Ford Expedition 2021

Ford launched the largest of its SUVs in the Manila International Auto Show 2018, which happened on April 6, 2019. The biggest change to the platform was an all-aluminum chassis that saved weight over its previous iteration. 

Ford has improved the platform for the Expedition by crafting it out of aluminum. The vehicle sheds 136 kg of weight compared to its previous iteration through the use of this lighter-weight metal. The vehicle is suspended off the ground through the use of independent suspension systems. The front uses short- and long-arm coil-over shocks with stabilizer bars, while the rear uses a multilink system, both the front and the rear feature stabilizer bars to increase rigidity. The SUV has four disc brakes all around which are housed in 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. The vehicle comes with 249 mm of ground clearance and has a whopping length of 5,639 mm, a width of 2,388 mm, a height of 1,956 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,353 mm. 

Power comes from a 3.5L 60-degree V6 EcoBoost engine that produces 375 hp and 637 Nm of torque. Ford has outfitted this SUV with a 4x4 system that can change on-the-fly whenever sport mode is engaged or one of the vehicle's many terrain modes is activated. These settings include Normal, Sport, Tow/Haul, EcoSelect, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Sand, and Mud/Rut. 

Driving the Expedition in a straight line is effortless thanks to the massive amounts of torque from the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine. The SUV accelerates with haste and can even outpace some smaller cars on Philippine roads. The steering is heavy, but is not overly weighted, allowing for quick direction changes and easy navigation in areas where space is abundant. Because of its large size, the Expedition tends to be a handful to park and squeeze through traffic. The variant we have in the Philippines in the extended length variant, which means that more consideration must be made through tight turns. 

The head unit in the Ford Expedition comprises of an 8-inch touch screen with the brand's Sync 3 system that allows for seamless smartphone pairing via USB because it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other than the USB connectivity, the infotainment system has AUX, and Bluetooth available. A compartment for Qi wireless charging is also available, as are a bevy of 12V outlets, a standard power outlet, and multiple USB ports for other passengers. Sound courses through a 12-speaker setup by Bang and Olufsen. 

Driving technology features include a semi-digital gauge cluster that in integrated together with analog gauges, a backup camera with front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, as well as active park assist. A hill-start system also comes with the SUV, along with a start-stop system to help conserve fuel. 

There is no going around the fact that the Expedition has big proportions. Since the Philippine market only gets the extended length variant, the proportions are more than large for its segment. A massive chrome grille up front is flanked by two halogen projector headlights and fog lamps, that all wrap around and give the front end an even more intimidating character. There is a minimal amount of creases on the side of the SUV, but Ford has opted to add deployable step boards that reveal themselves whenever any door is opened and tuck into the body whenever any door is closed. The rear is home to the LED taillights that flank an openable rear door and glass. In total, the Expedition has 5 doors. 

Just like the exterior, the interior follows the big theme going on. Inside, the seats and door panels are clad in leather, with ambient lighting adding to the mood of the cabin. There is also a panoramic sunroof present that allows the rest of the cabin to be lit by natural lights. The dashboard features a no-frills design with some elegant touches like the matte wood trim that adorns several panels in the car. Instead of the traditional lever gear selector, Ford has gone with two rotary dials that control the transmission and terrain management system. The Expedition can seat a total of 8 passengers comfortably in a 2-3-3 configuration. The rear cargo area features a little over 1,000 L of space with the third row deployed. Once the last row is folded at the flick of a switch, and over 2,000 L of space can be used. If that's not enough, the middle row seats can fold for even more space. The Expedition comes with one more variant that uses captains' chairs instead of the three-passenger bench which goes for a premium over the standard model.