The SUV is dead. Long live the SUV!

The 2011 Dodge Durango and Ford Explorer are big departures from the models that they replace. Aside from the usual styling and refinement differences, the biggest changes for these vehicle are that they both ditch the traditional body-on-frame sport-utility vehicle DNA in favor of unibody constructions. By our definition, these once-SUVs are now CUVs, though their respective parent companies continue to brand them as being traditional sport-utes through and through.

Both the Durango and Explorer offer available seating for seven and all-wheel drive, but that’s where the similarities start to taper off. Each vehicle offers a choice of two different powertrains, but while Dodge has opted to go a more traditional route with by fielding the Durango with both 3.6-liter V6 and 5.7-liter V8 engines, Ford has gone in the opposite direction by equipping the Explorer with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-four and a 3.5-liter V6. There are pros and cons for each – the Explorer may prove to be more fuel-efficient, but the Durango ought to tow more.

Each of these new crossovers tries to stay true to the traditional SUV mindset, just in different directions. Ford’s Terrain Management system will surely come in handy for people who need more off-road prowess, though the end result remains that the Explorer is arguably more of a tall wagon than an honest SUV. The Durango keeps things a bit more and has a strong, presence that we suspect will still be well-received by people who prefer honest-to-goodness sport-utility vehicles.

We could debate the pros and cons of each vehicle all day, and indeed, we’re still waiting for the Full Monty-worth of details and specifications, but we still want to know: What do you think? If you had to choose either the Explorer or Durango, which would get your pick? Cast your vote in the poll below and be sure to sound off with your thoughts in Comments.

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Poll: 2011 Ford Explorer vs. 2011 Dodge Durango – What’s your pick? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One month of dreary sales does not spell the end of the hybrid, but the numbers reported for August do hint that without a rise in gas prices, sales of hybrid cars and trucks will likely continue to suffer. As a whole, hybrid sales dropped 40.4 percent this August compared to a year ago and even the industry’s volume leader, the Toyota Prius, didn’t escape from posting plunging sales results. Sales of the Prius plummeted 37.5 percent from August 2009 and dropped off 16.3 percent compared to July’s posted numbers. Combined, Toyota and Lexus witnessed a 36.2 percent decline from a year ago, while Ford fared better by posting a 17.1 percent drop in year-over-year numbers.

In all fairness, hybrid sales were boosted last August by the government’s Cash for Clunkers program, but this summer’s low gas prices continue to bear the burden of the blame for the hybrid fall out. Toyota remains in the number one spot and posted 15,444 sales last month. Ford sits in second place and moved 3,894 hybrid vehicles off dealer lots in August while Honda holds onto third with 3,485 sales. It’s getting redundant, but Toyota still leads the hybrid market. Anyone want to make bets on when that will change?

[Source: Green Car Advisor, Autoblog]

Hybrid sales drop off for August; even Prius records a 37.5% decline originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Ford took the wraps off of its Taurus-based Police Interceptor sedan earlier this year, we were told that a second, utility-oriented police pursuit vehicle would be coming down the pipeline. Enter the Police Interceptor Utility, based off the 2011 Explorer crossover. A Flex-styled paddy wagon would have been cool, but the Explorer’s higher ground clearance makes it more versatile for law enforcement officials who require all-terrain capability.

Unlike the sedan, which will be available with two different powertrains, the Explorer Interceptor only comes with Ford’s 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6, delivering “at least 280″ horsepower and mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations are available, and it appears that the Explorer’s terrain management system will not be offered on the Police Interceptor. The latest host of driver aids like curve control and Ford’s AdvanceTrac Roll Stability Control are standard on the Interceptor Utility, as are larger brakes, a tougher suspension and 18-inch steel wheels.

