Ford Explorer Platinum aims at high-end competitors - Automotive News
Enter the Explorer Platinum, with a luxurious interior -- quilted leather door panels, real wood trim and brushed-aluminum accents -- a high-end Sony audio system and a sticker price that put it firmly in luxury-brand territory. At $53,495 including shipping, the Platinum costs about 40 percent more than the inflation-adjusted price of the top-of-the-line Eddie Bauer series did 25 years ago, when the Explorer's debut as a 1991 model heralded the coming SUV boom. The Explorer Platinum, which goes on sale a few months after the other four trims, is positioned to challenge premium editions of the GMC Acadia and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Explorer Platinum tops those vehicles' starting prices -- $48,615 for the Acadia Denali and $49,790 for the Grand Cherokee Summit -- but includes four-wheel drive and other costly features that are optional on the competitors. Ford said very few Explorers currently sell for more than about $47,000. . "They're having lots and lots of fun at those high MSRPs," Matt Zuehlk, the Explorer's brand manager, said of GMC and Jeep. The Platinum isn't the only Explorer model to crack $50,000. At a media drive this month in the rolling hills north of San Diego,. Source: www.autonews.com
