seating for seven that has similar fuel economy to a Toyota Camry sedan. At $28,190, the base price is also $1,000 less than the 2010 Explorer. It's priced competitively, midway between the Toyota 4Runner and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The new Explorer has been completely redesigned. The most obvious difference: It's built on a car platform, not a truck one, so it sits lower to the ground and has a smoother, more fuel-efficient ride. The new Explorer shares a platform with the Taurus X sedan. Ford is taking a risk with an important vehicle, which is Ford's best-known product after the Mustang. Some buyers looking for a truck-like SUV will be disappointed. The new Explorer will have less towing capacity than the outgoing model - 5,000 pounds, versus 7,115 pounds - and it won't offer a V-8 engine. A standard, 3.7-liter V-6 engine that gets 290 horsepower - the same as the current V-8 - and 20 percent better fuel economy than the outgoing V-6 powerrs the new Explorer. It has an optional, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, which has the power of a V-6 - 237 horsepower - with better fuel economy. The government hasn't issued fuel economy ratings, but Derrick Kuzak, head of Ford's global product development, said the engine would be similar to a 2010 Toyota Camry sedan with a V-6 engine. That Camry gets 19 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway. Trends in the market suggest most buyers aren't looking for the power of traditional SUVs and would prefer a more fuel
