At first glance, there is much to admire about Ford’s Explorer, completely reinvented and repackaged last year as more of a crossover than the body-on-frame SUV it once was. It is good-looking and sporty with the utilitarian nature of the two-box wagon body style (without going macho overboard). And, especially with the top Limited trim level, there is a full load of tech and convenience features to rival that found in pricier luxury rigs.
But the big deal for the 2012 model year is in the powertrain department — the addition of a new turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder, a more fuel- efficient alternative to the existing 3.5-litre V6. This makes the Explorer the first Ford model in North America to come with the EcoBoost four-banger. Some manufacturers are going the hybrid route to achieve maximum fuel efficiency in their sport-utes. Others are offering diesel engines as an alternative. Ford has hitched its wagon to boosted smaller-displacement gas engines to ease consumer pain at the pumps.
In the Explorer’s situation, this means a robust 2.0L injected turbocharged and intercooled engine to ostensibly offer the power of a V6 while delivering four-cylinder fuel economy. This direct-injected, turbocharged and intercooled engine pushes out 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and develops 270 pound-feet of torque at 1,750 rpm and is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
I don’t know how it would fare with seven aboard and towing a trailer but, with my wife and me and a week’s worth of groceries aboard, the stout 2,047-kilogram SUV proved reasonably peppy — at least in traffic conditions. On a foot-to-the-floor blast to 100 kilometres an hour, an acceleration time of just less than 10 seconds is OK but hardly the stuff of legend.
And consider this: 1. The EcoBoost engine is a $1,000 option. 2. Premium unleaded gas is “recommended,” especially if you want to make use of all 240 hp. 3. The turbo four is only available with front-wheel drive. If you want all-wheel drive, it’s the V6 for you. 4. Fuel economy, although better than with the V6, is not a huge improvement. A front-drive V6-powered Explorer is rated at 11.7 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 7.8 L/100 km on the highway. The EcoBoost Explorer is rated at 10.4 city and 7.0 highway.
On that last point, my own experience with the four-cylinder generated an average of 12 L/100 km during a week of suburban commuting, which, compared with other gasoline-powered mid-sized SUVs I have driven over the past couple of years (albeit AWD versions), is more than acceptable.
