Should Ford Have Endeavored for a Diesel in the Explorer?
This year, we got an all-new version of the country’s most popular SUV, the Ford Explorer. Elsewhere in the world, a similar SUV was launched, called the Endeavour or Everest, and while it shares many of the great features of our Explorer, it gets the 3.2L diesel engine.
In the United States, the Explorer’s biggest engine option is a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 making 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. The 3.2L Duratorq 5 banger makes 190 horsepower and 470Nm of torque. For us in America, that’s about 347 lb-ft.
While the Sport and Platinum versions of the explorer will surely be faster than the Endeavour, having nearly the same amount of torque should result in similar towing capacities between the two SUVs. Additionally, the 5-cylinder diesel should be more fuel efficient than the turbo V6.
We think the new Endeavour is a sharp looking SUV, though one member on staff suggested that it looks a bit like a modern Dodge Durango from the front. I have to admit, I can see the resemblance.
As for technology, the Endeavour has many of the features that make the Explorer great, including a terrain response system for when the going gets tough.
We’ll be spending some quality time in the 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum here in a few weeks, and we’ll give you a full report on how that EcoBoost V6 performs in the big SUV, but until then we can’t help but long for a diesel option here in the United States.
What do you think? Let us know over in the forums!
via [NDTV Auto]
