It’s bigger. Never mind the fact that it no longer offers a V8 engine option, the Explorer has been upsized. Never mind the fact that it’s now based on a unibody chassis instead of a ladder frame one, the new model is longer and wider than the outgoing one.
Are we surprised? Not really. Well, maybe a little, since we thought North-American truck buyers were finally downsizing. Unless you consider a smaller engine as a, uh, downsize.
First of all, the change under the hood makes sense; the 3.5-litre V6 produces 290 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque, as opposed to the old 4.6-litre 3-valve V8’s 292 horses and 315 lb-ft. A modest decrease in torque perhaps, but you get an 18% improvement in city driving and a 15% gain on the highway.
Our fuel economy average during a week’s test is 13.8 L/100 km. Not bad, not exciting. Towing capacity is where the new Explorer is at a disadvantage, obviously; maximum capacity is 5,000 pounds, compared to up to 7,050 lbs in the 2010, V8-powered version.
The Explorer is a mix-and-match result of Ford using components from past ownerships; the chassis and electronic safety systems (adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor, collision warning system) were adopted from Volvo, while the all-wheel drive system, called Terrain Management, was picked up from Land Rover.
The latter consists of a console-mounted rotary dial that offers four driving modes: Normal, Mud/ruts for soft or uneven terrain, Sand for dry sandy or gravel terrain as well as Snow mode. Hill descent control is also included.
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| Plenty of room and lots of technology at an affordable price, that’s what highlights the Explorer. (Photo: Philippe Champoux/Auto123.com) |
Are we surprised? Not really. Well, maybe a little, since we thought North-American truck buyers were finally downsizing. Unless you consider a smaller engine as a, uh, downsize.
First of all, the change under the hood makes sense; the 3.5-litre V6 produces 290 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque, as opposed to the old 4.6-litre 3-valve V8’s 292 horses and 315 lb-ft. A modest decrease in torque perhaps, but you get an 18% improvement in city driving and a 15% gain on the highway.
Our fuel economy average during a week’s test is 13.8 L/100 km. Not bad, not exciting. Towing capacity is where the new Explorer is at a disadvantage, obviously; maximum capacity is 5,000 pounds, compared to up to 7,050 lbs in the 2010, V8-powered version.
The Explorer is a mix-and-match result of Ford using components from past ownerships; the chassis and electronic safety systems (adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor, collision warning system) were adopted from Volvo, while the all-wheel drive system, called Terrain Management, was picked up from Land Rover.
The latter consists of a console-mounted rotary dial that offers four driving modes: Normal, Mud/ruts for soft or uneven terrain, Sand for dry sandy or gravel terrain as well as Snow mode. Hill descent control is also included.
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| The all-wheel drive system, called Terrain Management consists of a console-mounted rotary dial that offers four driving modes. (Photo: Philippe Champoux/Auto123.com) |