(continued)
An available tubular aluminum cargo cage acts as a cargo divider or can be swung
out as a bed extender for extra storage capacity when the tailgate lowered. An
optional, locking hard tonneau cover keeps gear secure from the weather and
would-be thieves.
Everything New Inside
Sport Trac’s rugged exterior image carries over into the personality of its
interior. Sport-designed seat styles and standard Tuflor rubber floor covering
are designed for tough utility, allowing owners to wash out mud and grime with
relative ease. Sport Trac is equipped with Berber-carpeted floor mats, further
complementing its rugged image. The interior seats five passengers and benefits
from many of the same noise, vibration, and harshness improvements of the 2006
Explorer, making for an exceptionally quiet and comfortable cabin. Two-tone
leather seating surfaces are available, as are heated front seats with 10-way
power adjustment.
When the weather turns cold, Sport Trac offers the segment’s only heated
windshield, using micro-wires embedded in the glass, which helps prevent fogging
and speeds up de-icing.
Unique interior door-release handles are another innovation found in the
interior, ergonomically designed to the shape of the human hand at rest. Sport
Trac features a new console-mounted gear selector designed after that of the
F-150 pickup.
The standard audio system features a CD player with MP3 compatibility, and can
be upgraded to the available six-disc, in-dash CD player with powered subwoofer.
Integrated SIRIUS satellite radio is also available.
Under the Hood
The 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac showcases Ford Motor Company’s philosophy that
engine employing advanced technologies can improve both performance and the
environment.
For example, the Sport Trac’s standard 4.0-liter V-6 engine meets federal Tier
II, Bin 4 tailpipe emissions, the same as the Ford Escape Hybrid and cleaner
than a Honda Accord Hybrid.
The 4.0-liter V-6 is rated at 210 horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 254 pound-feet of
torque at 3,700 rpm. The torque curve is designed to be relatively flat across
the entire engine range and to provide strong performance at nearly any engine
speed.
New engine calibrations and improved emissions controls cut NOx emissions by 74
percent – from 14.2 to 3.6 pounds per 15,000 miles – without sacrificing
horsepower, torque, or fuel economy. In fact, fuel economy is expected to match
the previous model, even though the 2007 Sport Trac is more than five inches
longer – and almost two inches wider – than before.
The V-6, equipped with a standard five-speed automatic, delivers a maximum 5,310
pounds of towing capacity, and 1,450 pounds of payload.
For additional capability, the 2007 Sport Trac owners can now opt for an
available V-8. The 4.6-liter, three-valve V-8 delivers 292 horsepower – the most
horsepower in its class.
“Customers have been asking for a V-8 since day one,” says Bryan Olson, Sport
Trac marketing manager. “These customers want the added capability and towing
capacity, as well as the power and performance that only a V-8 can deliver.”
The new V-8 is paired with a class-exclusive six-speed automatic transmission.
The 6F transmission’s six gears and a wide 6.04:1 gear-ratio span enable the
engine to spend more time in the optimum powerband – either at peak power for
acceleration or at peak efficiency for more fuel economy.
The 4.6-liter V-8 and 6R transmission deliver a maximum 6,800 pounds of towing
capacity, and 1,430 pounds of payload. In addition, the combination is expected
to deliver more than 20 miles per gallon on the highway, matching the economy of
the competitor’s less-powerful V-6 engines. The V-8 meets federal Tier II Bin 5
standards, which is compliant with California’s Low Emissions Vehicle II (LEV
II) standards.
Either engine can be equipped with the Sport Trac’s advanced Control Trac
four-wheel-drive system. Unlike less-sophisticated systems, Control Trac
features an automatic torque-split, which automatically transfers power to the
front wheels as the rear wheels begin to loose traction. This increases safety
and security without compromising fuel economy or NVH. In addition, the Control
Trac system features a torque-multiplying gear set in the transfer case for
off-road applications that require extra power including deep sand, steep
grades, and towing a boat trailer out of water.
Underneath
Capability and refinement start with the foundation of any vehicle: the chassis.
The Sport Trac adopts the F-150’s tube-through-tube frame design, where the
cross beams pass through the frame rails. The result delivers a dramatic 444
percent increase in stiffness compared with the previous Sport Trac’s
traditional frame for improved handling and decreased squeaks and rattles.
