Ford Explorer 2011-2012 goes on sale in UAE
The all-new 2012 Ford Explorer, technically a 2011 model, is now on sale in the UAE. The dealers have been quietly taking orders for the new crossover since some time now. And we are probably among the first media people in the UAE to take an unofficial look at it in the showroom.
What we saw appeared to be the top-spec ‘Limited’ trim. Interior seems to be a massive improvement from the previous Explorers, with soft touch materials in most areas except the lower dash panel and centre console. The 7-seater mid-sizer is spacious with generous amounts of legroom and headroom even in the third row. The seats, door paddings, front-row centre armrest, gear-shifter knob and steering wheel are all leather-padded. There are fancy LCD colour displays on the gauge cluster, showing various information. The center dash feature touch-sensitive controls for the audio unit and dual-zone a/c. Seats are comfortable, and the second and third-row seats can be flat-folded to reveal enormous luggage space.
The new Explorer shall be powered by a 3.5-litre V6 Duratec engine featuring twin independent variable camshaft timing and punching out 283 hp and 341 Nm of torque. A Terrain Management System lifted straight from the Land Rovers, takes care of the off-road requirements, though lack of low-range gearing makes it no better than a sophisticated soft-roader. Other features include Sony Audio system with full set of connectivity ranging from USB ports to SD card readers to audio/video input jacks, Ford SYNC, MyFord Touch multimedia system with satellite navigation, Intelligent key with push-button start, ambient lighting, rearview camera, automatic HID headlamps with self-levelling, LED tail lamps, rain sensing wipers, roof rails, AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control and Curve Control, front-side-curtain airbags, Traction control, Hill start assist, power liftgate, power flat-folding third-row seats, power front seats with heating and cooling, and more.
Ford seems to have done a lot of homework through extensive hot-weather testing on the streets and deserts of Dubai, before deciding to launch the Explorer in the UAE and GCC. What the crossover ‘truck’ is capable of, remains to be seen.
Base price for the 2011-2012 Explorer starts at Dhs 119,500. While a couple of mid-option variants are present with tags of Dhs 135,000 and Dhs 165,000, prices for the top-spec model cuts at a massive Dhs 175,000. The model shall go on display by the first week of August, although we hear the first batch is already sold out.
Keep track of updates in the Ford Explorer buyer guide.
Comments
Rahul Jones
Next thursday 28th, there is an event organized by Ford Middle East in Dubai Autodrome which introduces all their latest models. I might be going for that.
vivek
is it public?
ROJ
I am attending, i signed up for it on facebook… I guess its 1st come 1st serve basis?
Sree Jp.
I’m in too.. So we’ll have mini DA meet there i suppose.. 😀
Rahul Jones
So this is what FORD MIDDLE EAST says in facebook.
“Hey guys! Ford is having a fun event at the Autodrome where you will get to check out the latest Ford line-up, including the much awaited all-new Ford Explorer, Ford Edge, Taurus, Fusion, Flex, and of course, the Mustang!
Come on down and get to drive all the cars you want. Should you have the will to be a bit adventurous, there will also be some fun competitive activities at the Autodrome! And, guess what, you can bring your family and friends if you like as there is something there for everyone: finger food, games, and loads of other family friendly activities Be there! Get your friends and family, and make it a memorable day. RSVP here now!
Also, if you want a sneak preview of some of the cars, we have a stand at Mall of the Emirates. Come find us and register there if you prefer!”
Rahul Jones
@ Sree- So, Pick me up….. 😀
vivek
me too goin thre..
Rahul Jones
Its a 3 days event starting from 28th thursday till 30th saturday. I wish we could all go together it would be much fun.
Fazl
It’s a piece of art.. ford is going miles ahead then others day by day..just look at to their fleet on current years…solid build quality, excellent warranty, maintenance & service which mean 0 running cost. great handling, fuel efficiency with much lower price then others..
definitely Ford and Hyundai/kia are the game changers…
Samer
it is good exceot 2 things, pricing (175k) for top model is way too much, and the second is the MyTouch-Sync system which faced huge criticism in the US and made the car scores come really low as many problems were reported for this system like (reseting itself, screen sudden black outs to name many). even Ford itself announced they are revising the system (Still). but in general it is a good leap forward
vivek
the mytouch-sync comes only on the top model i guess..the lower ones have traditional buttons :)….and anyway, the top model wont sell many for 175k!
Musa
Ford is ahead of GM.Chrysler when it comes to build quality and also price, at least in UAE. The Edge is very popular in Dubai and I guess the new Explorer will follow it in popularity , its cheaper than the much smaller and ridiculously overpriced Murano.
Ravi Mansinghani
Love the new Explorer !!
snapneck
Looks like it gets the same powerplant as the Edge, thought they would offer a bigger engine. A really long crossover, seems kinda pointless imo.
They’ve ironed out a lot of issues with Ford Sync now btw, there have been a few upgrades (still need to get those applied in my Edge) but I haven’t seen it crash ever.
Musa
I dont thinks its pointless, Edge targetted the soccer moms and 4 member families. The explorer targets 2+3 or 2+4 families.
The old Explorer had to compete with Pajero/Prado/Pathfinder, and still did quite well. The newer Explorer has no real strong competitors (Crossover with seating for 7) unless you consider the GMC Acadia/ Traverse or CX9, all of which look more bloated that this one and are not actually that popular
carfreak
all ok..issues begin after the free service(60k) mark…my friend just shelled out aed4k to fix the vapouriser as the ac wasn’t cooling.year 08 model.Otherwise decent SUV.
AbdelAziz
What I liked:
The car looks better than the old design!
