2016 Ford Explorer has an Available Platinum Package and a New Engine Option

Since 1990, Ford has sold more than 7 million Explorers in the United States. If you have one of them and are thinking about getting a newer one, you don’t have much longer to wait until the 2016 models hit your local dealer’s lot. The base, XLT, Limited, and Sport versions go on sale in early summer; the Platinum Explorers will come out later in the season.

That newest trim line will be distinguished by a variety of features, including:

-An all-new 500-watt Sony Audio System with Live Acoustics, which replicates the sound dynamics of world-class concert halls, and Clear Phase technology, which delivers precisely pinpointed, dispersion-free audio to vehicle occupants

-A standard, dual-panel moonroof

-Two-tone 20-inch wheels

-An interior that, according to Ford, “incorporates brushed-aluminum and satin-finished ash wood in multi-piece appliqués on door panels and the instrument panel. The wood-trimmed, leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel includes unique stitching that matches the stitching used throughout the interior”

-An instrument panel, console armrests, quilted door bolsters, and upper door trim wrapped in Nirvana leather

-Enhanced active park assist with perpendicular park assist, semi-automatic parallel parking, and park-out assist. That last aid will help drivers pull out of parallel parking spots by controlling the steering wheel as the driver works the gas and brake pedals and shifter

-A 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with 365 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque that’s mated to a six-speed SelectShift automatic. (The Explorer Sport uses the same pairing)

Ford’s 290-horsepower/255-lb.-ft. naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 will be standard in base, XLT, and Limited Explorers. Rounding out the engine selection for 2016 will be a 2.3-liter EcoBoost I4. Under the hood of the 2016 Explorer (it’ll be available in the base, XLT, and Limited models), it’ll develop 280 horsepower and 310 lb.-ft. of torque. Both figures are up by 40 compared to the numbers for the outgoing 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder. Ford states, “highway passing time – from 55 mph to 75 mph – improves by 10 percent.”

A front-wheel-drive Explorer with the new four-cylinder EcoBoost engine will be able to cover 28 highway mpg. Customers will have the option of getting that power plant in a four-wheel-drive Explorer with a five-mode Terrain Management System and an optional tow package.

New options available on 2016 Explorers include:

-Front and rear cameras with wide-angle lenses and washers

-Smart-charging USB ports that can recharge the batteries of smart devices up to two times faster than regular USB ports

-A kick-activated, hands-free rear liftgate

Inflatable rear safety belts, automatic high-beams, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support are some of the available carryover features.

All 2016 Explorers will benefit from revised styling, LED low-beams, better handling, a stiffer front end, and a quieter cabin. Sport models will get unique steering gear, struts, front and rear springs, and rear dampers.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

via [Ford]

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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