2005 Ford Explorer Review

Specifications

A Clear View of Fords Future Sport Utility Truck

Fords Sport Trac concept truck, due to appear in Detroit next week, looks ready for production. Is it a thinly veiled 2006 model? Most think so, being that the current Sport Trac, which debuted in 2001, is due for replacement.

But why should Ford release photos of its new concept prior to the North American auto industrys most important auto show? One reason is to garner attention for a vehicle that, despite being something many new truck buyers will no doubt be interested in, might get lost amid the certain deluge of new model and concept announcements that begin flooding media channels starting with the L.A. auto show in the first week of January, and followed by the Detroit show in the second week.

Another reason? The Sport Tracs press release and initial artists renderings appeared just after the current 4×4 model was given a worst in industry rollover rating, with a risk of 30 to 40 percent according to U.S. safety regulators.

News that the model would be updated shortly, and equipped with standard rollover protection when it becomes available, thwarted the medias rush to propagate pandemic hysteria over the negative rollover test results.

Those that live on an automotive diet knew that an update to the popular truck was forthcoming anyway, having been prepared for the 2005 auto show circuit much further in advance than the when the rollover test news hit the proverbial fan.

Of course, an update to the Sport Trac makes a heck of a lot of sense, being that the sport utility truck has become an extremely popular and ever-growing segment, and that its chassis dates back to the previous generation Explorer.

“With the addition of a number of new competitive offerings, the sport utility truck segment is red hot, and its time for the original to raise the bar again for everyone else to try to follow,” commented Chris Feuell, Ford Motor Company SUV group marketing manager. “This concept magnifies all of the aspects of Sport Trac that customers already love and introduces some street-savvy cues.”

Few specific details have been released about Fords upcoming sport-utility truck, but the Dearborn-based automaker has let a bed-load of photos and a few specifications out of the bag prior to its January introduction. From a styling perspective, Ford has updated the model with Explorer/Ranger/F-150 design cues, two sporty hood scoops, plus a nifty set of engine vents just above the front wheel cutout ahead of the A-pillars, similar to the vents first shown on 2003s SVT Lightning and more recently, the Land Rover LR3.

The Sport Trac promises to be wider by about 2 inches, plus nearly 5 inches longer than the current version, to make allowances for a roomier cab and a more accommodating pickup box. Just how much larger is the cargo area? With its 8.0 cu ft increase it will be possible to haul a 25 to 30 percent larger load, for a total somewhere near 38.0 cu ft.

There are a variety of factors that should allow the new Sport Trac to handle curves with better stability too, starting with its new independent rear suspension, to go along with the upgraded independent front system derived from the current Explorer, both of which are optimized by a ride height thats lowered by approximately 2 inches. While the Detroit prototype features 21-inch, 10-spoke rims riding on custom Goodyear tires, dont expect a wheel and tire package approaching anywhere near this diameter for production, although their gunmetal gray color may see the light of day.

Large wheels and metal brightwork will be part of the production Sport Tracs look, however, to give it that customized look thats so popular among the current crop of pickup truck buyers.

“We wanted the Explorer Sport Trac concept to turn heads and to give it street cred,” said J Mays, Fords global design chief. “This concept is as at home in an urban environment as it is hauling surf boards to the beach. Versatility is - and will continue to be - what Sport Trac is all about.”

Under the hood of the prototype is a specially tuned version of Fords SOHC, 16-valve, 4.6-liter V8, which makes 239-horsepower at 4,750 rpm and 282 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm in stock 2005 Explorer trim.

The new Sport Track also features the Explorers slick shifting 5-speed automatic transmission, optimized for its 4-wheel drivetrain. Expect the production version to feature the same engine and transmission as this concept as standard equipment, but rear-wheel drive will remain the entry-level drivetrain to keep costs down.

Of course, one of the reasons the current Sport Trac sells so well, is that at $23,820 its priced much lower than the new $26,845 Explorer, launched in 2003. Keeping the price down will be an important factor in pushing the next generation version to the top of the SUT sales charts.

Painted in an off-white shade Ford dubs Moonlight, polished aluminum accents highlight the upper and lower grille, fog lamps and exhaust tips. While these trim details may make production, its street rod-inspired shaved door handles most likely wont. That said more and more vehicles come standard with remote access these days, a feature that nullifies the conventional key. To open the Sport Trac concepts doors, all thats needed is a quick press of the key fobs unlock button and the rest happens automatically.

Once inside, everything looks contemporarily stylish, nothing that would look out of place within a Ford retail showroom. The
concept features four buckets with a long console that separates each occupant, front and rear. While it looks enticing, a rear bench seat would be more appropriate for the road-going version.

What I like about the vehicle arent the seats themselves, but the dark Midnight navy and light Ice blue color scheme that covers them, and permeates the remainder of the cabin, including the steering wheel, front and rear center console, headliner, door trim panels, shifter and instrument panel. The seats feature navy embossed mesh on their backrests and inserts, and are accented by navy stitching.

The décor is also minimalist in design, striking a personal chord. All of the Sport Trac concepts primary gauges are integrated within a single oval instrument cluster, with a large speedometer positioned next to a large tachometer. Ancillary controls, such as those activating audio and climate systems, are where anyone who drives would expect to find them, within the center stack just ahead and above the console-mounted shifter. Finishing everything off is a tasteful amount of polished aluminum trim, surfacing the air vents, instrument binnacle and shifter.

The prototypes two-tone interior and flashy brightwork may be inviting, but what will matter more to those buying into
Fords updated SUT will be standard Roll Stability Control (RSC). During an auto show preview held in Dearborn in early December, Ford reiterated its plan to include RSC, which first debuted on the Ford-owned Volvo XC90 crossover SUV, as standard equipment in all new light trucks, full-size vans (2006 MY) and sport utility vehicles, which should equal about 500,000 vehicles per year.

What does it do? Basically RSC gives extra assistance to the driver in maintaining control of the vehicle during extreme accident avoidance maneuvers, when a rollover is most likely to occur. Both GM and Chrysler Group have made similar announcements, but compared to conventional stability control RSC is the most technically advanced system going. In fact, its so unique a total of 80 patents are pending and the automaker believes there is enough of a differentiation when compared to competing yaw stability control systems that Ford will be able to license it to rival brands wanting to keep up, which it plans to do.

How does it work? Rather than simply reacting to tire slippage, RSC continuously calculates if the vehicle may be approaching a situation where rollover is probable, and then takes measures to help prevent it from happening.

A micro-machined gyroscopic sensor that determines the vehicles body roll angle and roll rate, combines with other sensors inertial data such as yaw rate, plus lateral and longitudinal accelerations, before making a “decision” about the vehicles stability via algorithms embedded in the systems state-of-the-art software at a rate of approximately 150 times per second. If an unstable situation is detected, RSC kicks in by automatically reducing power to the engine, and/or applying the brakes to one or more wheels as needed in order to regain vehicle stability.

While safety issues are a critical concern in the sport utility segment, what gets people into the showroom is styling and performance. If Ford comes to market with something close to the Sport Trac concept shown here, it wont have any trouble finding buyers.