Customers told Ford Motor Co. they wanted more luxury.
So Ford responded with a first-ever King Ranch package for its popular Explorer SUV that includes hand-stitched "premium touches" and mahogany-colored Del Rio leather trimmed seats with perforated front and second rows with the legendary King Ranch Running logo, along with leather door trim rollers, Sapele wood instrument panel appliques and leather-wrapped steering wheel with a Sapele wood insert, according to a news release last week.
And there's more.
Inside, it will also include multi-contour seats with massaging capabilities, a 10.1-inch touch screen with swipe and pinch-to-zoom capabilities and a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.
Outside, it will include a gray mesh grille insert, 20-inch aluminum wheels with Running W center cap, liftgate scuff plate and quad chrome exhaust tips.
It has a 365-hp engine and 380 pound-feet of torque with four-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive options, Ford said. This is the first rear-wheel drive combination with the 3.0L EcoBoost. Ford said a standard Class III Trailer Tow package allows for towing capability of up to 5,600 pounds.
Enhanced technology includes adaptive cruise control and lane centering, evasive steering assist, voice-activated touchscreen navigation with pinch-to-zoom capability, and speed sign recognition.
'Captain's chairs'
For two decades, Ford has had a relationship with the King Ranch, a Texas cattle ranch, starting with the 2001 F-150 King Ranch. It featured a leather-covered front console with the King Ranch brand, and front and rear King Ranch leather captain's chairs, and King Ranch branding throughout. Since then, Ford Expedition and F-Series Super Duty have offered the features.
"Today, workers at the Texas ranch use a fleet of more than 300 Ford trucks to get the job done every day," Ford said in its release.
When introducing the Explorer King Ranch, Ford touted its historical affiliation.
"In 1853, Captain Richard King bootstrapped the King Ranch in the harsh landscape of southern Texas until it became a shining example of agricultural and livestock innovation and success," said Lee Newcombe, Explorer marketing manager.
King's legacy
During the Civil War, King and his partners "supplied the Confederates with beef, horses, imported munitions, medical supplies, clothing, and shoes," according to the Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of Texas.
"In an attempt to dampen this trade, Union forces ... raided the King Ranch, looting and destroying most of it," the handbook said. "King went to Mexico at the war's end and returned after securing his pardon from President Andrew Johnson in late 1865."
King is credited with helping revolutionize Texas ranching, helping stock ranges of the American West and creating the American ranching industry, according to Texas history.
The Explorer King Ranch starts at $52,350 for rear-wheel drive and $54,350 for four-wheel drive, plus a destination and delivery fee of $1,245. It will be available in the spring.
Explorer is built in Chicago.
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