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2016 Ford Explorer First Drive [w/video]

I was still young and impressionable when Jurassic Park hit the big screen, and that movie forever imprinted the Ford Explorer in my mind. You remember the scene, but I'll describe it anyway: It's dark, raining and there's no power. The off-screen footsteps of a tyrannosaurus send shockwaves through the standing water in a plastic cup and the rain-soaked muddy roads. Seconds later, the toothy end of the movie's biggest predator crushes through the roof of a highligher-green-and-yellow Ford Explorer, causing all manner of mayhem to the SUV's occupants inside. It's not lost on me that the Ford Explorer used in the movie is, in reality, a dinosaur itself. When the seminal Explorer hit the scene in 1991 it was based on the guts of the Ranger pickup truck, which was no spring chicken itself. Ford's first real foray into the then-burgeoning SUV marketplace was meant to compete against vehicles like the Jeep Cherokee and Chevy Blazer, along with Japanese models such as the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner. In those early days, none of these vehicles were sold based on the merits of their car-like ride and handling or superior fuel economy. Nowadays, the discerning car shopper wants the looks of an off-road-ready SUV, but the inherent compromises and need for any serious rock-crawling capability faded away years ago. The current Ford Explorer is a prime example of this successful visual hypocrisy, with its SUV-like styling listed as the number-one reason for buying on customer surveys. SUV-like styling is one thing, SUV-like guts are another. In 2011 the Explorer went from its traditional truck-based chassis to Ford's D4 platform, based loosely on the Taurus and shared with the Flex. As with the rest of the unibody crossover world, that means the current Explorer offers an excellent ride, the higher seating position that buyers want, and a useful third row for growing families. None of that inherent family-car goodness goes away for 2016. With class-leading sales already in the bag, Ford hopes its latest Explorer will attract new buyers due to the availability of a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine and an upper-crust Platinum trim level. Based on some time sitting inside and inspecting the high-content Platinum model (albeit without a drive in this trim level) I believe Ford's claim that this is most luxurious vehicle ever to wear a Blue Oval. Only not all its ovals inside are blue.

Ford Ka Concept shown in Brazil, could enter production by 2014

The Ford Ka (pronounce it like a Bostonian saying "car") is the Blue Oval's sub-Fiesta offering in a number of markets that aren't North America. It's been a staple in Europe since it launched in 1996 and in South America since 1997, where it's enjoyed quite a bit of popularity as an affordable, efficient city car.
The European and South American models grew apart over the years, until Europe ended up with a Fiesta-inspired car and Brazil retained a more evolved version of the original Ka's styling. With this Ka Concept, which is really a concept in name only, Ford is previewing a Ka not just for the European market, but as the brand's new, global small car. With city car sales expected to grow dramatically in coming years and the ever increasing price of fuel, Ford's move to get a new, competitive car into the market on a global level isn't surprising.
Wearing Ford's new, familial grille, the Ka Concept features the same crisp, sculpted sheetmetal that's adorned the Fusion and Fiesta. Developed in-house by Ford Brazil, a production version could launch by 2014, according to Ford's press release. It's unclear what engines will sit under this car's hood, although we'd bet the 1.0-liter, EcoBoost three-cylinder from the Fiesta will be available at some point.

Ford recalls 591,177 vehicles in four separate campaigns

Ford is issuing recalls for a total of 591,177 vehicles worldwide, in four separate campaigns. The announcement comes just days after the discovery of door-latch problems in 390,000 of the automaker's cars. The largest of these new recalls covers 518,313 examples of the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ from the 2013-2015 model years, plus the 2015 Edge. Of these, 487,301 of are in the US and 31,012 are in Canada. For vehicles in cold-weather areas, the bolts that hold the steering gear motor can corrode and fracture. If this happens, it could cause the power steering to fail, but manual control would be retained. There are no reported accidents or injuries from this problem. To fix things, dealers will replace the bolts and seal them. The next campaign covers 50,157 examples of the 2014 Focus, Edge, Escape, and Transit Connect, plus the Fiesta from 2014 and 2015. Of these, 45,505 are in the US, 4,618 in Canada, and 34 in Mexico. All of them exhibit a problem with the fuel pump where the nickel plating can cause the part to seize and the engine to stall, if this occurs. (All of which sounds like recent problems with Nissan and BMW models.) According to Ford, there is one allegation of an accident from this problem. Dealers will replace the fuel delivery module to fix the problem. Ford is also recalling 22,616 units of the 2015 Lincoln MKZ because when the headlights are on, the parking lamps are brighter than they are allowed to be. The light could affect the vision of other drivers. This campaign includes 21,435 of them in the US, 1,066 in Canada and 115 in Mexico. There are no accidents or injuries from the issue, but Ford is updating the software to dim the lights on these sedans. Finally, Ford has a safety campaign for 91 examples of the 2015 F-150 because an underbody heat shield might not be properly installed or not present at all, which can be a fire risk. There are no reports of any actual accidents or fires, though. The affected pickups will have the parts replaced or added, as necessary after a dealer inspection. To see the specific build dates for the models affected by each of these campaigns, you can read about them in the press release below. Related Video: FORD ISSUES FOUR SAFETY RECALLS IN NORTH AMERICA Ford Motor Company is issuing four safety recalls in North America. One accident and no injuries are attributed to these conditions.