Ford's Explorer, Back from the Dead

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But Jamieson and company are hoping the benefits of the crossover setup will outweigh any perceived drawbacks. For one thing, the new vehicle would likely be built on Ford's "D3" platform, which underpins its other crossovers, the Taurus sedan, as well as Volvo's S80 and XC90 vehicles. Manufacturing the SUV on this same platform would result in greater economies of scale and boosted profitability per vehicle sold, according to Merkle.

"This new Explorer is a no-brainer," says Wes Brown, a partner with the Los Angeles-based consumer marketing firm Iceology. "Ford used to stand for innovation, and here they have a product that can help them regain some of that lost ground." Brown, who says the new truck's design retains the Explorer aura while drastically improving fuel consumption, expects to see the next Explorer roll into showrooms in 2010, likely as a 2011 model.

Carlike Ruggedness

And yet it's a delicate balance. Designers and engineers are walking a tightrope, promoting carlike improvements on the one hand while also trying to retain the rugged, go-anywhere look and feel of previous Explorers. In a rapidly changing automotive market, the new model is also a significant test of the role design can play in repolishing a tarnished brand, with a need to balance the new, fresh look with the old-school 4x4 gusto that made the model successful in the first place.

"By communicating a robustness with the body design and giving the vehicle a higher ride height, we manage to maintain the SUV look," says Jamieson. The vehicle will likely be marketed as an SUV, with improvements in handling and efficiency loudly trumpeted, he adds. Ford designers have already been working on the vehicle for about a year.

According to Jamieson, the design of the new Explorer is intentionally low-key. Missing are the chrome door accents and hubcaps found on many current Fords; they've been replaced by matte surfaces as well as simple lines and rounded edges. "We wanted a lot less glitz and glam," Jamieson says. "The super-pared-down look makes [Explorer America] more utilitarian, more of a commodity, a tool." The vehicle does, however, keep the rounded rear window, a hallmark of previous Explorers.

Redefining Icons

It won't be the first time Ford has tried to make an old stalwart shine once again. A gutsy redesign of its classic Mustang in 2004, after decades of neglect, sparked a market-wide resurgence in muscle cars. But CEO Alan Mulally's more recent attempt to resurrect the Taurus nameplate has yet to show significant signs of success.

Ultimately, the new model is a test of how much life is left in the Explorer brand. It remains to be seen if consumers will reconnect with the nameplate after nearly two decades of closely identifying it as a fuel-inefficient, heavy SUV. "The original was an icon," says Jamieson reverently. "But we desperately needed a replacement."

See the BusinessWeek.com slide show for more of the new Explorer concept.

Matt Vella is a writer for BusinessWeek.com in New York.