Handsome, isn’t it? This is the new Explorer from Ford and it has had a facelift rather than a comprehensive overhaul, not that there was anything wrong with the way its predecessor looked. In fact, it trounced Range Rover with a design that made the premium SUV look like the great pretender, but now there are few, if any, comparisons to be drawn. This Explorer is manly, chunky and has plenty of presence, making it a sizeable and physically imposing hunk of metal, glass and plastic.
The obvious differentiators between this and the outgoing model are the newly shaped lamps and a neater, less-fussy front grille. Inside, the improvements are more obvious, with pleasing, soft-touch plastics where they used to be nasty and scratchy. There is leather aplenty and its seven seats, should you need them, point to the Explorer’s primary purpose: this is a car for families and it’s as practical as anything else out there.
Most likely, the rearmost seats will only be used occasionally, so they fold away at the touch of a button to transform into a cavernous cargo area that swallows pretty much anything a family needs on the move. I don’t even need to fold the pram to get it in when we, as a family of three, venture out in it. And I get the feeling that my better half would have one of these in a heartbeat if she could.
I can see the appeal, even from the passenger seat. It’s not quite as roomy for occupants as its external dimensions would suggest, but it is extremely stylish, well equipped and feels reassuringly solid, no matter what you prod, push or touch. It’s been designed with intelligence and that, in this day and age, means ease of use.
The interior of my test car is extremely light and airy, liberally covered with cream leather upholstery and the sun’s rays threaten to overwhelm proceedings on a cloudless UAE weekend. Thankfully the double sunroof is quickly covered by an electronic roller blind, although the side windows aren’t equipped with protective screens. The front seats offer cooling that’s quicker than most to reach the parts you need it to. I’m not sure the surfaces would stay clean for very long with regular family use, so a darker hue might prove more practical. Nevertheless, it’s a very pleasing environment and feels far more premium than Ford’s offerings of yore.
This is a fully loaded, V6-powered variant, but it isn’t top of the range. That title goes to the “Ecoboost” Sport model, which brings turbocharging into the fray and, apparently, performance that transforms the driving experience. Not that I’m feeling any need for extra punch with the car I’m testing – its creamy six-pot pulls strongly and smoothly, in near silence, while the six-speed automatic goes about its business in the same way. Refinement levels are, as a result, extremely high.
The suspension, according to my wife who rides in the back, is a bit on the firm side. She complains about a tendency for her bottom to slide around on the leather while I take corners “at inappropriate speeds”, but the truth is that the big Ford sits on stiff suspenders – it needs to be, weighing, as it does, more than two tonnes. The pay-off is flatter cornering than you might expect and a reassuring level of stability when you’re hard on the brakes.
Driving the Explorer is more akin to a normal car than the big bus that it is, which is a definite plus in my book. But when you look at the competition it faces, it’s as stiff as the Ford’s damper settings. There’s Chevrolet’s excellent Traverse, which is equally handsome and spacious, while the Dodge Durango cannot be easily dismissed and, when you consider what the Explorer costs when fully loaded with kit, one might be tempted to look at a Discovery Sport, which also boasts seating for seven and has proven off-road capabilities.
This Explorer is equipped with various drive modes, including hill-descent control, but it’s probably best viewed as a “soft-roader” rather than a full-on dune basher, due to its lack of a low-ratio transmission and seemingly vulnerable body extremities, but there are plenty of other Ford products available for serious off-roading, including the monstrous Raptor. The Explorer, then, occupies its own turf as a vehicle that does almost everything a modern family could ask of a car and it comes with the added benefit of a 100,000 kilometre manufacturer warranty.
It’s odd, but whenever I’m driving a car that’s unfamiliar to me, I start seeing them everywhere I go, and the sheer number of Explorers on the roads here shows that it appeals to the masses. After a few days using one as personal transportation I can understand why – it has gravitas and makes you feel good about yourself when behind its wheel and, while this might be little more than a stopgap facelift model, it doesn’t feel outmoded in any way whatsoever.
motoring@thenational.ae
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