Inside, new seats have been fitted up front with reductions in side bolstering to accommodate an officer’s utility belt, and the gear shifter is now mounted on the column in order to provide space for computer equipment in the center console. Much like the Taurus Interceptor, Ford specifically designed the spacing between the seats to ensure that existing police equipment can be carried over to the new vehicles without issue. Things aren’t exactly luxurious in the rear seats (duh), but occupants out back do get their own climate control system (Ford says this is ideal for K9 units) as well as stab plates in the front seat backs to keep the driver and passenger safe.

Ford has also gone the extra step to rework some of the Explorer’s interior functions to better suit police needs. The steering wheel buttons, for example, are remappable and can be programmed to operate a host of auxiliary functions (lights, sirens, etc.). What’s more, Ford’s SYNC system is on hand and can be used to voice-activate the different police communication and audio equipment.

Don’t expect to see the Police Interceptor Utility out on the road until 2012 at the earliest. Ford says that production will begin in late 2011 alongside the sedan at the automaker’s Chicago assembly plant. For now, check out our high-res galleries of both live and official images, and follow the jump for the presser.

Live photos Copyright (C)2010 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility prepares to serve and protect

Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility prepares to serve and protect originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just days ago, Ford confirmed that the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine found in the current Focus ST and RS would be discontinued due to its inability to meet Euro 5 emissions standards. This left us eagerly awaiting the announcement of a replacement model for Ford’s hot hatch. Now, the word is out that Ford will debut the Focus ST’s successor, at least in concept form, at the Paris Motor Show this October.

Ford has confirmed the unveiling of an “exciting performance model” that will showcase the styling of the upcoming 2012 front-wheel-drive Focus ST. The vehicle is expected to be powered by a 2.0-liter turbo’d four-cylinder mill producing about 250 horsepower and employing Ford’s Ecoboost technology. Ford has stated that the concept vehicle represents a future “global performance model” and promises that it will be “exciting to drive and great to look at.” Our cameras will be at the ready to catch this concept in all of its glory late next month.

[Source: Autocar]

Paris preview: Ford confirms debut of “exciting performance” Focus concept originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One of the long-time knocks against small cars has been that they sacrifice safety for efficiency. However, modern crash simulation and testing technology, as well as material science, is making that complaint a thing of the past. Case in point: the 2011 Ford Fiesta has just scored a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The Fiesta is the first B-segment car to get the top ranking since IIHS added new roof crush requirements to its rating system. Extensive computer simulation has allowed body engineers to tailor the use of high-strength steels and conventional steels in order to direct the energy of an impact into areas of the body that won’t affect the occupants. Designing in paths that collapse in a controlled manner helps to keep the passenger cell intact and, in many cases, like the one shown above, the doors still open normally even after the collision.

The performance of the Fiesta is particularly impressive since Ford has managed to avoid the very thick pillars found on many other newer cars. Those thick pillars can create very large blind spots increasing the chance of a collision.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford Fiesta demonstrates that smaller can still be safe

Ford Fiesta demonstrates that smaller can still be safe originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When a car comes with a 48-page press release, well, you know its maker has some special things in mind for it. The 2011 Ford Mondeo, in five-door and wagon styles, is just such a car, with The Blue Oval calling it “the most stylish and technologically advanced Mondeo ever.” Visually, the car’s main lines haven’t changed, but the details have been made sharper: a sleeker front bumper with new LEDs and more aggressive lip, the twin character lines down the side, the chrome trim all around the windows and the new chiseling in the rear valance.

Inside is the familiar story of upgraded materials wrapped around new techno bits. Ambient LED illumination falls from overhead, where also resides a new woven headliner. Driver aids include Lane Departure Warning system, Auto High Beam, Driver Alert, Smart Regenerative Charging and Active Grille Shutter, which opens and closes the grille aperture automatically to promote either cooling or increased aerodynamic efficiency.

Under the hood are new engines, including the Mondeo’s first crack at Ford’s 237-horsepower, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder EcoBoost. That will be an option alongside the current, 203-hp version. There’s also a reworked 2.2-liter Duratorq TDCi diesel putting out 197 hp, the most powerful such engine yet.

