2011 FORD EXPLORER MORE ADAPTABLE THAN EVER FOR DRIVERS AND ROADS

Innovative technology creates new 2011 Explorer that adapts to drivers and roads to deliver new levels of comfort and safety
The new Explorer will be one of Ford’s first vehicles with four-way head restraints designed to provide occupant protection and more adjustable comfort for passengers of different heights, while encouraging proper use of restraints
The new Explorer also features new technologies to help the vehicle adapt to driving conditions, including a terrain management system, Curve Control and radar-based systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning with Brake Support
Customers can personalize Explorer even more with custom graphics and seven accent lighting choices for footwells, cupholders and other areas
Fact Sheet: 2011 Ford Explorer: More Adaptable Than Ever (PDF)

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 12, 2010 – Whether hauling mountain bikes through mud ruts or groceries and kids through rush hour traffic, the new 2011 Ford Explorer will adapt to peoples’ lives more than ever – building on the capability, flexibility and utility that made it America’s favorite SUV for two decades.

The redesigned Explorer, which arrives later this year, will deliver more adaptability than ever before – from adjustable creature comforts like a four-way head restraint to responsive driver-assist and safety technologies such as terrain management system and Curve Control.

“The Explorer has always been about maximum adaptability, but it’s not just about off-road capability, flexible cargo space and seating configurations anymore,” said Amy Marentic, group marketing manager, Ford cars and CUVs. “With the new Explorer, we’ve redefined what adaptability means by expanding the user’s ability to adjust vehicle features and functions. At the same time we are offering innovative technologies that can allow the Explorer to automatically adjust to driving conditions if needed”

Making easy adjustments for comfort and whiplash protection
One of the new Explorer’s flexible features is a new four-way head restraint designed to provide protection for occupants with more adjustable comfort than industry standard two-way restraints.

The four-way head restraint offers increased flexibility over the two-way head restraints that proliferate in the industry. The four-way system moves up and down, as well as forward and backward using a manually operated ratcheting system that allows 12 positions to increase occupant comfort while helping to provide occupant injury protection in rear impacts.

“A well-positioned head restraint is important because it helps keep the occupant’s head and neck aligned with their torso and may reduce the risk of whiplash injury,” said Agnes Kim, Ford senior technical specialist. “Our four-way system is designed to provide protection while offering more flexibility so drivers can find more comfortable driving positions.”

Ford recommends properly adjusting the head restraint so that the top of the head restraint is even with the top of one’s head and positioned as close as possible to the back of one’s head. For occupants of extremely tall stature, the head restraint should be adjusted to its full up position. Approximately 80 percent of all passenger vehicles in the United States have adjustable head restraints, yet studies indicate less than 10 percent of occupants adjust them properly.

Two other Explorer features that should be adjusted before hitting the road are the adjustable brake and accelerator pedals and tilt/telescoping steering wheel that allow drivers of different statures to position these controls at a comfortable distance closer or farther away from them.

Adapting to the road; Taking curves and all terrain
While the new Explorer’s driver and passengers can easily adjust interior features to their liking, the Explorer seamlessly adjusts to external driving conditions. Two new-for-2011 technologies that perform in this adaptable manner are Curve Control Hill and a terrain management system.

Curve Control, which makes its debut on the Explorer, senses when a driver is taking a curve too quickly and rapidly reduces engine torque and can apply four-wheel braking, slowing the vehicle by up to 10 mph in about one second. The system can be useful when drivers are entering or exiting freeway on- or off-ramps with too much speed.

The new Explorer gets adventurous by offering Ford’s first intelligent four-wheel-drive (4WD) control system that optimizes vehicle capability by integrating powertrain and braking controls to provide appropriate traction for any driving conditions. Terrain management is activated by a console-mounted, switchable knob, enabling 4WD control through an intuitive choice of settings that eliminates guesswork with simple icons that represent the climate or surface situation drivers may encounter.

“The Explorer’s terrain management system and Curve Control are predictive technologies that are designed to work with the driver to respond to varying road conditions or potential hazards,” said Jim Holland, Explorer chief nameplate engineer. “They help the Explorer and its driver adapt to changing conditions.”

Adapting to the driver’s mood
Explorer drivers will be able to adjust the ambience of their vehicles in several ways. First they can personalize the interior by selecting from a spectrum of seven different ambient lighting colors, for the gauge cluster, foot wells, cup holders, door map pockets and rear foot wells. Drivers and passengers also can get comfortable with the Explorer’s dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control.

Other adaptive technologies on the new Explorer include:

MyKey™ which helps encourage safer teen driving and seat belt use, and allows owners to program the vehicle key to incorporate features such as limited top vehicle speed and audio volume.

Ford SYNC® in-car connectivity system with 911 Assist™ - designed to assist occupants in using their paired cell phone to place a call to a local 911 operator should an accident occur that activates an airbag or the emergency fuel cutoff.
HomeLink gives the vehicle the technology to learn up to three garage door and power gate remote control codes, eliminating the need to clutter the interior with separate remote control units.