The new Sport Trac frame is shared with the 2006 Explorer, with a few
significant changes:
- The wheelbase is stretched 16.8 inches
- A unique hanger is installed to accommodate the Sport Trac’s two-piece
driveshaft
- A spare tire carrier is integrated into the rear assembly
- The integrated tow bar is modified to accommodate the Sport Trac’s step
bumper
- To capitalize on the stiffer frame, engineers developed all-new front and
rear suspensions for the 2007 Sport Trac. The front suspension features a
short- and long-arm design with coil-over shocks. New monotube shocks are
tuned for softer damping of harsh impacts – such as potholes and expansion
joints – while providing exemplary body control over larger road undulations
and while cornering.
For the first time, the Sport Trac features an independent rear suspension
with a patent-pending, trailing blade design. The Sport Trac’s rear coil-over
springs, monotube shocks, and a stabilizer bar have slightly stiffer rates than
those of the 2006 Explorer, to adjust for the longer wheelbase and change in
weight distribution.
IRS offers significantly better handling over both smooth and rough surfaces as
each wheel reacts independently to bumps in the road, moving up and rearward
simultaneously to absorb the bumps and reduce impact harshness. In addition, IRS
drastically reduces rear-end skate, which is the lateral movement that occurs
when a vehicle with a solid rear axle travels over sharp bumps or
washboard/corrugated road surfaces.
Sizable, four-wheel disc brakes are standard, as is the four-wheel, four-channel
anti-lock braking system with electronic brake force distribution. The package
creates a balanced chassis with ride and handling that is unrivaled in its
segment.
“You wouldn’t even want to bring in a comparison with a compact pickup in terms
of ride and handling,” says Nair. “The highest praise I can give the Sport Trac
team is that they achieved the same driving experience as the new Explorer. Like
Explorer, the new Sport Trac is just as comfortable on the freeway as it is
driving down a washboard road, with the ideal balance of road isolation and ride
control.”
New Safety System
The 2007 Explorer Sport Trac also features the same class-leading safety package
offered on the 2006 Ford Explorer.
“The 2007 Sport Trac offers the same impressive suite of safety features as the
2006 Explorer,” says Sue Cischke, vice president, Environmental and Safety
Engineering. “It offers active safety technology – including
confidence-inspiring handling and braking combined with AdvanceTrac with
industry-exclusive Roll Stability Control (RSC) – to help prevent accidents. In
the case of an accident, the new Sport Trac offers enhanced rollover and
side-impact protection and four new adaptive-safety technologies that help
determine the degree of frontal-impact protection based on crash severity,
occupant size, and safety-belt usage.”
Sport Trac’s agile handling and powerful brakes provide an added measure of
safety and security during emergency maneuvers. Contributing its confident
nature is Sport Trac’s standard Advance Trac with Roll Stability Control – an
exclusive active safety system not offered by any other manufacturer.
As with typical active stability enhancement systems, AdvanceTrac integrates
three major components, including the anti-lock brake system, traction control,
and yaw control. However, while typical systems are designed to control yaw or
spinout only, Ford’s AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control goes one important
step further.
The exclusive vehicle-roll-motion sensor performs its duties approximately 150
times per second. If it detects a significant roll angle, it automatically
engages AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control to help keep all four
wheels safely on the ground.
To meet federal safety regulations and Ford’s even more stringent internal
safety targets, the 2007 Sport Trac features the following advanced safety
technologies as standard equipment:
- Advanced restraints module and dual front-crash sensors
- Five-level front-passenger sensing system
- Driver-seat position sensor
- Dual-stage front air bags
- Adaptive load-limiting safety-belt retractors
- Adaptive front-passenger-seat air-bag tether
- Adaptive air-bag venting
- Adaptive-stroking steering column
- For the first time, the Sport Trac is available with Safety Canopy side
air curtains that deploy in certain side-impact collisions, or if an impending
rollover is detected to help protect front- and second-row outboard occupants.
Sport Trac also features standard side-impact air bags for the driver and
front passenger. Mounted in the outboard side of each front seat, these air
bags further enhance protection for the chests of front-seat occupants in the
event of a side collision.
Sport Trac will resume production at in the spring of 2006 at the Louisville
Assembly Plant, as a 2007 model. Production of the outgoing model ceased in
June, 2005.
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