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Steve Rock
Ford Expedition & Escape
The Ecosport
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Steve Rock
Ford Expedition & Escape
The Expedition
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Steve Rock
Ford Expedition & Escape
The Expedition
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Steve Rock
Ford Expedition & Escape
The Escape
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Steve Rock
Ford Expedition & Escape
The Ecosport
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Steve Rock
Ford Expedition & Escape
Winning survival items
Story & photos by Steve Rock
“End of Municipally Maintained Roadway” wasn’t what I expected to see as the in-car navigation instructed us take a sharp right onto a narrow dirt road that was quite rough, and not on the ‘approved’ route. But this was the Ford Back to Basics SUV adventure, and after consulting a traditional map book to ensure that it didn’t turn into a goat path, my co-driver -Canadian Auto Review journalist- Stephen Spyropoulos and I decided that the 2017 Escape Titanium, with its intelligent four wheel drive, would be more than capable.
Ford Canada had invited a select group of journalists to test its smartest, most capable and adaptable 4x4 SUV range at the secluded Sherwood Inn, situated on Lake Joseph just outside the beautiful Muskoka town of Port Carling, Ontario. With SUV’s accounting for 42% of all new vehicle sales so far this year in Canada, to ensure future success and to keep their loyal customers happy, Ford have just announced an all-new Expedition and a new-to-Canada Mini-Utility SUV, the Ecosport. And they also confirmed that an all-electric SUV will be available in 2020.
The mini-utility is a fast-growing market sector and the Ecosport, already available in most of the world for over a decade, arrives in Canada for 2018. There will be two power options available, the award winning three cylinder, one litre engine with front wheel drive, as well as Ford’s proven two litre engine, with four wheel drive and 6 speed automatic transmission. There are four available trim levels, S, SE, SES, and Titanium, plus, this new-for-North America vehicle has a class exclusive side opening rear door and an adjustable height cargo floor that’s perfect for concealing expensive electronics.
For the first time in twenty years, the 2018 body-on-frame Expedition is all new and even though it’s available in Standard and Max length, it comes with just one engine and drivetrain option. The Canadian 4x4-only truck is fitted with the 3.5 litre EcoBoost engine, producing 375HP and 470ftlb torque. The Platinum edition produces an impressive 400HP with 480ftlb torque giving the truck a best-in-class, 9300 pound towing capability. There’s a rotary shifter for the transmission and a seven mode Terrain Management System(*TM Trade Mark) that’s sure to come in handy for gravel roads and winter trips to the cottage as this luxury SUV definitely isn’t built for serious wheeling in the shield.
Convenience and technology (fifteen cup holders, up to six USB ports, four 12v power points, 110v outlet and wireless charging) feature highly on the Expedition as it does on all of the Ford SUV range. BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) and trailer tow monitoring alerts the driver if something is in the truck and trailers’ blind spots. Combine that with a 360 degree camera, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go Collision avoidance detection, and the Expedition driving experience is sure to be stress free even in the heaviest of traffic. Ford’s multi-screen dual headrest wireless Entertainment System brings a whole new audio-visual experience to long journeys, which the kids will enjoy almost as much as the driver will enjoy the resulting calm in the cabin.
But back to our adventure. So far there was nothing basic about it; in fact the salmon smoking demonstration, Muskoka Brewery beer tasting, and fine resort dining during the first evening were far from basic, but then this is summer resort-life in Muskoka after all.
Our adventure was revealed the following morning and getting back to basics Muskoka style meant that we were essentially tourists for the day but with a neat little twist. Armed with a map and route notes listing three compulsory and thirteen other must-see Muskoka gems, we had fifty dollars with which to purchase five items that could be used to survive for up to a week in the Canadian Shield. Now I’m really not a big fan of camping, but I do have an outdoors background and happen to know a few survival basics, and so remembering that our priorities are for water, fire, and shelter, my team mate and I began to compile a list of must-have items.
Luckily for us we’d purchased the five survival items before the GPS sent us on our unplanned logging road excursion and even though we were using the inline four’s claimed 245hp and 275ft lb of torque enthusiastically, our back-road route was much slower than the official paved-route. But thanks to the Escape’s intelligent on-demand four wheel drive system, not once did the vehicle feel out of its depth. Our 2 litre powered Titanium model was fully loaded with all available technology including the Safe and Smart package (LDW, ACC and rain sensing wipers) and a 4G embedded modem. This enables owners to make use of the Ford PASS app which not only locates the vehicle, but will start it, adjust the cabin temperature and switch the heated seats on in the winter. It will also let you know how much fuel you’ve got, and if you need to fill up, it will inform you where the cheapest local gas station is.
And I suspect that before long, tomorrow’s Ford will be able to drive you there and pay for the fuel as well. That’s great so long as your unplanned back road adventure doesn’t leave in you a situation where technology is no help at all. The Canadian Shield is as unforgiving as it is beautiful, and given that cellphone service can be spotty in Muskoka, there were several places along our logging road where an SUV could have ran out of road, crashed into the bush, and not been discovered for days.
If you’re ever in such a situation, the key to survival is firstly to not panic and secondly to assess the items you’ve got with you to see what you can utilise to stay safe and ultimately survive. The five survival items that we purchased could feasibly be lying around in your car or backpack, and if you made an unplanned excursion off road and became stuck they could potentially be life savers. For $39.65, Team 4WDrive/Canadian Auto Review purchased an axe, BBQ fire starter, two person survival blanket, fish hooks complete with line, and -thinking outside the box- a large tin of pineapple juice.
According to our guest speaker, founder of WSC Survival School, and outdoor expert David Arama, the survival challenge was a close call. Surprisingly, our items are exactly what you’d need to survive for a week in Muskoka, and the clincher was the tin of pineapple juice, which once empty can be used to boil water, with the lid doubling up as a signal mirror. For our efforts we walked away with a copy of Arama’s book ‘How to Start a Fire with Water’, but most importantly, we had the satisfaction of knowing that if we really did have to get ‘Back to Basics’, we would have survived our Muskoka Ford SUV adventure.
Survival Basics - the Rule of 3’s:
A human can survive for….
- 3 minutes without air
- 3 hours with an unregulated body temperature
- 3 days without water
- 3 weeks without food
In a survival situation your priorities are shelter, water, and heat so if you’re heading into the back country be sure to pack at least the essentials.
LINKS
Ford.ca – discovermuskoka.ca – sherwoodinn.ca – wscsurvivalschool.com – muskokabrewery.com – Milfordbaytroutfarm.com – tradingbaydining.com – cranberry.ca