#2012FordExplorer

Being a technology leader in the auto industry requires a thick skin. BMW had its reputation smeared when it first introduced iDrive back in 2001 and Ford is now suffering similar technology growing pains since the release of its MyFord Touch system in the 2011 Ford Edge.

Ford is confident customers will pay for improved fuel economy, announcing the new EcoBoost-equipped Explorer model will cost $995 above the 3.5-liter V6. Models will start at $19,990 and jump to $39,560 for a full-zoot Limited model.

By now, everybody’s patience is wearing thin with Ford‘s Explorer marketing campaign, whereby the automaker is obnoxiously revealing slivers of the Explorer’s exterior and interior design. It’s one thing to build hype for a car, but it’s another to have people inclined to hate your product before it’s even been revealed.

Ford’s endless trickle of 2012 Ford Explorer teaser shots will mercifully come to an end next Thursday, when Ford unviels their new crossover in Midtown Manhattan, with spokesman Mike Rowe MC’ing the event.

Ford‘s new Curve Control system is arguably a bigger competitive advantage for the 2012 Explorer than the crossover’s new sheet metal, but for some reason, the Blue Oval was happy to demonstrate their new technology while covering the exterior of the car in black material.

In an all-new approach to vehicle launching, Ford is choosing to reveal their hotly anticipated Explorer on Facebook, rather than at a traditional public launch. Ford has already shown a few teaser shots of the car on the popular social networking site, but nothing substantial has been leaked- expect a full reveal next month.

Ford continues to let bits and pieces of the 2012 Explorer’s design trickle out, and the latest photo shoot (which made its debut on Ford’s Facebook page) takes place in the snowy woods, with a a few details visible. Notably, the A-Pillar of the car is blacked out, which gives less visual heft (and is a trick used on bulkier sports cars, like the Nissan GTR). Other visible design cues, like the headlights and rear-view mirrors, are chock full of the latest Ford design elements.

No confirmation has been given, but there’s a very good chance that this rendering is the finalized design of the 2012 Ford Explorer, one of Ford’s most hotly anticipated products. The new Explorer marks the first time that Ford’s mainstay SUV switches to a car-based, front wheel drive platform, a move that has caused some controversy with off-road enthusiasts.

The trickle of informations surrounding Ford‘s next Explorer has been slow, but the Blue Oval released yet another teaser in the form of a portrait of the new car’s chief engineer posing with the new model. Jim Holland, formerly responsible for the 2002 Range Rover, gave an interview with the Detroit Free Press where he refuted claims that the switch to a crossover format would diminish the current truck-based Explorer’s towing capacity and off-road capability.

The 2012 Ford Explorer was shown to dealers at a meeting Tuesday, but confusion over the launch date of the vehicle put a damper on  the buzz surrounding the pivotal Ford product.