What I disliked:
I have this feeling that this car will look old after a couple of months of seeing it! especially the indicator lights.. if they were leds or something like that it will last longer! (I mean, some cars remain their beauty shape for decades… but this one will look old quickly… I hope you got what I meant)
What I believe now, all the cars must use a new technology for the lights like the new bmw 7-series(front and rear lights) or Audi’s front lights… something that will make the car shine for years)
I should be working as car designer man 😛
Cheers 😀
Nittin
Do you happen to have any information on the Audi A7? seen a lot of those around, would like some info!
marwan
175K for top model? way too expensive…I don’t know why cameras and navis cost here tens of thousands more in a vehicle where they cost in the US it costs 1000-2000$ max? another few years these options will be standard in most cars
Vimoj
Somehow i feel 120k for base model itself is a little too much. 2010 model used to be available for a 100k and i think it went just below that too. Ford explorer users were mainly the above average economy working class people, and with the new price i think they cross that level, and unless the arab folks dig into the new explorer, i dont see the sales being as good as it was. And honestly Explorer is not a type of car that impresses the arabs. A durango, may be but a explorer no way.
ROJ
Most people here buy 4x4s as a luxury anyways.. So i dont think it matters much over here..
3rd world mentality dictates that if you get blessed with a good amount of money (some job with good salary) then you must buy fancy stuff (car,phone) to look rich even if you get broke. To prove for everyone that you are something now..
And the problem with a lot of working class indviduals here is they like to look rich more than be rich..
Posion
I liked the old model. an understated SUV, with no badge. This is looks like a bad copy of a range roonie 😛
Rodney Valentine
With all the hype it is surprising that FORD M.E and AL TAYER showroom personell do not know what extra features each model has. Try calling them and all you hear is that they have not yet received the specs. Why then all the launch hype if no one knows the model specs??
Ciprian
Oh well… as much as i love the FORD fleet (though hate Al tayer from deep within my core) i must say 3 things:
1. Ford!! Why do u have to steal from the Ford Taurus X USA to build a “new” Explorer?
2. is it me, or the weels look terribly small for the whole picture?
3. What’s up with the price?? You messed up all FORD Concept as cheap brilliant cars.
damn!! So i will be amongst the ppl who will move to coreean and japanese? i sure would hate myself for that.
Chris Line
I recently went to the Ford showroom in Dubai Al Tayer to enquire about the new Ford Explorer and was surprised to find out the the Navigation System in these new models does not work in the UAE. The salesman told me that the software is uncomfortable. I know its not a huge thing. You can always buy a standalone system and stick it to the windscreen, but I for one think that if I am paying full price for a brand new top of the range model, to take delivery knowing that I have paid for features that ‘don’t work’ doesn’t appeal to me. It’s such a shame, because it ticks all the other boxes.
Chris Line
LOL, sorry typo. The software, I was told is incompatible not uncomfortable!
Ambreen
Very much interested in buying explorer 2012, but few concerns in the reviews I came across r really confusing me a lot………
1. MFT issues, particularly when there are no manual buttons provided
2. AC performance for explorer GCC/UAE spec
3. I don’t have any off road requirements like sand dune bashing etc. do I still need to go for 4WD or FWD will be enough. Is FWD is more comfortable than 4WD
4. Which color scheme is in great demand
Appreciate for reply and thanks in advance………..I am about to finalize my decision to buy ford explorer 2012..have come across some reviews about AC n fan problems. ..would appreciate if someone can share his experience of ac or fan problems in peak summers or any suggestion u want to give.
Ironman
Go for 4WD and White color.. will fetch you a better resale
Ambreen
thanks for the quick reply..would appreciate if u can reply regarding AC n MFT issues too..
Ironman
Yep, there are MFT issues reported on the Fords that have it on some websites (I cant personally comment on it coz ive never experienced it) and Ive heard of some complaining of the cooling capacity of ACs on the Ford Fiesta in particular but no complaints on the Explorer.
Ambreen
Whenever I reveal my intention of buying explorer 2012 to my friends, the very first feedback are their concerns over Ford reliability issues, expensive parts/maintainence and finally the resale value, particularly when you r an expat. Everybody is suggesting to spend your hard earned money on Japenese (toyota/honda). Why is that so?
Ironman
Your friends are suggesting it, why dont you ask them.. 😉 …. Just kidding… Yeah, normally everyone would want to get the best bang for their buck. Here in the UAE its the Toyota or a Honda where resale is still good even for an old car.
Toyota and Honda both offer 5 years unlimited mileage warranty. Im not sure but I think Ford offers 3 years/ 160,000kms so you can see, the dealer themselves dont seem confident enough to offer that extension of warranty.
Also, why dont you look at the new Volkswagen Touareg which is in the same price bracket as the explorer. It comes with extended 5 years unlimited mileage warranty and premium grade interiors. Id expect resale to be quite decent as well.
marc
the volkswagen starts at 188k, so clearly above.
i had a 2007 explorer from new and quality and service were fantastic, especially as i had some concerns.
do they offer the 60k km free service with it?
Mola
I bought a 2010 explorer and am satisfied with the service the dealer provide (excellent compared to Alfuttaim grumpy Toyota people aents). I used to have a Toyota Prado, lasted 10 years and I sold it for only 25% less than the original price I paid. When I went to Alfuttaim Toyota in Dubai to buy a new one I changed my mind just because I was not treated well. I thought if they can’t receive me well before I buy how would they service me after they cash my money.
Explorer is a decent car but quality wise is no close to Toyota. In just one year the coating of my doors handles are peeling off, and exterior paint is so weak that it will be scratched by anything. That was not the case with Prado having paint coated.