(February 10, 2011) — The Ford Explorer ride experience at the Chicago Auto Show takes the simple concept of a playground teeter-totter and transforms it into an exciting and compelling demonstration of Explorer’s exclusive Terrain Management System.

The footprint of the teeter-totter ride experience at the Chicago Auto Show is approximately 5,000 square feet.

Operated by a professional driver, with show-goers as passengers, the Explorer starts out driving through sand to demonstrate how it easily handles loose surfaces before beginning to ascend the teeter-totter ramp.

The teeter-totter itself, taking two full weeks to construct within the Ford exhibit, is a steel structure 30 feet long and standing four feet tall. This dramatic demonstration will provide a memorable experience for riders and onlookers alike, as the vehicle drives up the ramp at an angle approaching 22 degrees. Onboard passengers will be gazing at the ceiling as Explorer continues its steep ascent.

Once at the teeter-totter’s apex, Explorer will begin to descend the ramp. This is where the Terrain Management System’s Hill Descent Control activates to control speed and slippage, simulating the capability, control and driver confidence the all-new Explorer enables when drivers encounter steep downhill grades.

Explorer’s Intelligent 4WD with Terrain Management eliminates guesswork by employing simple icons to help determine the appropriate setting. All a driver needs to do is turn the dial to match the system to actual driving conditions, choosing between snow, sand, mud, hill descent and normal settings. The system then adjusts engine and transmission behavior, shift schedules and braking force to increase driver confidence and control.

Intelligent 4WD with Terrain Management allows the vehicle to deliver the “any road, anytime” capabilities SUV buyers expect, while eliminating weight. Less mass helps the all-new Explorer to deliver up to 30 percent better fuel economy than the previous model.

Ford invites visitors to enjoy the Explorer ride experience at the Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place, Feb. 11-20. The all-new Ford Explorer is assembled at the company’s Chicago manufacturing plant.