More zip added to a roomy utility vehicle
Is the Ford Explorer Sport actually sporty? Not exactly. Rather, think of it as a big utility vehicle that delivers plenty of pep, a decent ride and road manners, plus better-than-average comfort.
The Explorer is the midpoint model in Ford’s tall-wagon lineup. It’s bigger and more rugged than the compact Escape, but the Explorer is dwarfed by the giant Expedition and the extended-length Expedition Max.
Previously a special trim package available on XLT models, the Sport comes into its own for 2018 as a separate model that’s one rung below the toplevel Platinum. The Sport is also easy to spot, with blacked-out grille, door handles, roof rails, lower bumpers, body-side trim and special 20-inch wheels. The result is a leaner- and meanerlooking vehicle, but not quite as threatening as the Explorer Police Interceptor model that various law-enforcement agencies are wholeheartedly embracing.
As tough as the outside looks, the interior skews toward luxury. Heated leather-covered seats (10-way power-adjustable in front) are the order of the day, along with dual-zone climate control, voice-activated navigation, heated steering wheel and a power-folding 50/50 third-row bench seat. Order the secondrow buckets in place of the standard bench and they come with power-assist folding.
The Sport’s dashboard and control panel are intuitively laid out, with clearly marked buttons and switches and an oversize audio-volume knob that has obviously been designed for ease of use, even when wearing gloves.
Pushing the starter activates a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V-6 that delivers 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers beat the pants off lesser Explorers that make do with either a standard non-turbo 3.5-litre V-6 (290 horsepower and 255 pound-feet) or an optional turbocharged 2.3-litre fourcylinder (280 horsepower and 310 pound-feet).
Along with smooth and quiet power delivery, the well-behaved twin-turbo V-6 won’t put too big a dent in your fuel bill. The official combined city/highway number of 13.0 l/100 km is slightly worse than the base V-6’s rating, and 1.6 l/100 km higher than the four-cylinder’s. Trailering up to 2,270 kilograms will definitely increase fuel consumption, however.
Regardless of engine choice, a six-speed automatic transmission handles the shifting duties.
The Explorer’s all-wheel-drive hardware — standard in the Sport — comes with drivercontrolled settings for Normal, Mud/Ruts, Sand, and Snow/Grass/Gravel. Each setting optimizes the engine, transmission and traction control for the conditions.
Once behind the wheel, you’re reminded of the Explorer’s size. Yet, the big Ford doesn’t feel particularly unwieldy once you raise the seat to a point where you’re looking down along the hood. It also helps that the windshield pillars are positioned in such a way as to provide a wide field of vision. That’s important since it makes the Sport easier to manoeuvre in traffic and into and out of tight parking spaces.
On the highway, the 2,275-kilogram Sport’s engine loafs along at low rpms and the cabin is quiet, with minimal wind and road noise. Given its size, there’s some crosswind pushing to contend with, but nothing too annoying.
The base Explorer lists for $36,700 (including destination charges) in Canada, but the Sport inflates this to $56,000. Options include a twin-panel moonroof, hands-free liftgate, built-in dualheadrest DVD entertainment system, heated-and-cooled front seats plus active-safety technology (emergency braking, forward-collision warning and active cruise control).
With or without the extras, the Explorer Sport’s good looks, spacious cabin and a powertrain that loves to run, are hard-to-ignore attributes.