By Mauricio Lezcano / carsntravel.com / Photos Ford Media Center
For 2018 Ford Explorer Platinum combines the performance of the popular Explorer Sport with levels of comfort and craftsmanship inside, offering customers the most well-appointed Ford SUV yet.
Platinum series
Style, the Platinum series further elevates the full-size SUV in look and feel, with changes to both the Explorer exterior and interior. From new multi-contour front seats wrapped in Nirvana leather with micro-perforation, to special quilted stitching used throughout, advanced standard technologies and the powerful 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, Platinum elevates Explorer in ways customers can see and feel.
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. 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 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.
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 Explorer equipped with intelligent four-wheel drive seamlessly and quickly transfers torque between the front and rear wheels. 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.
Summary
For 25 years, Explorer has shaped what people expect from an SUV, the Explorer Platinum further elevates the three-row SUV in look and feel, with standard upgrades both inside and out. The multi-adjustable front seats wrapped in Nirvana leather with micro-perforation, a 500-watt premium Sony Audio System, smart driver-assist technologies and powerful 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine advance Explorer in ways customers can see and feel. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price starts at $53,940.00 for the 2018 Ford Explorer Platinum. The EPA rated at 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway.
mlezcano@carsntravel.com
