American Alternative
Newcastle Herald
Wednesday April 21, 2004
GENERALLY speaking, the success of American-sourced four-wheel-drives in Australia has not exactly been the stuff of automotive legend.
GM's (nee Holden) Suburban tried and failed, Jeep came, went and came back again and Ford had a couple of goes, first with the Bronco and then with Explorer.
Why did the market put them on the outer?
Maybe it was because the Japanese did the job better or maybe it was because the American ideal was simply not to the taste of Australian four-wheel-drivers.
This week we look at the Ford Explorer, launched here in late 1996 as an alternative to the fare from Nissan, Mitsubishi and Toyota.
TYPE/MODELS: Type? Well, just one really, a biggish four-door station wagon.
Models? A different story with Ford bringing Explorer to market in three trim levels starting with the base model XL and finishing with the upmarket Limited with XLT making-up the mid-range.
ENGINES/TRANSMISSIONS: Interestingly, Ford had two fuel-injected 4.0-litre V6 engines available for Explorer and one was quite different to the other.
The first had a 3997cc capacity, overhead valves, 119kilowatts at 4200rpm and 305newton metres of torque at 2800rpm.
The second had a 4011cc capacity, single overhead camshafts for each bank of cylinders, 153kilowatts at 5250rpm and 339newton metres at 3000rpm.
Transmission choices were a five-speed manual and a five-speed automatic, Ford teaming the manual with the low-output engine on XL and XLT while the auto went with the more powerful motor.
For the Limited, the higher power engine and auto box combo was the only choice.
There was a two-speed transfer case and permanent four-wheel-drive with three control modes, 4WD Auto, 4WD High and 4WD Low.
STYLING: No points for guessing that Explorer was pretty much your standard ``straight lines and 90-degree angles" four-wheel-drive wagon but it did exhibit what might be termed an ``American" influence.
The wide-mouthed grille between compact head and combination lights, tall windows to give the car an open, airy look and wheel arch flares joined by side skirts giving the look of side steps (Limited did actually get side steps) made Explorer a bit of a stand-out in the four-wheel-drive crowd.
INTERIOR: Some thought the interior a bit soft for a burly offroader, others thought it a very habitable place and fitting for what might be termed a ``cross roader".
Regardless, no one could argue the comfort levels or the standard equipment list.
The seats were big and comfortable, the instrument panel had logic to its design and while the big central pod for audio and air-conditioning controls looked confusing it was anything but.
Standard equipment on the base XL included power steering, cloth seat trim, dual front airbags, air-conditioning, a four-speaker AM/FM/cassette audio, 60/40 split/fold rear seat, two-stage tailgate (the window could be opened independently of the door), a rear cargo blind and cup holders.
The mid-range XLT added central locking, a leatherbound steering wheel, power-operated driver's seat, power mirrors and windows and a sunroof.
The Limited? Try ``all of the above" plus automatic air-con, a six-stack CD player, leather seat trim and traction control.
ADDITIONS: Limited and XLT had standard alloy wheels, all models had limited slip differentials and driving lights. Limited had roof rails and automatic ride height control with three different settings.
CHASSIS: The V6 engine was mounted longitudinally with the gearbox and transfer case behind and drive to all four wheels.
Braking was by four-wheel discs with ABS, steering was power-assisted rack and pinion and the suspension arrangement used independent wishbones and a stabiliser bar up front with semi-elliptic leaf springs and telescopic dampers locating the rigid rear axle.
DIMENSIONS: Explorer was 4788mm long, 1717mm high, 1874mm wide, had a 2832mm wheelbase and front and rear tracks measuring 1494mm and 1486mm respectively. Fuel tank capacity was 80litres.
HISTORY: Explorer made its local debut in October 1996 six years after going on sale in the United States.
A November 1997 upgrade (effectively the 1998 model) brought darker-tinted glass, a restyled tailgate, a centrally mounted numberplate housing and a restyled rear bumper.
The original Explorer was effectively discontinued in May 1999, replaced by the revamped UP model.
VERDICT: Explorer was done no favours by a high profile US court case in which Ford and its tyre supplier Bridgestone were sued over a number of fatalities caused by rollover crashes.
Similar incidents were not generally recorded here but there have been some mutterings about Explorer's high-speed handling.
The car is not a truly serious offroader but it does have reasonable ability in the scrub and can be very enjoyable for a weekend outing.
PRICES: For the start-up XL model think about $14,000 to $16,000 for a 1996, $17,000 to $20,000 for 1997 and 1998 examples and up to $21,000 for a 1999.
XLT? Try $16,000 to $18,000 for a '96, $18,000 to $20,000 for a 1997 model, up to $22,000 for a 1998 and around $23,000 for a '99.
If you want the bells and whistles Limited be prepared to find $19,000 to $21,000 for a 1996, $22,000 to $24,000 for a 1997, between $24,000 and $26,000 for a 1998 model and up to $28,000 for a 1999 car.
ALSO CONSIDER: Holden Jackaroo, Jeep Cherokee, Land Rover Discovery, Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Prado.
© 2004 Newcastle Herald