"There is nothing else like it.” said Jim O’Connor, President, of the Ford Division of FoMoCo. He’s right — at least for the moment.

Is it a truck or is it an SUV? Local journalists debated that when Ford’s new Sport Trac was offered for entry in Mudfest, the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s (NWAPA) SUV of the year competition which will be held in October. NWAPA elected to create a new class for these hybrids next year since there are other, similar vehicles just over the horizon.

The Sport Trac is based on the Ford Explorer, the nation’s best-selling SUV, and is billed as, “a sport utility vehicle for people who live the SUV lifestyle.” It’s the first SUV featuring four doors like a SUV or crew cab truck, along with a shortened pick-up bed for added flexibility.

I have to confess, at first I dismissed this as another attempt to make sure everyone in America owned some kind of truck. However, after driving it for a week, I came away with very positive feelings about its versatility.

According to Ford engineers, that versatility was no accident. They spent several hundred hours with SUV and pickup truck owners to better understand how they use the vehicles and went out and designed the Sport Trac around those needs.

Several years ago, I attended a Nissan factory-sponsored press event to introduce the XTerra, along with a mock-up of a proposed new Z-car. However, a concept vehicle remarkably similar to the Sport Trac, which Nissan said could be in production within 18 months, was also unveiled to absolute rave reviews from the journalists. It always puzzled me why Nissan dropped the project. They also dropped the Z-car. But that’s a whole other story.

The Sport Trac comes with a 4.0-liter single overhead cam (SOHC) V-6 rated at 205 horses, which meets California’s Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) standards — as do all Ford SUVs. The engine is adequate to take the Sport Trac anywhere you want to go.

One of the things I like about Ford’s 4WD system is its ease of engagement. Like all other Ford 4X4’s, the Sport Trac can be shifted from a knob on the dash while the vehicle is moving, thanks to an electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case with automatic locking hubs.

The Sport Trac is a very aggressive looking vehicle — which is the intention. Optional, factory-installed step bars covered with a skid-resistant coating run the length of the cab while black roof rails are standard and give the vehicle a more active appearance. When fitted with optional cross bars available at Ford dealerships, the rack has a load capacity of 100 pounds.

The most unique feature of the 2001 Explorer Sport Trac is that it’s the first vehicle to have an all-composite pick-up bed. Made of sheet molded composite (SMC) plastic, the 29.6 cubic foot cargo area is 20 percent lighter than a steel box — and it can’t rust. There’s also a 12-volt power outlet located in the bed, along with ten cargo hooks — six on the outside and four on the inside.

Also available are a hard, lockable two-piece tonneau cover, cargo area divider and stainless steel “cargo cage.” which provides 22.6 inches of added room by allowing cargo to be secured with the tailgate lowered. It locks in place on the open tailgate providing a lateral and longitudinal barrier.

When rotated and stored into the cargo area, the cargo cage also provides a divider of the cargo area to control movement of small items. The plastic divider uses latch pins that pop into holes in the cargo area and divide it into two compartments.

Interiorwise, again, versatility was key. The flooring is made of a washable, textured composite rubber, covered with Berber carpet floor mats which also reduce cabin noise.

The Sport Trac features new front buckets, created specifically for this vehicle. With the Leather Comfort Group, rear seat occupants receive a console with independent climate and audio controls, two headphone jacks and two cupholders.

Instrumentation is new, with white face gauges and titanium accents on the instrument panel and door handles. A control knob for the standard power rear window which is one-touch up and down, with an anti-pinch sensor, is located on the dash.

A removable soft pack bag is stowed under the hinged center armrest. When stored in the vehicle, it serves as the storage area of the center console.

Standard sound is an AM/FM stereo with a single CD player and four premium speakers. An 80-watt AM/FM stereo with a six-disc, in-dash CD player is optional, and a new Pioneer™ 290-watt AM/FM stereo will be available this fall.

Whines: Ford says seating is designed to comfortably accommodate five adults. Frankly, four is more like it — especially on a trip. Adding a few more horses to the V6 would improve this vehicle significantly.

Kudos: One word: versatility. The way the pick-up bed works with the optional cargo cage lends itself to a myriad of uses.

Bottom Line: There’s a reason the Explorer is America’s best selling SUV. The Sport Trac capitalizes on that and aims right for that big market of active people who need both a truck and an SUV, with a vehicle that’s extremely versatile, comfortable, and offers the best of both.