It goes on sale as soon as next month at the same starting price as the current Mondeo, £17,295 (,842 U.S.), although the Titanium trim gets bumped up £200 to £19,945 (,958 U.S.). Follow the jump for an abridged version of the presser, and take your time perusing our huge gallery of high-res photos below.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading 2011 Ford Mondeo gets spiffed up

2011 Ford Mondeo gets spiffed up originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In an effort to help prepare the city of Portland and the Pacific Northwest for upcoming electric vehicles (EVs), Ford Motor Company and Portland General Electric (PGE) will work collaboratively to ensure that the area’s electrical grid can support battery-powered vehicles and will focus on informing consumers about the benefits of going electric. Ford and PGE will work together to convince local and state governments to develop an EV incentive program and hope to promote legislation and regulations that will encourage people to adopt EVs.

PGE recently unveiled the nation’s first quick-charge station at its World Trade Center headquarters in Portland, OR. The quick-charge stations add to a network of more than 20 charging stations in PGE’s operating area. Ford will introduce its first battery-powered vehicle, an electrified version of the Transit Connect, later this year, followed by the Focus EV in 2011. Follow the jump for more regarding the recent paring of Ford and PGE.

In related news, Ford has partnered with the city of Seattle to prepare that area for its EVs as well. The terms of the agreement between Ford and Seattle are nearly identical to the deal struck up with PGE. Mike Tinskey, Ford’s manager of vehicle electrification and infrastructure, spoke of the importance of partnering with Seattle, stating:

Ford has an aggressive plan to bring five new electrified vehicles to market over the next two years including the Transit Connect Electric later this year and the Focus battery electric in 2011. There is an incredible excitement for electric vehicles in Seattle. To support the roll out and acceptance of these vehicles in Seattle and across the country, it is important to work with local utilities to make sure the necessary infrastructure and demand on the grid are ready.

With the addition of Portland and Seattle, Ford, like Nissan, is focusing a significant amount of effort into developing the EV infrastructure on our nation’s western coast. Now it’s time to expand the scope of those projects and reach out to areas in the Midwest.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford finds partners to prepare Oregon, Seattle for electric vehicles

Ford finds partners to prepare Oregon, Seattle for electric vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar’s got a good thing going with its use of Ford engines, and even an engine shortage isn’t enough to deter Land Rover from getting in on the game. A report in Autocar suggests that the Land Rover Evoque could make use of the 2.0-liter, four-cyliinder Ecoboost engine that Ford just installed as the premium engine into the 2011 Explorer.

On the ‘sceptered isle, the same Ecoboost serves in the Mondeo, but with 203 horsepower instead of the 237 that the Explorer variant outputs. Since Land Rover won’t say anything about the report, probably trying to maintain the surprise until the Evoque is revealed at the Paris Motor Show, we don’t know which tune the Evoque might get. But that engine and the possibility of using Ford’s six-speed, dual-clutch Powershift transmission could go all the way to backing up Land Rover’s assertion that the Evoque will be the most fuel-efficient vehicle it has ever produced.

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Land Rover Evoque to get 2.0-liter EcoBoost from Ford? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DOA: Chevy Malibu hybrid

Can US automakers compete?

So, Toyota is going to sell 1 million hybrid cars per year within the next few years, but by 2015 at the latest. Obviously, 1 million units of any vehicle per year is a pretty big sale’s number – a number that has to catch the attention of any major automaker.

Will the Big 3 respond to that big hybrid number?

While GM has supposedly leapfrogged Toyota with the Chevy Volt, almost every single forecast available claims that hybrid sales will far outpace plug-in sales through at least 2030. Can any automaker afford to avoid this space?

In the last year or so, Ford has sounded game to challenge Toyota. Of course, we’ve heard such hybrid bullishness from Ford in the past. Fortunately, today’s Ford is a much different company.

Can US automakers watch Toyota sell 1 million hybrids per year, with plans to scale much higher, without a serious hybrid challenge? Or, are the experts wrong and hybrids are already a dead technology?

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