V7Tech: FORD Explorer 2012

2012 Explorer Overview

Iconic Ford Explorer Completely Reinvented, Mixing Style, Capability and Technology with Class-Leading Fuel Efficiency

Ford Explorer is Ford’s completely reinvented sport utility vehicle, offering customers an unmatched combination of convenience, capability and technology
2012 Explorer delivers class-leading full-size, three-row SUV fuel efficiency from a new four-cylinder 2.0-liter EcoBoost™ and a proven V6 engine
Available in base, XLT and Limited series, Explorer offers buyers an unmatched array of standard and available features to rival pricey luxury SUVs

Ford’s iconic Explorer – the vehicle that defined a segment – has been completely reinvented to raise consumer expectations of SUV fuel efficiency, safety, technology, capability and quality.

“The all-new Explorer delivers exactly what today’s SUV buyers are looking for, combining the capability, convenience, performance and technologies they want with the fuel economy these times require,” said Bill Gubing, Ford chief program engineer. “Explorer adds refinement to redefine what a modern SUV can be.”

New for 2012
Reengineered from bottom to top and revealed last summer, Explorer enters the 2012 model year with an expanded color palette and is the first Ford model in North America to offer an all-new Ford EcoBoost™ four-cylinder engine delivering class-leading fuel economy and responsive performance.

New Explorer exterior colors for 2012 include Ginger Ale Metallic, Dark Blue Pearl Metallic, Cinnamon Metallic and Black.

Quality
In addition to its clean, modern exterior design, Explorer aims to please SUV shoppers with a thoughtful, flexible interior package that abounds with clever storage solutions and generous head and shoulder room, three rows of flexible seating, and room for all the gear families invariably take along on their adventures.

Ford Explorer design – inside and out – is executed with world-class craftsmanship. Tight margin gaps are indications of the painstaking attention to detail applied across the spectrum, from design through engineering and manufacturing.

Quietness – another significant advancement in the reinvented Explorer – also signals quality to customers. Explorer is superior to in-segment competitors and rivals premium SUVs for overall quietness and NVH control.

Explorer redefines customer expectations for driving dynamics and comfort – on any road, anytime, anywhere – while stretching the breadth of SUV capability.

Ford Explorer V6 models are also available with an intelligent 4WD system that adds terrain management. Selectable to match driving conditions, this advancement takes the guesswork out of 4WD range choice.

A driver need only turn the console-mounted knob to the proper setting for snow, sand, mud or normal mode. In addition, the system includes hill descent mode. Simple and convenient for SUV veterans, the system will be a confidence builder for newer drivers.

GreenDriven by the commitment to give customers unsurpassed fuel efficiency with each newly launching vehicle, Ford has sweated the details to further increase Explorer fuel economy:

Twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT)
EcoBoost engine availability
Six-speed automatic transmissions for optimized gearing
Electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) to eliminate power drag
Variable-displacement air-conditioning compressor to reduce drag
Slippery aerodynamics with harmonized front air dam and rear liftgate spoiler

For the buyer placing top priority on fuel economy, the 2012 Explorer offers a new and advanced 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine – delivering the power of a normally aspirated V6 without compromise to its four-cylinder fuel economy. This direct-injected, turbocharged and intercooled engine delivers 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and develops 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm while delivering best-in-class full-size, three-row SUV fuel economy.

Explorer’s standard engine is a 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6 delivering 290 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. Ti-VCT allows individually optimized camshaft timing of valve opening and closing events to improve fuel efficiency while delivering increased power and reducing part-throttle emissions. Mated to Ford’s six-speed SelectShift Automatic™ transmission, this powerful, flexible and efficient engine delivers up to an EPA-rated 25 mpg on the highway. That’s the highest fuel efficiency available, among full-size, three-row SUVs.

Safe
Named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Explorer brings a stiff unibody structure and a class-leading suite of active and passive safety features and technologies, plus another Ford safety innovation – the world’s first second-row inflatable rear belts.

Rear seat passengers – often children or mature passengers – can be more vulnerable to head, chest and neck injuries. Ford’s unique inflatable rear belts spread impact forces across more than five times the area of conventional seat belts, reducing pressure on the chest while helping to control head and neck motion.

From the boron front bumper beam through high-strength steel side-impact tubes, Explorer’s rigid body structure is designed to provide robust protection for occupants. In the instance of a crash, these elements come together to protect Explorer driver and passengers inside a safety cage of strength.
Standard Explorer safety features include:

AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) and Curve Control functionality to provide braking – optimized by each individual wheel
Second-generation first-row airbags, side seat airbags
Belt-Minder® for driver and first-row passenger
Energy-management system pretensioning for height-adjustable first-row seat belts
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system for outboard second-row positions, for safely securing child safety seats
SOS Post-Crash Alert System™
Safety Canopy® side curtain airbags
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Optional features that help enhance Explorer safety include:

Adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support
BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert

Smart
From Ford’s acclaimed SYNC® voice-activated communications and entertainment system to MyFord Touch™ driver connect technology, Explorer offers technologies that enhance the ownership experience.

EPAS enables Explorer’s optional active park assist technology. When activated, the system scans for a suitable spot, calculates the trajectory and steers the vehicle. The driver continues to control brake and throttle inputs, while the system steers the vehicle throughout the parking maneuver.

Standard Explorer convenience features include: