Ford and United Auto Workers announced the opening of an Explorer plant on Chicago's south-side providing 1,200 jobs for laid-off auto workers. The 2011 gets the same gas mileage as a Toyota Camry!
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CHICAGO —
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley praised Ford Motor Co. for bringing 1,200 new jobs to the city as the automaker unveiled the newest version of its Explorer SUV.
Quinn and Daley attended an event to show off the new Explorer in Chicago's Millennium Park on Monday. In January, Ford announced it would bring the jobs to Illinois by shifting production of the SUV to its assembly plant on Chicago's South Side. President Barack Obama is to visit the plant on Aug. 5.
The governor proclaimed "Illinois is Ford country," saying the state offered Ford an incentive package that "made it very clear that Illinois was the very place to build this vehicle."
The way Ford Motor Co. figures it, Americans still want to tow and drive off-road with their SUVs, but they could do without all that gas-guzzling.
Throw in an electronics system that can understand up to 10,000 commands ("I'm hungry. Find me an ice cream parlor," is one) and a dial-by-terrain four-wheel drive system, and you have the 2011 Ford Explorer, unveiled in dozens of cities across the country on Monday.
In Chicago, where the vehicle will be built, the Explorer burst through a faux wooden crate stamped "Special Delivery: Chicago Assembly Plant" at Millennium Park, as vamping guitar music played.
"I believe it's the most dramatic reinvention yet," Bill Ford, the automaker's executive chairman, said of the long-awaited remake of the industry's best-selling SUV.
Just two years after $4-a-gallon gas caused the near collapse of the sport utility vehicle market, sales in the segment are on the way back up with moderating gas prices and more fuel-efficient offerings.
But in an increasingly crowded crossover market, Ford is just one of many carmakers looking for better gas mileage without sacrificing power. The Explorer can get the same gas mileage as a Toyota Camry if consumers opt for a souped-up four-cylinder EcoBoost engine. With a standard V-6 engine, however, it is still a gas-guzzler compared with compact vehicles and hybrids. Still, the new engine is a far cry from the original V-8.
"We're going to see all of the automakers move in this general direction because in 2016 the federal government puts in new fuel economy standards in cars and trucks," said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Edmunds.com.
"It really tries to fill that bridge between value and functionality and utility and having decent gas mileage," said Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends for Truecar.com. "Consumers want the best of both worlds, and it's hard to give them that."
The Explorer can tow about 5,000 pounds, about 2,000 pounds less than the current model. But the base price is about $1,000 lower, at $28,995.
The Explorer is also part of a newer trend in the crossover market. Previously crossovers were designed with the power of a car but with rugged SUV bodies. Now designers try to keep the power of an SUV with the lightness and efficiency of a car. The Explorer's main competitor, the Chevrolet Traverse, is built around the same concept.
The Explorer is also expected to compete with the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Jeep Grand Cherokee, said Jim Farley, Ford group vice president of marketing, sales and service.
Farley is less concerned about the new crossover cannibalizing from Ford's other car-based SUVs, particularly the Edge, which comes with two rows of seats, and Flex.
"And we expect a third of Explorer sales to be from outside North America," Farley said of the areas that are not traditional SUV strongholds.
Luxury features on the vehicle include the second generation of Ford's Sync system, MyFord Touch. It adds climate control, navigation and more audio options to the system that integrated music and phone via voice command.
"You ask for what you want, you get it," said Jim Buczkowski, Ford director for electrical systems.
The Explorer also introduces an industry first — rear inflatable seat belts to spread impact forces across five times more area than conventional seat belts.
"Ford has changed everything about the all-new Explorer, yet it's instantly recognizable as a Ford Explorer," said Moray Callum, executive director of North America Design.
"It reminds us of Suburbans," said Herb Nichols, who stopped by the Chicago event with his wife, Annette, to check out the new vehicle.
Nichols said the four-wheel-drive capabilities of the vehicle and slimmer design, all on a car chassis, appealed to them because they are looking to downsize from their Chevy Suburban now that their children will be at college. But they might be looking to go even smaller, he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-fordexplorer-chic,0,902793.story "Recent spy shots of the 2011 Ford Explorer showed a ‘ute cobbled with Taurus X parts, but it appears as though the two crossovers have more in common than just a few body panels. Ford will produce the next-generation Explorer at its Chicago plant, the same facility that made the Taurus X up until February of this year.
According to Chicago Breaking News, Ford has officially agreed with the United Auto Workers to produce the 2011 Explorer at the Chicago plant. Production should begin by next year, as long as worsening economic conditions don’t force Ford to change its plans.
The news also confirms the next Explorer will ride on the same D3 platform that underpins the all-new Ford Taurus, which will also be built at the Chicago plant. That means the Explorer should come equipped with a 3.5L V6, while the Taurus SHO’s 3.5L EcoBoost motor will likely be optional."
http://www.leftlanenews.com/2011-ford-explorer-to-be-built-at-chicago-plant.html 
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