2012 Ford Explorer. Reengineered from bottom to top and revealed last summer, Ford Explorer enters the 2012 model year with an expanded color palette and is the first Ford model in North America to offer an all-new Ford EcoBoost™ four-cylinder engine delivering class-leading fuel economy and responsive performance.

New Ford Explorer exterior colors for 2012 include Ginger Ale Metallic, Dark Blue Pearl Metallic, Cinnamon Metallic and Black.
In addition to its clean, modern exterior design, the Ford Explorer aims to please SUV shoppers with a thoughtful, flexible interior package that abounds with clever storage solutions and generous head and shoulder room, three rows of flexible seating, and room for all the gear families invariably take along on their adventures.

Ford Explorer design – inside and out – is executed with world-class craftsmanship. Tight margin gaps are indications of the painstaking attention to detail applied across the spectrum, from design through engineering and manufacturing.
Quietness – another significant advancement in the reinvented Explorer – also signals quality to customers. Ford Explorer is superior to in-segment competitors and rivals premium SUVs for overall quietness and NVH control.

The Ford Explorer redefines customer expectations for driving dynamics and comfort – on any road, anytime, anywhere – while stretching the breadth of SUV capability.

Ford Explorer V6 models are also available with an intelligent 4WD system that adds terrain management. Selectable to match driving conditions, this advancement takes the guesswork out of 4WD range choice.

A driver need only turn the console-mounted knob to the proper setting for snow, sand, mud or normal mode. In addition, the system includes hill descent mode. Simple and convenient for SUV veterans, the system will be a confidence builder for newer drivers.

Driven by the commitment to give customers unsurpassed fuel efficiency with each newly launching vehicle, Ford has sweated the details to further increase Explorer fuel economy:
• Twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT)
• EcoBoost engine availability
• Six-speed automatic transmissions for optimized gearing
• Electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) to eliminate power drag
• Variable-displacement air-conditioning compressor to reduce drag
• Slippery aerodynamics with harmonized front air dam and rear liftgate spoiler

For the buyer placing top priority on fuel economy, the 2012 Ford Explorer offers a new and advanced 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine – delivering the power of a normally aspirated V6 without compromise to its four-cylinder fuel economy. This direct-injected, turbocharged and intercooled engine delivers an anticipated 237 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and develops 250 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,700 through 4,000 rpm and expected to deliver best-in-class fuel economy.

Explorer’s standard engine is a 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6 delivering 290 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. Ti-VCT allows individually optimized camshaft timing of valve opening and closing events to improve fuel efficiency while delivering increased power and reducing part-throttle emissions. Mated to Ford’s six-speed SelectShift Automatic™ transmission, this powerful, flexible and efficient V6 delivers up to a best-in-class EPA-rated 25 mpg on the highway.

Named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Ford Explorer brings a stiff unibody structure and a class-leading suite of active and passive safety features and technologies, plus another Ford safety innovation – the world’s first second-row inflatable rear belts.

Rear seat passengers – often children or mature passengers – can be more vulnerable to head, chest and neck injuries. Ford’s unique inflatable rear belts spread impact forces across more than five times the area of conventional seat belts, reducing pressure on the chest while helping to control head and neck motion.

From the boron front bumper beam through high-strength steel side-impact tubes, Explorer’s rigid body structure is designed to provide robust protection for occupants. In the instance of a crash, these elements come together to protect Explorer driver and passengers inside a safety cage of strength.