I read about it all the time in the press kit: Ford extreme weather testing on their cars. And for a moment, I thought: surely, this must be an exaggeration. No car manufacturer will go through the length of the car freezing at minus 40 Celsius. In the freezer. That is, until I found myself in Detroit Metropolitan Airport trying to take the 2016 Explorer Sport at minus 17 Celsius.
To be fair, the locals said that this year's winter weather was mild, compared with Vortex Artic them last year. But for tropical climates child born-and-bred like me, minus 17 feels like a slow, agonizing death. Do not get me wrong, I love the cold but I draw the line when I walked in the parking lot looking for a thin shirt open in Ruby Red Metallic Explorer Sport. Fortunately, I did not have to walk far at this time.
The Explorer is a middle-selling SUV in the world and has been the best-selling SUV in America for 25 consecutive years. Seven million Explorers have been sold and used in the United States by everyone from law enforcement to the motor journalist-slash-you travel. I think finding a specific Explorer in the parking lot will be a challenge, but that was not the case here. Of course, color plays a part (most Explorers here is gray), but more down to 'Sport' moniker attached to the name Explorer.
I still do not see a lot of the running, but the Explorer has been improved this year. Deviating from cousin-of-the Range Rover look to something a little more standard. Ford says the design is intended to provide a more rugged appearance and in some cases have, but the end result is something a little more mainstream. However, I admit the big lights (now with both LED and lighting DLR) which sits better with a square frame compared with the old eyes narrowed. Other changes include a shut-out roof rail and a revised spoiler. At the rear, the lights have been given new lighting treatment as well. And as the 'Sport', this model remove all chrome trimmings. Ford said one of the five customer Explorer also has another luxury vehicle, but I personally would take this no-chrome look more days.
Within striking distance of the remote, I knew Remote Starter and vibrant twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine. This gives Explorer Sport some time to warm up, but more importantly for me, turn on the heater. For the unforgiving cold climates of Michigan, stepped into the warm, heated cabin was really a godsend. Which along with heated seats and steering literally gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Settled in, not much has changed with pre- and post-facelift cabin. It's still the same interior comfortable, car-like I've crown accustomed. The same combination of soft plastic and matte aluminum trim pieces Sport comes with exclusive features such as black leather with red stitching and additional carbon gray accents around. In fact, the 2016 Ford Explorer outlines changes only one line: swapping sense of touch buttons on the center console for a physical one. And if you are wearing gloves or shivering from the cold, this is a very welcome change. Chair, as usual, is generally convenient for all occupants, except for big boned. The US-spec units do not get the added convenience of lay-flat second-row outboard seats.
After finding the most comfortable seating position to win thanks to the strength adjustable steering wheel, pedals, and seat-and enter the destination of the navigation system laggy frustrating, it's time to set off on a 285-mile trip to Illinois. With 370 horsepower and 475 Nm of torque, Explorer Sport sounds like a recipe for a speeding ticket and license revocation. But it was not so much the case. The overall feel is one of the improvements to the excessive amount of power in each round machine. Carefully depress the accelerator allows to merge onto the road with the utmost confidence. It feels quite at home on the wide, open road where the thickness of which never feels like a barrier.
Within the confines of a strict, Explorer Sport comes with either a 180-degree front facing camera and a rear parking camera allows for easy entry and exit from the parking lot. Washing machine may seem like frivolous features, but very useful whenever the camera is getting blocked by snow or mud. Call me spoiled, but I lost Active Park Assist feature found in previous Explorer 3.5 V6 I tested. These options are available for sure, but seriously, if you can complete it at P 1.2 million Focus, why not at P 2.8 million Explorer Sport?
Drivers are the worst part of their Chevrolet Impala. Whether or not they are from out of town or what not, they always hog the left lane for no apparent reason. Usually, people just let them be or as one angry Jeep driver did, tailgate and flash its lights kept them. For me in the Explorer Sport? Only a gas gun. The nature of the smooth V6 was replaced by something with animal-like ferocity. Coupled with rapid downshift of the automatic (and expletive or two), Explorer Sport can rocket past anything. And there is little Muscle Car in the exhaust gnarly too. paddle shifters are now standard, but I never felt the need to use it. Ford said that the mixed fuel economy figure is 6.36 km / L, I replicated the exact figure during the course of one thousand two hundred kilometers. The indicator on the dashboard also track torque shifts quickly and automatically through all four wheels all the time.
In the following weeks, this Explorer Sport was subjected to various temperatures and with various conditions such as rain, floods and snowstorms really. There are days I really have to shovel it out and opened the door frozen. Plus, it conducted four 28-inch hard case luggage all the time without any problem. Through each and all of these circumstances, everything worked. Power mirrors folded finding, which sprung tailgate is open, and the third-row seats folded without a hitch. When Ford say they subject their cars to work in extreme environments, I believe they are now. After all, drive down the road Michigan is a good example of that.
2016 Ford Explorer Sport V6 EcoBoost
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| Ownership | 2016 Ford Explorer Sport 3.5L V6 EcoBoost AWD |
| Year Introduced | 2012 (Refreshed: 2016) |
| Vehicle Classification | Mid-sized Crossover |
| The Basics | |
| Body Type | 5-door Crossover |
| Seating | 8 (Philippine-spec); 7 (US-spec) |
| Engine / Drive | F/AWD |
| Under the Hood | |
| Displacement (liters) | 3.5 |
| Aspiration | Twin Turbo, Direct Injection |
| Layout / # of Cylinders | V6 |
| BHP @ rpm | 370 @ 5,000 |
| Nm @ rpm | 475 @ 3,000 |
| Fuel / Min. Octane | Gasoline / 91~ |
| Transmission | 6 AT |
| Cruise Control | Yes, Adaptive |
| Dimensions and Weights | |
| Length (mm) | 5,036 |
| Width (mm) | 2,004 |
| Height (mm) | 1,803 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 2,865 |
| Curb Weight (kg) | 2,218 |
| Suspension and Tires | |
| Front Suspension | Independent, MacPherson Strut, Sport Tuned |
| Rear Suspension | Independent, Muti-link, Sport Tuned |
| Front Brakes | Vented Disc |
| Rear Brakes | Solid Disc |
| Tires | Hankook Ventus S1 Noble2 255/50 R 20 H (f & r) |
| Wheels | Alloy |
| Safety Features | |
| Airbags | 7 + 2 x 2nd row seatbelt airbags |
| Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) | Yes |
| Traction / Stability Control | Yes |
| Parking Sensors | Yes, Front and Rear, with Front and Rear Camera |
| Exterior Features | |
| Headlights | LED |
| Fog Lamps | Yes, Front |
| Auto Lights | Yes |
| Auto Wipers | Yes |
| Interior Features | |
| Steering Wheel Adjustment | Tilt/Telescopic, Electric |
| Steering Wheel Material | Leather |
| Seating Adjustment | Electric |
| Seating Surface | Leather |
| Folding Rear Seat | Yes, 60/40, Electric |
| On-Board Computer | Yes |
| Convenience Features | |
| Power Steering | Yes |
| Power Door Locks | Yes |
| Power Windows | Yes |
| Power Mirrors | Yes, Heated, with Fold |
| Climate Control | Front Dual Zone, Rear Manual |
| Audio System | Stereo CD MP3 USB SD Card Bluetooth |
| No. of Speakers | 12 |
| Steering Wheel Controls | Yes |
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