NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Ford Motor Co. has released illustrations of a concept vehicle, a new version of the Explorer Sport Trac sport/utility pick-up, scheduled to be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

Ford Explorer Sport Trac concept illustration

The currently available two-wheel drive version of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac has the worst government rollover rating of any sport utility vehicle. The two-wheel drive Sport Trac has the only two-star rating of any SUV on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations five-star scale for rollover resistance. All other SUVs, including the four-wheel drive Sport Trac, have three or four stars.

The current two-wheel drive Sport Trac has a 34 percent chance of tipping in a single vehicle crash, according to NHTSA, while the four-wheel drive version has a 27 percent chance of rolling over.

The Sport Trac concept is 2 inches wider and 5 inches longer than the current version and has a new independent rear suspension. It also sits about 2 inches lower to the ground, for what Ford calls a "street rod" look that could be featured on a special-edition production vehicle, the company said.

The concept version also has Roll Stability Control technology. Similar to electronic stability control now offered on many vehicles, Roll Stability Control includes gyroscopic sensors for detecting an imminent rollover.

When a possible rollover is detected the vehicle automatically applies brakes at specific wheels and reduces engine power to help keep the vehicle upright.

Ford Explorer Sport Trac concept

Roll Stability Control will be included on more than 500,000 Ford SUVs by the end of 2005, Ford said.

Like the current Sport Trac, the concept version has four doors and two rows of seats with a short truck bed in the back.