American car firms are uneasy about tampering with the US nation's favourite form of transport, but Ford has come up with a full-size SUV that is also greener and cleaner. The new Explorer America concept will be shown for the first time at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week and points to the future of Ford's SUV model line-up.

The Explorer America ditches the utility vehicle base used on previous Explorers and instead uses a construction much more like that of modern family saloons. This helps save 70kg compared to the current production Explorer.

The styling of the Explorer America doesn't stray too far from the traditional upright SUV, but it has asymmetrical styling where the rear door on the right-hand side hinges from the back in the same way as a Mazda RX-8's, while the left-hand side rear door hinges in the normal fashion at its front edge. Inside, there are three rows of two seats for the regular Explorer family friendliness.