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AUTO REVIEW
2017 Ford Explorer
By Steve Schutz, MD
In 2008 Ford sold Jaguar Land Rover to light shapes. Sure, there’s a lot that’s Ford Improving fuel efficiency means, more
Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate, for and not at all Range Rover, but there’s than anything, cutting weight, while en-
just over $2 Billion. Unbeknownst to indus- enough of a resemblance that your very own hancing safety mostly means increasing size.
try observers at the time the company was humble automotive observer is reminded of Doing both is not easy, as you’d expect, but
sold, Land Rover was developing three all the ‘90s song, “Things that make you go Ford did it successfully in the new Explorer
new products: the Range Rover Evoque Hmmm.” Given recent public criticism of by making a host of changes that are illus-
(2012), the redesigned Range Rover (2013), the new Lincoln Continental’s styling by a trative of how automakers the world over
and the all-new Range Rover Sport (2014), Bentley designer, I’d be surprised if Gerry have been able to produce vehicles that are
all of which have been hailed for their gor- McGovern and other members of the Range more efficient and yet also safer. Most of
geous styling. Rover design team haven’t made any number those changes are boring and not worth our
of snarky comments over the years about the time here, but a few are worth mentioning:
It’s worth noting that, while those beauti- Explorer to their compatriots at Ford. 1) Increase the use of lightweight materials
ful Range Rover designs were unknown to such as aluminum and magnesium, 2) drop
industry observers, they were certainly Whatever, the Ford Explorer is undeni- body-on-frame construction and substitute
known to Ford, which apparently, Ummm, ably attractive and certainly a departure a (lighter) unibody structure, 3) make vehi-
borrowed numerous styling elements from from the previous models, which had cles longer and wider, to maximize crumple
their former partners for use in their Ex- changed remarkably little since the original zones, and 4) move seats inboard, as far from
plorer SUV. While Ford passed on the Explorer’s momentous debut in 1991. the doors as possible, to keep intruding ve-
Range Rover’s formal upright greenhouse, Many of the changes that came with a com- hicles away from passengers.
they gladly cribbed its clamshell hood, chin- plete redesign in 2011 reflect the twin
forward front end, block lettered name in all modern realities of increasing fuel economy Anyway, the new Ford Explorer, after
caps just above the grille, and head- and tail- and safety standards. moving in a distinctly modern direction in
40 San Antonio Medicine • February 2017
