Everyone needs a pickup truck from time to time, but most folks don’t want to ride around in an uncomfortable, unrefined vehicle on a daily basis. Instead, they opt for an SUV or simply do without and beg to borrow a neighbor’s pickup when the need arises, such as when moving to a new place or making a trip to the local hardware mega-store. In 2001, Ford tried to resolve this conundrum by combining the refinement and spaciousness of an SUV with the convenience and utility of a pickup truck, calling its concoction the Explorer Sport Trac.

The Explorer Sport Trac met many needs by blending room for the kids and seats comfortable enough for daily use with the utility of a truck for those weekend runs to the home improvement center. Since then, however, the competition has debuted redesigned pickups that are as roomy and accommodating as SUVs while offering a useful cargo bed in the back. But Ford is ready for battle with the all-new, more refined 2007 Explorer Sport Trac – which arrives early in 2006.

Undoubtedly, there is a market for this kind of a vehicle. Whether Ford’s new 2007 Explorer Sport Trac will be able to tackle the competition is yet to be seen.