Ford launches twin-turbo Explorer Sport SUV

Explorer Sport rides on 20-inch machined aluminum wheels, and the big 3-bar grille up front.

MANILA, Philippines–Ford Philippines has just made the premium SUV market more exciting with its introduction of the Explorer Sport. Explorer Sport is the high-performance variant of the popular seven-seat SUV, featuring a twin-turbo version of the 3.5-liter V6.

With direct injection and a 10.0:1 compression ratio, the all-aluminum engine produces 360 horsepower and a healthy 474 Newton-meters of torque.

Explorer Sport rides on 20-inch machined aluminum wheels, and the big three-bar grille up front.

To deal with the new level of power, Explorer Sport features a stiffer chassis with sport-tuned springs, suspension and electric power steering. It has larger brakes and (finally) steering-wheel-mounted paddle-shift six-speed automatic.

Another exciting feature of the Explorer Sport SUV are its pedals that are power adjustable for better driving ergonomics.

The four-wheel drive system features Terrain Management, with settings for sand, snow, rutted mud and hill descent.

Explorer Sport comes with Trailer Tow Package Class III, meaning a maximum loaded trailer weight of 2273 kilograms.

The interior highlight is the MyFord Touch with Sync entertainment system. It’s comprised of headrest-mounted DVD monitors, two 4.2-inch LCD screens on the instrument panel, 8-inch touchscreen LCD in the center stack, two USB ports, SD card reader, and Sony Premium Audio system with 12 speakers.

The third row is power folding. Seats are trimmed in two-tone charcoal black with sienna inserts.

Active safety features include adaptive cruise control, collision warning with brake support, blind spot warning system, and inflatable rear seatbelts.

“The Ford Explorer is one of our flagship vehicles in the Philippines and the Explorer Sport further raises the bar in the premium midsize SUV segment. We’re confident its new features, technologies and enhancements will create even stronger appeal for customers in this segment,” said Kay Hart, managing director of Ford Philippines.

The Explorer Sport EcoBoost will be at dealerships nationwide by November, and is available in tuxedo black, white platinum and magnetic metallic. Bang for the buck is excellent, at P2.799 million.