First Look: 2022 Ford Expedition

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Remember when auto manufacturers did all they could to attract Baby Boomers to their wares? Well, Boomers are slowly aging out, and it’s now Millennials that are the focus of, well, focus groups. It seems Millennials share a lot with Boomers when it comes to buying cars, though they perhaps put more emphasis on technology.

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And according to Ford, they also show an increasing interest in going off-road. “More than one-third of Expedition customers go off-road, and almost 30 per cent say true off-road capability is a must have,” Ford Expedition engineer Mike Kipley claims Ford research has revealed.

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Now, Ford’s definition of “off-road” doesn’t mean rock-crawling or wading through metre-deep mud. In this case, it means taking the family on a camping trip, or loading the kayaks onto the roof, or maybe rock climbing — the kind done with ropes and specialized shoes, by humans.

It’s with this in mind that Ford has introduced a new variant to the refreshed-for-2022 Expedition. It’s called the Timberline, and it’s “the most off-road-capable Expedition ever.”

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The Expedition Timberline gets improved off-road capability via increased suspension travel and ground clearance (claimed best-in-class at 10.6 inches, 0.6 inches more than the Jeep Wagoneer), unique suspension geometry, 33-inch Goodyear Wrangler AT tires, and specially tuned shocks, springs, and sway bars. It also gets a two-speed transfer case, a limited-slip rear differential, and a big skid plate taken from the F-150 Raptor.

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If the going gets really tough, the Timberline also has improved approach and departure angles, and it includes Trail Turn Assist, a feature introduced on the new Bronco, that locks the inside rear wheel to tighten the turning radius off-road when needed.

The Timberline is designed for the 30 per cent or so of Expedition customers that aspire to taking the full-sized SUV off the beaten path. For at least a portion of the remaining potential buyers, Ford offers the Stealth Performance Package.

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This is a package that can be added to the to the Limited and Limited Max trims, and features a gloss black treatment on exterior trim, red brake calipers, and 22-inch gloss black wheels with low-profile tires. The adaptive dampers are also tuned for a firmer ride than on the non-Stealth Limited models. The Stealth Performance package favours pavement over the Timberline’s penchant for off-road adventures, but both new trims boast the same new powertrain.

Under the hood of each is a 3.5-litre high-output Ecoboost V6 that claims 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. That’s a boost of 40 hp and 30 lb-ft over the most powerful previously available V6. The engine still mates to a 10-speed automatic, and four-wheel-drive is standard across the Expedition range.

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Part of the new tech package for the 2022 Expedition Platinum is Ford’s BlueCruise. This driver aid utilises adaptive cruise control, stop-and-go, lane-centering and speed-sign recognition to allow true hands-free driving when activated on more than 160,000 kilometres of pre-qualified sections of divided highways throughout North America, called Hands-Free Blue Zones.

Instead of requiring that a driver touch the steering wheel occasionally, it uses a camera to monitor the driver’s face to make sure eyes remain on the road. If the driver’s eyes waver from the road ahead for more than a few seconds, an alarm sounds, and if the driver continues to look elsewhere, the vehicle will slow and eventually come to a stop. The system is said to work with some sunglasses.

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Aside from the individual driver assists listed above, also available are forward collision mitigation, rear cross-traffic mitigation, and evasive steering assist among a few others. Also available is Pro Trailer Backup Assist version 2.0. This trailer backup assist improves on the previous version by eliminating the need to place a sticker on the trailer to help the system identify it. Steering the trailer while backing up is still done via a knob and a screen. The Expedition can tow up to 9,300 lb depending on the trim.

SYNC 4 multimedia interface is standard and comes with a 12-inch centre touch screen. If one opts for the available SYNC 4a, it is accompanied by a 15.5-inch, vertically oriented centre touch screen, which is the largest in class. The Timberline, Stealth Performance, and Platinum trims come standard with a 22-speaker Bang & Olufsen Unleashed sound system.

The 2022 Ford Expedition will be arriving in dealers next spring, with pricing announced closer to launch date. Current Expedition pricing ranges from $62,110 for the XLT; to $82,825 for the Premium Max.