A legend in its own land

The Ford Explorer has conquered the world - so say the Americans, writes motoring editor ALASTAIR SLOANE.

America has a whole bunch of self-proclaimed world championships. That pretty much nobody outside of America competes in them doesn't matter. That's just the way it is. America rules.

If it wants to set up a world championship in ear wax accumulation, with five hillbillies from Hogtie, Hicksville competing for the title, it will.

If it wants to stage a world championship in gumboot throwing, it will. That the championship mark might be a footy paddock short of the average New Zealand cow-cocky's effort won't even come into it.

The Ford Explorer is a world champion - America said so. Again, it doesn't matter that Americans buy nearly all of them and that Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Land-Rover outsell the Explorer elsewhere in the world. Last year in New Zealand, for example, Toyota sold 601 Prados to Ford's 399 Explorers.

That doesn't count in Detroit's big picture. All that matters is that more people buy Explorers than any other four-wheel-drive. The statistic sounds good, too. Nigel Harris, the managing director of Ford New Zealand, liked the sound of it at the launch of the new Explorer the other day.

"The Ford Explorer is the most popular sports utility vehicle in the world," he said. "More than 3.6 million have been sold since its launch in 1990 and the new Ford Explorer is already proving to be one of the most popular vehicles on sale in America." There's that word again.

"In June of this year, Explorer set an all-time sales record in the US when 42,833 customers took delivery of the new model. Ford Explorer's share of the mid-size sport utility segment has also increased every month since the introduction of the new model."

Harris is right. The revamped Explorer has been selling well, but at the expense of other Ford models. There were fears that American sales would suffer because of the Explorer's reputation as a troubled vehicle prone to rollover crashes, which Ford contends were mostly because of Firestone tyres.

Ford even admitted it redesigned the Explorer to solve the rollover problem. But neither this nor early recalls for faulty components have hurt sales. Ford's most profitable make continues to populate American car parks.

The vehicle has had its critics, though. "The front-suspension update was supposed to solve complaints about numb and twitchy steering, but it hasn't," wrote one.

"Owners who rave about the Explorer's handling have never driven a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and those who like its ride have never ridden in a Nissan Pathfinder," said another.

Most, however, agree the 2002 model is a vast improvement over the outgoing Explorer, inside and out. The engines and four-wheel-drive "Control Trac" system are improved. It is easier to get in and out of, it has a longer wheelbase and a wider track for more stability, its reworked front and rear suspension give a better ride, and it is not as agricultural or noisy, thanks to a substantially stiffer body shell, and it has an increased towing capacity.

Ford says the switch up front from torsion bar springs to coil-over shocks allows for greater flexibility in ride tuning.

Torsion bars prevented the lower suspension arms from absorbing any impact harshness under loads. They were also harder to tune for ride-height management.

The new setup helps to give the Explorer a tighter turning circle and contributes to an 85 per cent reduction in scrub radius, the tendency for the vehicle to want to creep forward against the direction of the front wheels, an irritating aspect of the outgoing model. This reduction alone should improve steering effort and feel.

The switch from a solid axle setup to independent rear suspension not only helps improve handling, but allowed Ford to put in a third row of seats. Floorpans are set higher to accommodate solid axles. The independent design allows for a lower floor, meaning increased headroom.

Three Explorer XLT and Limited petrol models will be available in New Zealand, two powered by a 4-litre V6 engine and the third by a 4.6-litre V8. Each engine is mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission.

The V6 develops 157kW at 5100 rpm and 325Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. The V8 produces 178kW at 4750 rpm and 386Nm at 4000 rpm.

Safety equipment includes dual front and side airbags and ABS anti-lock brakes. The XLT with cloth-covered seats costs $67,900. The leather-lined XLT costs $69,900. The V8 Limited costs $75,400.

The success of the Explorer is vital to Ford. Its president Jacques Nasser, bang in the middle of legal battles with Firestone over the previous model, is setting new goals. At the top of his list is an improvement in customer satisfaction. In some markets, only four out of 10 Ford owners say they are truly happy with their vehicles. Nasser wants that to improve. Explorer buyers in America are leading the way.