San Diego, California – California’s hot sun was the backdrop of Ford’s long awaited official debut of its new Explorer utility vehicle, which has undergone major redesign and now displays a completely renewed look and feel.
Available in three versions, Base, XLT and Limited, the Explorer is from now on oriented towards a larger public. In order to be more accessible, Ford has replaced its traditional ladder chassis frame for a monocoque structure, and its new crossover feature now offers more road-style performances. It now has three rows of seats, which can comfortably seat 7 passengers.
Under the hood, the Explorer is equipped with one standard engine, a 3.5 liters V6; strangely enough, Ford has not opted for its usual Ecoboost, V6 turbo engine with this model. The V6 base model is offered with front wheel or all wheel drive, while the XLT and Limited standard versions are equipped with Ford’s new Terrain Management four wheel drive system.
A second engine offering should be available later in 2011, a four cylinder, 2 liter Ecoboost. However, models equipped with this engine will only be available with front wheel drive.
The Explorer is no longer available with a V8 engine, which dramatically decreases its towing capacity.
Attracting New Customers
While Ford isn’t expecting to increase its fleet sales, it is however expecting a shift in its customer base. “With the old model, we had an extensive number of Explorers that were rented on a one-day basis. With its new design, we anticipate an increase from the commercial sector,” says Nicolas Lacasse, Brand Manager, Sports Utility and Crossovers at Ford Canada.
According to Lacasse, the new Explorer is the perfect vehicle for drivers spending many hours on the road daily. “The Sync system and the new MyFord Touch allow people to manage their business with both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road”, adds Lacasse. MyFord Touch, which is able to recognize up to 10,000 unique commands, is a marvel of technology. In short, we can almost control everything by simply using our voice. Remaining operations are done with a touch of a finger on the center console or the touch screen. Such a complete system will nevertheless require a period of adjustment on the part of its users.
An Explorer far from ordinary
Moreover, a version made especially for the police forces and designed to sustain the strains of police pursuits is now available. This Explorer is equipped with a more powerful V6, 3.7 liter engine, and with a heavy-duty suspension. “In fact, in order to develop such a vehicle, we need to work in collaboration with police authorities. It is important that they get a product which answers to all of their needs”, concludes Nicolas Lacasse.
In conclusion
With this 2011 new model, Ford is offering an extremely solid Explorer. Almost a dinosaur since 2008, it now has all the tools it needs to rise from the ashes.
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Price
Base V6 TA
$29,999
Base V6 TI
$32,999
XLT V6 TA
$35,899
XLT V6 TI
$38,899
Limited V6 TA
$41,199
Limited V6 TI
$44,199
Strengths
- Driving pleasure
- Level of equipment and technology
- Quality of the passenger compartment
- Off-highway capacity
- Levels of sound-proofing
Daniel Rufiange
