Ford Explorer

The passenger compartment of the Explorer remained stable in the frontal offset test. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of the driver and passenger. However, a post-crash inspection revealed structures in the dashboard which might pose a hazard to the knees and femurs of occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions. Accordingly, the score for this body region was penalised and protection was rated as marginal. In the full-width rigid barrier test, protection of all critical body regions was good or adequate, apart from the chest of the rear passenger. For this body area, dummy readings of chest compression indicated a marginal level of protection. In the side barrier impact, protection was good for all critical body areas and the Explorer scored maximum points. In the more severe side pole test, readings of rib compression indicated marginal protection of the chest, while protection of other critical body areas was good. Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision. A geometric assessment of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection. The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system performed well in tests of its functionality at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries occur, with collisions avoided or mitigated in every test scenario.