Jul 28th, 2010 by Ross Edwards
Ford has announced that when the new 2011 Explorer hits the streets, the Explorer Sport Trac pickup truck will be discontinued. The Explorer Sport Trac is basically the front three quarters of an Explorer SUV with a pickup bed in place of the rear cargo area.
Ford is moving to a unibody chassis for the 2011 Explorer, away from the traditional truck style body-on-frame design of the 2010 models. The Sport Trac, which was originally introduced in 1999, won’t make that move. Ford told USA Today that the Sport Trac was a niche vehicle and buyers looking for the comfort and convenience of an SUV with the hauling options of a pickup will be pointed toward the F-150 SuperCrew, which costs about the same as the Sport Trac. An F-150 SuperCrew starts at $29,355, while the Explorer Sport Trac has a base price of $28,210.
Ford’s decision to get rid of the Sport Trac is actually a little bit disappointing. The company might discontinue the Ranger small truck soon too, according to USA Today. That would leave the Chevy Colorado and GM Canyon twins as the only choice Americans have for a small pickup until the Mahindra diesel small truck finally makes its way to the states. With the Explorer Sport Trac gone, there aren’t many choices left for buyers who want a comfortable truck for daily driving that’s also capable of carrying home the spoils of your trip to Ikea.
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I don’t think I’d call the Sport Trac a small pickup. It’s basically an Explorer with a pickup bed! But the one point I agree with is that when it comes to small pickups there is a dearth of options. That’s why I’m rooting for the Mahindra pickups. Small, utilitarian, value-for-money and diesel-powered. They come across as the ideal workhorse to get the job done and getting you from A to B.