Road Test: 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum: Sport + Luxury

HUNTINGTON, N.Y. - Feb. 20, 2016 - PRLog -- Winter Storm Jonas dropped over 2 feet of snow in our area, crippling road travel, but having little effect on our new 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum, except for making it impossible to keep the vehicle clean.

This high-end 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum combines the performance of the popular Explorer Sport with new levels of luxury, comfort and craftsmanship.

Smart Technology

The new Ford Explorer offers more technology than any previous models. New technologies available for 2016 include:

- Front and rear cameras with washers
- Enhanced active park assist with perpendicular park assist, park-out assist and semi-automatic parallel parking
- Smart-charging USB ports
- Hands-free liftgate
- Exclusive Sony® Audio System
- Active Grille Shutters
- Air curtains

The following features, while not new for Explorer, are also available on the 2016 model:

- Adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support
- Lane-keeping system
- Blind Spot Information System
- Cross-traffic alert
- Auto high-beams
- Inflatable rear safety belts

Power

The Platinum edition get a standard 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 making 365 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 350 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,500 rpm, mated with the six-speed SelectShift transmission.

Acceleration is effortless, and silky smooth, so keep an eye on the speedometer (and make sure it matches up with the posted speed limit).

Interior

New multi-contour front seats wrapped in Nirvana leather with micro-perforation look good and feel good. Special quilted stitching used throughout adds a classy, quality touch.

The interior employs the finest materials, including real aluminum and real ash wood multi-piece appliqués on door panels and instrument panel. A wood and leather-wrapped heated steering wheel showcases unique stitching that matches the stitching used throughout the interior.

For the first time in a Ford production vehicle, a brushed-aluminum Ford oval is centered on the steering wheel. Even the A-pillars are fabric-wrapped; it would seem that every detail has been considered for the Platinum model.

Nirvana leather also wraps the instrument panel, console armrests, quilted door bolsters and upper door trim. The instrument cluster features a large 10-inch digital display supported with analog displays – a first for a Ford-brand vehicle.

The all-new 500-watt Sony Audio System for Explorer Platinum features Live Acoustics technology that re-creates the sound dynamics of some of the world’s greatest concert halls for more enveloping, more realistic sound. Clear Phase eliminates sound dispersion throughout the vehicle, so the music occupants hear is precisely pinpointed -- just as the artist intended, no doubt.

Explorer Platinum also gets standard advanced technology features including enhanced active park assist, lane-keeping system and rain-sensing wipers.

Exterior

For the exterior, signature lighting surrounds the LED headlamps, giving the vehicle a continuous glow. Other features include a standard dual-panel moonroof, premium silver-painted front and rear skid plate elements, and 20-inch wheels with bright machined face and tarnished dark-painted pockets.

The integrated exhaust is designed to reduce the appearance of soot collecting at the rear of the vehicle. Inside the chrome bezel of the exhaust, engineers designed a shield that catches the soot so it doesn’t collect around the outlets.

Intelligent Four-Wheel Drive

Explorer’s intelligent four-wheel drive with Terrain Management System™ reassesses conditions about 20 times faster than the blink of an eye – providing precise handling and traction.

Intelligent four-wheel drive continuously monitors wheel speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle to determine vehicle conditions and driver intent. The system then determines the optimal amount of front and rear torque for the given conditions to prevent slip from even occurring, which helps keep the vehicle sure-footed on virtually any terrain. In sand, grass or gravel mode, the antilock braking system changes its pulse rate, which allows material to build up in front of the wheels, acting as a doorstop of sorts to help slow momentum.

To help maintain efficiency, in most steady-state cruising conditions the new Explorer equipped with intelligent four-wheel drive seamlessly and quickly transfers torque between the front and rear wheels.

A newly refined, intelligent four-wheel-drive gauge display shows power being distributed to front and rear wheels under all conditions – from heavy four-wheel-drive system usage to when the system is not transmitting power at all.

For added convenience, the Terrain Management System automatically defaults to normal mode whenever the vehicle is started to ensure it’s ready for normal driving conditions.

Using a dial located on the center console, the customer can shift on the fly, selecting from four terrain management modes – normal, snow, sand or mud – to set how the engine, transmission, brakes and four-wheel-drive system will operate. A fifth setting is for navigating hills.

Suspension

The new Explorer benefits from an improved suspension for better handling and a quiet cabin, enabling a comfortable ride even when the pavement turns to dirt.

Explorer also features a tower brace that provides additional stiffness between strut towers. The tower brace for Explorer equipped with four-wheel drive is three millimeters thicker for even more stiffness – providing better control and a smoother ride on rugged terrain.

MSRP

Starting MSRP to buy a 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum just like our tester is $52,970. Just add $395 for the Ruby Red paint, $695 for the 2nd Row Bucket Seats, plus $150 for 2nd Row Console, and its twin can be sitting in YOUR driveway.

Explorer Platinum = Sport + Luxury

You no longer have to choose between Sport or Luxury; you can now have both!

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