The new Ford Explorer elevates the importance of SUV fit-and-finish, not just for North American customers but on a global stage. Ford Explorer is the most exported North American nameplate in the Ford brand portfolio. To that end, the 2011 Explorer was designed and developed to exceed not only North American standards, but global standards for the execution of interior surfaces and the absence of protruding edges.
Meeting these global standards called for tighter surface margin gaps and tolerances, equal to or better than Audi. While this presented some challenges for the interior design team, it also served to underpin the advance in Ford Explorer interior craftsmanship and quality.
A global internal Ford craftsmanship and quality process was instituted with Ford Explorer development, providing metrics and benchmarks to include better quality materials, with enhanced focus on how well interior and exterior parts come together.
Taken to new heights
As part of Ford's global product development system, Ford Explorer was subject to extreme testing while still in the virtual computer-aided design phase. Issues identified and addressed in the virtual realm help deliver a higher quality vehicle when prototype build begins. Then these running prototypes are tested and validated to ensure that the attributes targeted at the outset are delivered for customers.
The Ford Explorer vehicle engineering team took prototypes over Colorado's 13,114-foot Imogene Pass, buried them in deep sand in the California desert, carved through snow in Minnesota and Northern Michigan, traversed a slippery red clay mud bog in Alabama, and logged countless development and validation miles at both Arizona and Michigan proving grounds.
The goal: Deliver a durable, high-quality, fully capable and fuel-efficient SUV for today's customers in more than 90 countries around the world.
As part of Ford's global product development system, Ford Explorer was subject to extreme testing while still in the virtual computer-aided design phase. Issues identified and addressed in the virtual realm help deliver a higher quality vehicle when prototype build begins. Then these running prototypes are tested and validated to ensure that the attributes targeted at the outset are delivered for customers.
The Ford Explorer vehicle engineering team took prototypes over Colorado's 13,114-foot Imogene Pass, buried them in deep sand in the California desert, carved through snow in Minnesota and Northern Michigan, traversed a slippery red clay mud bog in Alabama, and logged countless development and validation miles at both Arizona and Michigan proving grounds.
The goal: Deliver a durable, high-quality, fully capable and fuel-efficient SUV for today's customers in more than 90 countries around the world.