Ahead of it's 26th July release date, Ford has revealed some new details on the upcoming 2011 Ford Explorer Model.

Originally a pioneer of the mass market SUV, in recent years with gas prices reaching $4 a gallon it had almost fallen out of favour with its buyers. So much so that Ford even considered dropping the model, but changed their minds as fuel prices started to improve again, executives say.

The new car is set to be significantly lighter than its predecessor thanks to its underpinnings being based on a car’s rather than, as in the past, based on a truck’s underpinnings. This as well as the installation of smaller, more efficient engines has lead to a fuel efficiency improvement of upto 30% over the previous V6 model. The outgoing V6 Explorer model has an average fuel economy rating of about 14 miles per gallon in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.

The engine that provides these improvements in fuel economy is the 2.0 liter Ford Ecoboost I-4, that pairs a turbocharger with direct gasoline injection, which according to Ford will provide class leading fuel economy. The engine is also set to feature in the recently facelifted Ford Edge.

According to Ford, they plan to install their range of Ecoboost engines in 90% of their north American models by 2013, with upto 1.5 million Ecoboost engines produced annually

In addition to their Ecoboost engine technology, they have other technologies underdevelopment such as an electric Ford Focus (similar to the one featured in Jay Leno’s Green Car Challenge) and Stop/Start technologies that should start to appear on new ford models in the next few years.

The release of this car comes at a time when car manufacturers are struggling to breakeven. Ford has been one of the only success stories, avoiding bailout loans and returning to profitability for the first time since 2004 despite the economic situation. Much of this has been accredited to Alan Mulally, Ford's Chief Executive and his efforts towards simplifying Ford’s global model lineup.

For more information visit the Ford Website from the 26th july onwards or visit the Ford Explorer Facebook Page