Tuesday, July 29, 2014

A LOOK AT THE 2015 FORD EXPEDITION

The 2015 Ford Expedition brings a new higher-mileage turbo V-6 engine, a new continuous-damping suspension system for more comfort and quiet, new powertrain, an extensive list of new technologies and is available in a bold new Platinum trim. With cosmetic improvements all around the vehicle you’ll find it more comfortable, more advanced and more fun to drive. 

The model pictured is the new Platinum grade, which gets 22-inch wheels, special badging, and a fancy leather-lined interior; XLT and Limited trims will continue, and a new King Ranch model will be added in the future. The Expedition also gets a new instrument cluster, steering wheel, and center stack that accommodate Ford’s latest Sync and MyFord Touch technologies. Other tech items of note include keyless access and remote starting, a blind-spot monitor, a rearview camera, ambient lighting, a 700-watt Sony sound system, and Ford’s “truck apps” to augment various towing and off-road driving tasks.

While the interior and exterior changes are relatively predictable, and certainly not as noticeable as those of the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and (non-Denali) GMC Yukon, both of which are all-new this year, we imagine that Ford may raise a few customers’ eyebrows by dropping the current model’s 5.4-liter V-8 in favor of a direct-injected, 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6. The switch makes more sense once you see the stats: the EcoBoost V-6 just wallops the old V-8 in output, with an estimated 365 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque compared to 310 horses and 365 lb-ft. It is also more powerful than the base 5.3-liter V-8 in the GM trucks, which produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, although not as strong as the General’s optional 420-hp, 460 lb-ft 6.2-liter V-8.

From a design and functionality standpoint, the biggest news is front and center, where the MyFord Touch infotainment system has been installed here, with an eight-inch screen, two new, smaller full-color 4.2-inch screens flanking the steering wheel, and clean new center-stack design to accommodate it (and fit in with current Ford models). Based on early pictures, we still see the instrument-panel design, outside of those improvements, to be from another era, although the look is pretty cohesive—and a lot more convincing.

Facts on the 2015 Ford Expedition:
-The 5.4-liter V-8 is out -- in its place is a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 expected to produce around 370 hp, with about 420 lb-ft of torque
-The new electric power steering can adjust its feel by speed, making it considerably easier to cruise through the mall parking lots and par
-A new 8-inch touch-screen center-stack display offers MyFord Touch, and the instrument cluster display gets two 4.2-inch color screens

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