I wonder what Henry Ford would have to say about it, but we blue-blooded Americans keep getting hosed by the blue oval. Our most recent kick to the shins is the Ford Everest we will never see. Built to service off-road driving fun-havers in China, Australia, New Zealand, probably all of Europe, maybe Mauritius just because, it will not be offered here on home soil. So why should we care? Because it looks cool, and we’re tired of the Explorer.
Not only does it look great, it has a solid rear axle, locking transfer case with a low range, and all the whiz-bang tech features commonly found on Land Rovers and Land Cruisers. The Terrain Management System has settings for street, sand, and snow, as well as throttle responses paired to torque vectoring and of course hill control and even an electric locking rear diff. I could go on, but it’s too depressing. Okay, I’ll go on anyway.
Fitted with the same 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo-assisted four-cylinder used in the Ford Fusion, it will also be made available with a 3.2-liter five-cylinder turbo diesel. The diesel will be offered with a real six-speed manual transmission or the current six-speed automatic transmission used in the F-150 truck. At roughly the size of the Explorer, it is a good size for proper off-road pursuits. It even appears to have good approach and departure angles. Too bad we won’t be able to have one. Way to go, Ford.
