2014 Ford Explorer Gets Five Stars From NHTSA [VIDEO]
2014 Ford Explorer was awarded with five stars by NHTSA or in other words gets the top marks in the federal government's new car safety rating program. In fact, model's both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive have achieved the five-star score under the New Car Assessment Program.
This top safety rating was given to the vehicles due to its advanced safety equipment, which includes second-row inflatable safety belts that improved comfort and protection for passengers. This advanced restraint system was created with the aim to reduce head, neck and chest injuries for second-row passengers.
In addition, what also helped for the achievement were the features such as AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control, Safety Canopy side air curtain technology for all three rows, and dual-stage airbags for driver and front passenger. 2014 Ford Explorer comes as a standard with a tire pressure monitoring system and SOS Post-Crash Alert System.
The new explorer is offered with three engine variants featuring the 3.5L Ti-VCT V6, 2.0L I-4 EcoBoost and 3.5L V6 EcoBoost units. The powertrains are matched with 6-Speed SelectShift Automatic transmission. Only the 2.0L I-4 Ecoboost gets a 6-Speed Automatic gearshift. Front Wheel Drive system comes as a standard here, while Ford is also offering the optional Intelligent 4WD with Terrain Management, which requires the V6 engine.
2014 Ford Explorer Specifications:
| Fuel Economy and Engine Highlights | |||
| Engine Type | 3.5L Ti-VCT V6 | 2.0L I-4 EcoBoost® | 3.5L V6 EcoBoost® |
| EPA-Estimated Ratings (Actual mileage will vary) | 17 city / 24 hwy / 20 combined (FWD) 17 city / 23 hwy / 19 combined (4WD) | 20 city / 28 hwy / 23 combined | 16 city/ 22 hwy /18 combined |
| Vehicle Highlights | |||
| Max Seating Capacity | 7 | ||
| Drive Type | Front Wheel Drive (standard) Optional Intelligent 4WD System with Terrain Management System (requires V6) | ||
| Transmission | 6-Speed SelectShift Automatic® 6-Speed Automatic (2.0L Ecoboost®) | ||
| Wheelbase | 112.6" | ||
| Maximum Towing Capacity | 5000 lbs. | ||
| Wheels available | 17" steel with wheel covers 18" painted aluminum 20" painted aluminum 20" polished aluminum 20" machined aluminum with painted pockets | ||
| Engine Specifications | |||
| 3.5L V6 | 2.0L EcoBoost I4 | 3.5L EcoBoost V6 | |
| Drive type | Front-Wheel Drive (std.) / Intelligent 4WD (opt.) | Front-Wheel Drive | Intelligent 4WD |
| Engine type | 3.5L Twin independent Variable Camshaft Timing (TiVCT) V6 | 2.0L Turbocharged, Direct Injection Ti-VCT Ecoboost I4 | 3.5L Twin Turbocharged, Direct Injection Ecoboost V6 |
| Transmission | 6-speed SelectShift Automatic | 6-speed automatic | 6-speed SelectShift Automatic |
| Final drive ratio | 3.39 (FWD) / 3.65 (4WD) | 3.36 | 3.16 |
| Horsepower (net @ rpm) | 290 @ 6500 | 240 @ 5500 | 365 @ 5500 |
| Torque (lb.-ft @ rpm) | 255 @ 4000 | 270 @ 3000 | 350 @ 3500 |
| Compression ratio | 10.8: 1 | 9.3: 1 | 10.0: 1 |
| Valve lifters | Direct acting mechanical bucket | Direct acting mechanical bucket | Direct acting mechanical bucket |
| Induction System | Naturally aspirated | Turbocharged | Twin Turbocharged |
| Fuel delivery | Sequential multi-port electronic fuel injection | Direct Injection | Direct Injection |
| Exhaust | Quasi dual exhaust with chrome tips | Quasi dual exhaust with chrome tips | Quasi dual exhaust with chrome tips |
| Engine block type | Cast aluminum | Cast aluminum | Cast aluminum |
| Cylinder head material | Cast aluminum | Cast aluminum | Cast aluminum |
| EPA-Estimated Ratings FWD (Actual mileage will vary) | 17 city / 24 hwy / 20 combined | 20 city/28 hwy/23 combined | - |
| EPA-Estimated Ratings Four Wheel Drive (Actual mileage will vary) | 17 city / 23 hwy / 19 combined | - | 16 city/22 hwy/18 combined |
| Chassis Specifications | |||
| Front suspension | MacPherson strut front suspension with 32mm front stabilizer bar | ||
| Front shocks | Gas-pressurized twin tube | ||
| Rear suspension | Multi-link independent rear suspension with 22mm rear stabilizer bar | ||
| Rear shocks | Gas-pressurized twin tube | ||
| Brakes | Power 4-wheel disc with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) | ||
| Base Curb Weight | 4534 lbs | ||
| Steering | Electronic Power-As | ||
| Towing Specifications | |||
| Optional Class III Trailer Tow Package | - | - | - |
| Configuration | Axle Ratio | GCWR | Max Loaded Trailer Weight |
| 3.5L TiVCT V6 FWD | 3.39 | 9980 | 5000 |
| 3.5L TiVCT V6 4WD | 3.65 | 10160 | 5000 |
| 2.0L TiVCT I4 FWD | 3.36 | 6830 | 2000 |
| 3.5L EcoBoost V6 4WD | 3.16 | 10400 | 5000 |
Video Source: YouTube
Source: Ford
