In decades past, cars were equipped with very little, if any, safety equipment and features. You’d be hard-pressed to even find a vehicle with seatbelts fifty or so years ago. These days, safety is one of the top priorities for car manufacturers and consumers alike, which has led to major innovations in the safety features that come standard on most modern vehicles. Let’s take a look at the safety features in the 2021 Ford Explorer and why it earned an impressive safety award. 

An overview of the 2021 Ford Explorer

Although the 2021 Ford Explorer didn’t bring any major changes from the 2020 model year, it’s still a commendable option for those looking to purchase a midsize SUV. The 2021 Ford Explorer offers amazing engine options, but according to U.S. News, even the base option can get up to 300-hp. The more expensive engines are twin-turbocharged V6-engines that can expel up to 365 or 400 hp.

The Ford Explorer also offers tons of cargo space, and it drives responsively and rides smoothly. Some are less-than-impressed with the quality of the interior, which definitely won’t fool anyone into thinking it’s from a luxury SUV. Even still, it boasts plenty of infotainment features that are sure to please, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, satellite radio, and more. 

The 2021 Ford Explorer starts at $33,000, but there are several other trims and additional features that can increase the price and quality significantly. 

Safety features in the 2021 Ford Explorer

Most vehicle manufacturers have hopped on the extensive safety features bandwagon as they don’t acknowledge that many people regard safety as their top priority while car shopping. Ford is no exception, and it recently introduced Ford Co-Pilot360, its active safety features suite. Ford Co-Pilot360 now comes standard on nearly every model it makes, though according to MotorTrend, the Ford GT will not yet come equipped with it. 

Ford Co-Pilot360 includes forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking, as well as Evasive Steering Assist to avoid or reduce damage from a collision if there is not enough space to brake safely. Further features include blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, automatic headlight high-beams, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and more.

There is even Lane Centering, which helps to keep your vehicle in the center of the lane, and this works well in conjunction with adaptive cruise control and Speed Sign Recognition, which automatically adjusts your speed based on local speed limit signs. Ford also recently announced BlueCruise, their hands-free driving technology in select Ford vehicles. It won’t drop until mid-to-late 2021, and it will only be available in the 2021 Ford F-150 and 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E. 

The 2021 Explorer won a prestigious safety award

Although people may not be enthusiastic about its interior, it’s hard to ignore how much care was put into making the 2021 Ford Explorer safe vehicle. Not only does it come with the above safety features, but it also managed to snag a coveted Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ award. This is the highest possible designation this organization can give to a vehicle, and it is well deserved. 

When the IIHS conducted its rigorous safety and crash tests, the 2021 Ford Explorer received either a “good” or “acceptable” score in every possible category. There are very few other vehicles that have these same bragging rights. The Ford Explorer shines especially brightly when it comes to injury prevention during crashers,  as it received a “good” rating for driver and passenger injury measures. 

The 2021 Ford Explorer may not be a perfect SUV, but it’s as close as you can get to perfect when it comes to safety.