Reference by Ford Motor Company

First-ever Ford Police Interceptor Utility

The first-ever specially-designed Ford Police Interceptor utility built for the rigors of police work, and it is designed to complement Ford’s all-new Police Interceptor sedan. Click here to read more about the Police Interceptor sedan, which was introduced earlier this year. Combined, the two vehicles provide law enforcement agencies the ultimate in versatility and choice, something no other police vehicle on the road today can match.
You can watch the reveal of the Police Interceptor utility live at 3:30 p.m. EST by clicking here.
Ford, the police vehicle market leader for 15 years, developed both Police Interceptors to allow departments to maximize versatility without sacrificing quality. Ford’s Police Interceptor utility will deliver at least a 20 percent improvement in fuel-economy over the outgoing Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. Both the sedan and utility Police Interceptor vehicles will debut simultaneously and be offered without interruption when production of the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor ends in late 2011.
With the introduction of its newest Police Interceptor, Ford now provides a complete package of performance and capability designed to meet the diverse and ever-increasing needs of law enforcement agencies across the U.S.
Ford’s new Police Interceptor utility vehicle is equipped with the highly efficient 3.5-liter V6 engine. This Ti-VCT engine, delivering at least 280 horsepower and E85 compatibility, is mated to a unique six-speed automatic transmission that combines lowered initial gears for improved off-the-line acceleration and higher gearing for improved efficiency at lower engine rpm when cruising. Two drivetrain options are available, providing off-road capability teamed with a multipurpose cargo area specially calibrated for loads up to 800 pounds.
Both the sedan and utility are rated for the severe-duty cycle that police professionals undertake on a daily basis and will deliver at least 20 percent more fuel efficiency than the 4.6-liter single overhead cam (SOHC) V8 offered in the current Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.
When developing the next-generation Police Interceptors, Ford worked with its Police Advisory Board of law enforcement professionals to provide input on key vehicle attributes such as safety, performance, durability, driver convenience and comfort.
Like the sedan, the utility version of the Police Interceptor puts a priority on safety. Continuing Ford’s safety leadership includes engineering both Police Interceptors to pass 75-mph rear-end crash testing. Currently, the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor is the only pursuit sedan to meet this test.
The Police Interceptor utility vehicle features Ford’s exclusive Safety Canopy® side-curtain airbag rollover protection system that helps protect passengers in both rollover and side-impact crashes. The multiple side-curtain airbags use Ford’s unique roll-fold technology to help position them between the occupant and the side window.
Just like its sedan partner, Ford’s Police Interceptor utility vehicle has been put through its paces, undergoing a battery of torture tests to ensure its individual components can hold up to rigorous driving. Certification testing designed by the Michigan State Police and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department proved out the durability and capability of the vehicle through a variety of punishing tracks.
To make sure the utility vehicle can take the heat – quite literally – the AWD drivetrain is equipped with a water-cooled power transfer unit that guarantees capability in all conditions. Across the board, brakes have been increased in size and performance, and the cooling package features a heavy-duty alternator and larger radiator. Standard 18-inch wheels are vented, designed to work in concert with the enhanced brake system.
Both Ford Police Interceptors will be manufactured at the Ford Chicago Assembly Plant.

2011 Ford Explorer Revealed

The 2011 Ford Explorer has just been revealed, and there are some big expectations -- and big hype -- driving the announcement.
The new Explorer has been completely redesigned. The most obvious difference: It's built on a car platform, not a truck one, so it sits lower to the ground and has a smoother, more fuel-efficient ride. Available in dealerships this winter.

CLICK HERE to view a slideshow of the 2011 Ford Explorer Reveal.

Ford Makes Selecting the Correct Four-wheel-drive Mode Easy

When the all-new Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle goes in to production later this year, it will offer an advanced terrain management system that takes the mystery out of four-wheel drive. They system will optimizing powertrain behavior for specific situations and road conditions and make it easy for the driver to choose the correct setting for the terrain.
Ford Explorer with intelligent 4WD and terrain management eliminates guesswork, using simple icons to help drivers choose the correct setting at the simple turn of a dial for the climate or surface situation they may be driving. The icons depict the various settings to best suit driving conditions.
Todd Hoevener is the vehicle dynamics manager for the new Explorer. In this short video, he gives an overview of the terrain management system.

“One of our goals with the new Explorer is to deliver four-wheel-drive capability with easier and intuitively operated control,” said Jim Holland, Explorer Chief Engineer. “The selectable settings are contingent upon weather and conditions, so the system is easily operated and understood. Ford terrain management makes it easier for SUV veterans, while making confidence-building Explorer capability even more accessible to segment newcomers.”
Employment of intelligent 4WD with Ford terrain management allowed Explorer engineers to deliver the “any road, anytime” capabilities that SUV buyers expect, while eliminating weight.
Less driveline mass will help the new Explorer with V-6 power deliver an estimated 25 percent better fuel economy than the 2010 model.
Intelligent 4WD with terrain management works by optimizing Explorer powertrain and braking systems to best suit a variety of situations, allowing vehicle behavior characteristics to provide appropriate traction and driver control. Ford anticipates that the system will really be a stress-reducer and confidence-builder, especially when driving in adverse conditions.