* Engineered for enhanced performance in Excursion
accidents
* Ford's unique BlockerBeam and standard trailer hitch
help promote car-to-truck compatibility
* Energy-absorbing vehicle structure provides abundant
frontal "crumple zones"
* Steel side door beams help protect passengers in
side impacts
* Driver and passenger front air bags feature "second
generation" inflation rates
* Child-seat tether anchors in the second row of seats
further improve the ability to securely anchor child
safety seats
* New Ford Belt-Minder system helps remind passengers
to buckle up
* Electrochromatic inside rearview mirror helps
prevent headlight glare from the rear
* Speed-sensitive wipers ensure maximum windshield
visibility
* SecuriLock™ passive anti-theft system deters
would-be thieves
* In-cabin, full-size spare tire and jack provide
peace of mind
Measuring just slightly more than 3.5 inches wide and 2
inches tall, the nearly 4-foot-long steel cross member
hanging below and behind the Excursion's bumper ranks
among the vehicle's smallest structural subsystems - with
one of the biggest jobs.
BlockerBeamTM
Ford's unique frontal crash enhanced underride protection
system - called BlockerBeam - makes the Excursion more
compatible with cars. The system -
fashioned with less than 50 pounds of steel and a unique
design - helps Excursion and a
car share energy during a crash, instead of the smaller
car absorbing a bulk of the crash energy alone.
The BlockerBeam system is essentially a hollow cross
member hung from the frame by two 7-inch L-shaped
brackets. This "second bumper" is approximately 2.5
inches below and 6.5 inches behind the conventional front
bumper.
During a frontal collision with a car, the BlockerBeam is
designed to make contact with the frame rails of a car,
in an effort to prevent the car from sliding beneath the
higher-riding Excursion.
Upon impact, the L-shaped brackets bend, helping to
disperse crash energy. This, in turn, reduces the amount
of intrusion into the passenger compartment of the car
and further reduces the risk of serious injury to the
car's occupants.
Ford is the first automaker to introduce this type of
safety protection and has a patent pending for the
system.
Behind the Scenes
BlockerBeam provides enhanced safety compatibility with
cars on the road - without compromising the truck's
usefulness. The development team's goal was to create a
system that would both enhance car-to-truck compatibility
and still give Excursion the maximum approach angle and
ground clearance.
The BlockerBeamalso is fitted with a special cover that
helps it blend with the rugged styling of the vehicle's
front end. This also helps to slightly enhance
Excursion's fuel economy by providing better airflow
under the vehicle.
The Rear View
The Excursion engineering team thought about more than
managing crash energy in front collisions when designing
the vehicle. They also developed a separate underride
system for rear collisions.
Similar to underride systems used on commercial trucks,
the Excursion features Ford's largest trailer hitch -
standard on all models. The hitch spans more than 3 feet
across the vehicle's rear and attaches to the frame.
This 3.5-square-inch steel hitch is designed to help
prevent lower-riding cars from sliding underneath the
back of Excursion in rear collisions. It reduces the
amount of intrusion into the passenger compartment of the
car, decreasing the risk of injury to car occupants.
All-Around Safety
Excursion also features other safety features designed to
help reduce the risk of injuries to occupants during
collisions.
Excursion's body structure provides abundant crumple
zones on the front of the vehicle, which help absorb
energy created during crashes and keep the passenger
compartment intact.
Steel side door beams perform the same function during
side impacts.
In addition, Excursion's driver and passenger front air
bags feature "second-generation" inflation rates.
For improved child safety, Excursion is equipped with
child seat tether anchors in the second row of seats to
allow parents an improved method to more securely buckle
in their child safety seats. The straps, which are used
in addition to traditional safety belts for securing
child safety seats, are available through child safety
seat manufacturers.
Excursion also will feature Belt-Minder. Like other Ford
vehicles in the 2000-model year line up, Excursion will
be equipped with the special system, which reminds people
to "buckle up."
The Belt-Minder system uses a safety belt usage sensor
located in the belt buckle to determine whether a driver
is wearing his or her safety belt. The sensor feeds this
information to a control module. If a driver is unbelted
when the vehicle is in motion, a red light in the
instrument panel illuminates and a chime intermittently
sounds to remind him or her to use the safety belt.
Security and Convenience
All Excursion models include Fordís SecuriLock™ passive
anti-theft system. It features a special ignition key
containing a unique transponder that engages the engine
electronics and permits the vehicle to be started.
Without the key, it is virtually impossible to start the
vehicle.
A standard keyless entry keypad is featured on the
driverís door, and a remote- entry key fob activates the
interior lights during unlocking.
An electrochromic inside rear view mirror is standard for
all Excursion models. A Ford hallmark, the mirror dims
automatically to reduce glare at night from the
headlights of vehicles to the rear.
All models also are equipped with a single intermittent
rear wiper mounted on the upper liftgate section of the
rear tri-panel door system. Speed sensitive interval
front wipers are offered on the Limited series.
The full-size spare tire is easily accessible from inside
the vehicle. Mounted on a steel wheel, it fits into the
right rear interior quarter panel and is protected by a
soft carpet cover containing a built-in storage pocket. A
4,000-pound capacity hydraulic jack is located behind a
trim panel on the right side of the rear cargo area.
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