Yesterday, the guys at Jalopnik managed to get their hands on some exclusive photographs taken by the espionage experts at KGP photography of a 2011 Ford Explorer test mule tooling around the streets of Michigan. While the drastically redesigned body might be quite shocking to those accustomed to the current generation Explorer, you can’t say Ford didn’t warn you. Earlier this year, Ford debuted the Ford Explorer American concept and revealed their plans to base the next-generation Ford Explorer off the Ford Taurus platform.
Now usually, this would be the part where I analyze the new Explorer’s unappealing, misshapen, inexplicably irritating exterior aesthetic and derisively question the intelligence of Ford’s design team. However, because test mules are rarely accurate representations of the final production model, I’m willing to extend Ford the benefit of the doubt and trust that – contrary to the visual evidence that sits before me – the 2011 Ford Explorer will not be another fruity little crossover aimed at breeders.