The Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle has been the Marlboro Man of personal transportation, symbolic of a tall, rugged ride on the open American road or rutted byway.
But automakers are toning down the SUV's macho spirit, partly in deference to those who say the hulking vehicles are wasteful, costly or dangerous. So the Explorer, the vehicle that ignited the SUV trend in the early 1990s, is getting a makeover.
Expect something more in touch with the reality of U.S. stop-and-go traffic and less imbued with the aura of rough and ready.
``A lot of engineering that goes into the current Explorer lets it go off-road,'' said Rebecca Lindland, automotive analyst for Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts. ``If you don't need that you can make it more comfortable, easier to get in and out of, easier to steer.''
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