2011 Ford Explorer REVEALED: Can This New Model Save The SUV? (PHOTOS)

Ford begins a marketing campaign Monday for the 2011 Ford Explorer, which will be in dealerships this winter. It's an important vehicle for the automaker. Ford says the Explorer is its best-known product after the Mustang.

"Explorer is really still the backbone of the brand," Ford's marketing chief Jim Farley said recently at a gathering to introduce the Explorer to the media.

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.

Ford is taking a risk with customers who expect a truck-like SUV. 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.

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2011 Ford Explorer