The Ford Explorer Sport Trac concept is meant to move people emotionally, while moving easily through the streets and surfaces. It's a sport utility truck that continues Ford's innovation in a vehicle segment it pioneered, with graceful lines that cover a growling heart.

"The sport-utility truck market is red hot, and it's time for the original to raise the bar again for everyone else to try to follow," said Chris Feuell, Ford SUV group marketing manager.

SIMPLE LINES FOR STREET ROD STYLE

The Explorer Sport Trac concept exterior is nearly five inches longer, two inches wider and sits two inches lower than today's current Sport Trac model. The dropped posture combines with massive 21-inch gunmetal wheels and a ground-effects look to give it a dominant, low and fast appearance.

Racing cues are incorporated throughout, including two side scoops located just in front of the A-pillar and well-integrated twin hood scoops in the powerdome area.

A strong grille milled out of aluminum includes very pronounced "nostril" racing cues. Paired high-intensity projector fog lamps held in aluminum bezels continue the power effects look.

The structurally integrated running boards emphasize the Sport Trac concept's long wheelbase with its distinctive silhouette.

In keeping with the theme of modern elegance, exterior door handles are removed and a touch on the vehicle's key fob opens doors from outside.

STREET-SAVVY FRONT TO REAR

At the rear, the Explorer Sport Trac concept incorporates a spoiler cue to give the vehicle a sense of speed and dynamics. Power cues – such as the strong, bright exhaust pipe extensions – remind that this is a performance vehicle.

Hatches open into "saddlebag" compartments on either side of the cargo bed to offer storage in a previously unused area. Crafted-in sockets allow a user to drop in a 2x4 board to make an elevated cargo surface capable of holding 4x8-foot sheets of material.

The load bed is wider, longer and deeper than today's model for a 30-percent increase in cargo capacity. The Sport Trac concept also has an available swing-over tubular bed extender that dramatically increases its ability to haul oversized cargo.

COOL AND COMFORTABLE INSIDE

The Explorer Sport Trac concept's all-new interior features four-bucket captain's chairs. The Light Ice Blue and Midnight Navy interior colors emphasize urban style and street rod simplicity.

The instrument panel is defined by a strong center stack, a floor shifter, and a well laid-out, dominant oval instrument binnacle containing the primary gauges.

POWER AND COMFORTABLE CONTROL

The Explorer Sport Trac concept boasts more power than the current production model. The concept's sophisticated performance-tuned 4.6-liter Triton™ V-8 offers more power and more towing capability, as well as quicker acceleration.

Independent rear suspension will be added for the first time to the next generation Explorer Sport Trac. De-coupling the suspension to allow each rear wheel to operate independently brings significant advantages to a vehicle's driving performance. Ford pioneered the use of independent rear suspension in SUVs. IRS is now standard on Escape, Explorer and Expedition, as well as the new Sport Trac concept.

CONCEPT FEATURES FORD'S UNIQUE RSC SAFETY TECHNOLOGY

Roll Stability Control (RSC™), Ford's groundbreaking technology to address the risk of roll over, is included in the Sport Trac concept to add a new dimension of safety leadership.

ehicle sensors and advanced onboard technologies work together to monitor the vehicle's roll stability condition approximately 150 times per second and if a potential rollover or loss of control is sensed, the system intervenes. Using the anti-lock brake system to briefly pinch the brakes on one wheel at a time – something no driver can do – the Roll Stability Control™ system calms the motion and helps restore safe maneuvering.

Other automakers' electronic stability systems measure yaw (side-to-side turning) and in some instances lateral acceleration or deceleration. Only Ford's Roll Stability Control™ system has the capability to directly measure vehicle body roll.

Story by Ford