2011 Ford Explorer Launch. Details – and why it’s going to affect Ford’s Indian SUVs

So why are we talking about this car if it’s not meant for India?
Well, to start off, the Explorer reflects Ford’s philosophy on what it wants its future SUVs to be like. The Endeavour is still a brawny monster, and although it’s powered by a diesel, it doesn’t really have the dynamics of what a new-age SUV buyer expects from his ride. The weight isn’t conducive for good fuel efficiency and the traditional body on frame doesn’t make for great dynamics. We have reasons to believe that a more advanced, more sophisticated SUV selling alongside the Endeavour will bolster the company’s brand image while also giving the customers a choice of a world-class urban SUV.

Secondly, Ford Explorer and Ford Ranger (The platform on which the Endeavour / Everest are based) have often shared the parts bin. The Explorer platform is a more advanced extension of the Ranger platform, and we are more than sure that the know-how acquired during the Explorer’s development is going to trickle down to the Ranger (Endeavour) platform to India. Also, the Endeavour has been around for way too long and is due for a replacement / overhaul in 2011-2012. We have a good reason to believe that the new Explorer will share a lot of its bits with its less advanced brethren.

It’s still very early days to expect the Explorer coming to India, but we definitely see Ford’s new SUV strategy influencing it’s vehicles in that segment in India as well. And that influence, as we perceive is going to trickle down from the new Explorer. What do you think?