Great explorers must overcome great hurdles in order to not
only to achieve their goals, but in many cases, just to stay alive. Sir Ranulph
Fiennes was the first man to reach both North and South Poles, but he lost
several fingers and toes in the experience. Likewise, Robert Falcon Scott, who
raced Roald Amundsen across the Antarctic to realize the dream of being the
first man to the South Pole, only to loose the race by 35-days and later his
life on the return journey due to improper preparations. In the cutthroat world
of the SUV, the waters are not as warm and comfortable as the Caribbean; rather
icy and treacherous like the Arctic. The once powerful SUV has had to give way
to the surge in popularity of the Crossover, as the public demands a high cargo
and passenger volume vehicle that handles like a car.
Enter the Explorer, the pioneer of the modern SUV, however,
as of late, with all the Japanese competition as well as Dodge, Jeep and Chevy
producing significantly upgraded unibodied utes, the Explorer had become a
relic of out of date body on frame technology. Like most of Fords range of new
vehicles, 2011 sees all change for the Explorer, with an all-new unibody
stuffed with as much technology Ford could squeeze into it.
Other than body construction, the biggest step forward is
how much greener the Explorer has become with the new 3.5L V-6 producing 22%
better fuel efficiency, with at city rating of 11.9/100km and 8.0L on the
highway. All this comes with an improvement in power as well, upping to 290 hp
and 255 lb-ft. The upcoming 2.0L Ecoboost that is due later this summer is even
more impressive offering up 237 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. However,
despite its name, fuel efficiency is actually worse than the V-6, with a
13.1L/100km city and 8.7L on the highway.
The new design is quite an eye catcher if I do say so
myself, and sports some distinctly Land Roverish touches that really add to the
refinement of the vehicle. Inside the same can be said as a stylish interior
design is matched with high quality soft touch materials, while what few
buttons there are, give off a very luxurious feel and actuation. However, the
coolness factor gets cranked to 11 with both the gauge cluster and center stack
satnav, entertainment and HVAC centre.
Like the Fusion, the Explorer utilizes an adaptable digital
gauge cluster giving the driver just about any onboard information one could
ask for. The Sony controls are all touch sensitive
Along with the cool displays the Explorer has a mass of new
drive technology. The list of control system acronyms for the Explorer is large
enough to make an Infiniti blush. The Explorer has benefited with a heavy
influx of shared technology that has been developed with the specialists
expertise of out-going partners Volvo and Land Rover, with excellent safety and
off-road abilities.
Lets start with the safety side of the equation. The new
Explorer stepped up to bat big time in the safety department with the usual
suspects; traction control, ABS and stability control, while adding the BLIS
blind spot warning system, cross traffic-alert, adaptive cruise control and collision
warning with brake support.
However, if you don’t think that’s enough, Ford have developed an
industry first with the introduction of inflatable rear seat belts found in the
2nd row outboard seats. As a $250 option on XLT and Limited models,
this system uses a compressed air container under each seat which fires air
into an airbag folded into the seatbelt. The airbag tears through a seam in the
belt, tripling its contact area in the event of a collision. Also debuting is
Fords curve control system, which will detect if the vehicle has entered a
corner too fast, and keeps it on the road by working with all the systems
mentioned above, as well as roll over control, effectively controlling speed
and skidding.
Land Rover faithful will know the multi-surface interface
now found in the Explorer, allowing the driver to choose either snow, sand,
rutted or normal driving conditions. Well, that system, known as the Terrain
Management System, now makes the Explorer a formidable soft-roader. And just
for good measure, Ford has added a hill decent function as well. With the
Terrain Management controls in communication with the driving aids, it all
combines to create a vehicle with incredible traction in any environment.
Despite the Explorers independent suspension and relatively low ride height for
an SUV, it performs beyond its mechanical disadvantages. However, that being
said, the Explorer is missing one vital part of the Terrain Management System
lacks the air springs found in the LR4 and Range Rover models, a feature that
massively increases the off-road character of those vehicles. If Ford are
smart, they will offer adjustable lift suspension in an off-road special
edition, much like but not as extreme as the Raptor.
So, how does it all work in the real world, on roads slick
with packed ice? With our tester wrapped with Continental ice tires driving in
the standard surface setting already gives the driver a confident feeling on
snow and ice as the Explorer is well planted and turns in well. With the multi-surface
control set to “Sand” the explorer starts to get frisky as the computers start
to allow the wheels to spin up, and the vehicle is allowed to slid around a
little bit before traction and stability programs step in. In “Snow” mode,
throttle response is cut and the traction and stability programs are working at
the hardest to keep the vehicle on the straight and narrow. The result is a
phenomenal amount of grip on even the slipperiest of surfaces.
Overall, Ford have done a wonderfull job bringing the aging
old Explorer up to date, and none too soon as both Jeep and Dodge have also
made eaqually impressive leaps with the Grand Cherokee and Durango. Until
driving the Explorer, I was most impressed with the Grand Cherokee’s excellent
new unibody. However, with Fords new design, and one of the most impressive
interiors in the business, the Explorer just takes over as my pick for the
segment. However, like I said above, if you are looking to do some off-roading,
something old Explorer owner are quite fond of, I would suggest the Jeep, as
they have the advantage of height adjustable air springs, the Explorers one let
down.
SPECIFICATIONS:
MSRP: $29,999
Price as tested: $44,199 (LTD AWD)
Type: 4-door, full-size SUV
Engine: 3.5L V-6, 2.0L I-4
Horsepower: V-6 290, I-4 290
Torque: V-6 255, I-4
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Layout: Front engine, front wheel drive, optional AWD
Brakes: Four-wheel discs
Fuel Economy (L/100km): 11.9L city, 8.0L highway
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