Ford Rigorously Tested New 2018 Expedition in UAE to Ensure Readiness for Middle Eastern Market
To ensure that its products are up for the task of handling the various environmental conditions of its markets all over the world, Ford puts its vehicles through their paces with thousands of hours of testing. One of the more recent additions to the Ford lineup is the all-new 2018 Expedition, which recently launched in the Middle East. So that the Expedition would be able to handle the high temperatures and sandy dunes of the regions deserts, Ford’s Dubai-based product development team spent a great deal of time putting the full-size SUV to the test.
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“In-market testing is to confirm the work we’ve done and fine-tune the product before it’s introduced. Our standards within Ford account for extreme conditions, so we developed this vehicle for global use. But it is very important to test in market, not only here but in other parts of the world, for final confirmation,” said Ford Expedition Chief Program Engineer Todd Hoevener.
“Even though we simulate these temperatures in our labs and at our Arizona proving ground, this is a unique combination of both deep sand—which is very fine, versus the coarse sand we have in the States —as well as high temperatures. In addition, high winds with sand blowing really test the car’s ability to handle sand ingestion.”
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Hoevener explained that the Expedition and its Terrain Management System were tested and recalibrated to ensure that getting stuck would not be a common problem. It was also imperative to make sure that the Expedition’s air conditioning system was up to snuff so that drivers would be able to stay cool even when hitting the blazing sands of the desert at high noon. To do this, the team spent countless hours braving the scorching heat of the hot summer, and the result is an Expedition that Ford is confident will be a hit.
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