All-new 2011 Ford Explorer earns Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick, adding to Ford's leading number of top safety ratings
The reinvented Explorer offers a class-leading array of airbags, including industry-exclusive inflatable second-row seat belts, Safety Canopy® side curtains, Trinity front crash architecture and collision warning with brake support
Explorer also features AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control™) with Curve Control, and MyKey® teen-safety technology – all class-exclusive innovations to help drivers reduce the risk of accidents on the road
The reinvented 2011 Ford Explorer, which offers a suite of innovative safety technologies, is the latest Ford vehicle to earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
"The Explorer offers several new innovative technologies, including available industry-first production rear inflatable seat belts, and Curve Control, which can help drivers maintain control of a vehicle if they enter a curve too quickly."
"Explorer customers value safety and security. World's first production inflatable rear seat belts
Explorer's Curve Control
Additional driver-assist and safety features
"The new Explorer delivers features that both help prevent a crash and help minimize occupant injuries when a crash is unavoidable," said Erika Low, Explorer safety manager. Driver- aid and safety technologies include options such as:
Structural safety and crash protection
Other Ford vehicles that have earned a Top Safety Pick rating include:
2011 Ford Taurus
2011 Ford Fusion
2011 Ford Fiesta
2011 Ford Flex
2011 Lincoln MKS
2011 Lincoln MKT
2011 Lincoln MKZ
The award by the IIHS casts into doubt the popular auto mythology that trucks are inherently safer than cars.
The announcement about the Explorer was bundled into a larger list of vehicles joining the IIHS winner's list for 2011. The new winners include the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe, 2011 Kia Optima, 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, 2011 Scion tC, 2011 Volkswagen GTI four-door, 2011 Volkswagen Touareg, 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe and 2011 Mercedes-Benz GLK.
The IIHS said that 66 vehicles have earned the Top Safety Pick award for 2011, including 40 cars, 25 SUVs and a minivan. Large pickup trucks have not been tested yet.
