Built to last

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The Ford Explorer is an icon of toughness, used in remote regions around the world. CEO Middle East sees how it fares in GCC conditions.

When the Ford Explorer first roared on to the US driving scene it was as though a new dawn had shone on the SUV market. For over a decade, and despite some safety concerns in the early years from which the car's image was tarnished by association, the Explorer ruled supreme as the King of the American road.

Sadly, despite design changes and image overhauls, the good people at Ford seems pretty content to rest on those laurels and the brand lags sorely behind its competition. And there is no shortage of that in the Middle East automotive market.

The problem isn't that the Explorer is a particularly bad car, it's that the competition (including other offerings from the same stable such as the Escape and the Edge) has moved on.

To give credit where it's due, as an off-roader the Explorer is aptly named. The classic truck underpinnings mean that you can knock it about to your hearts content and not have to worry about inflicting any incidental damage on the chassis.

The steering is suitably responsive and the independent rear suspension helps it to keep firmly on the ground, making it a much calmer drive than offerings such as Dodge's Durango. It even looks the part of a rugged, no-nonsense machine, anyone's idealised idea of what an off-roader should be.

From a safety perspective the Explorer does well. Airbags come as standard throughout the interior in the 2008 model. The makers have also installed a Roll Stability Control system, in which a gyro sensor measures the car's roll speed and angle and activates the regular stability control system if it judges a roll-over to be imminent.

In the US the Explorer also scored the maximum five-star standard in all frontal and side impact tests run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The size also matches up well, with the boot space coming complete with an extra two seats, bringing the passenger total up to seven, or leaving plenty of room (especially with the back seats down) for transporting pretty much anything you could need.

The pulling power is also impressive and for the hardy outdoor driver can come in useful for hauling trailers, cars or other loads, which would come in handy if the Explorer is an investment for a work drive involving off road activities such as farming or construction.

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Built to last, Ford Explorer
Posted by rene, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 16:29 UAE time


Don't cry if your off-road is not fast on-road. For those there is Ford Mustang. Never mistake Horse Power for Torque, in Off-road it is Torque that pulls you out, not HP. If compare with Audi Q7 or others, please let us know how they perform Off-Road. If the car's too big, take a Ford Fiesta for easier parking. Ford has it all

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