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<\/p>\nUnder the searing summer sun, temperatures in Dubai’s soft dunes can soar to over 140\u00b0F by midday.<\/p>\n
For Ford\u2019s engineers, this is the ideal time to head into the desert and torture test trucks and SUVs to ensure they\u2019re built to withstand the heat.<\/p>\n
Here in Dubai, that job falls to Ziyad \u2018Z\u2019 Dallalah and his product development team. Dallalah established the team in 2009, and they\u2019ve become an integral part of Ford\u2019s global test program since.<\/p>\n
In addition to the searing sand in the desert, the punishing test schedule includes city and highway driving. Crowded city streets and slow-moving traffic provide the perfect conditions for testing powertrain cooling and climate control systems \u2013 while open highway and mountain driving add performance, body, and chassis (noise, vibration, and harshness), and handling analysis.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s in the deep, power-sapping sand of the desert where the team pushes Ford\u2019s off-road capable trucks and SUVs to the limits, ensuring they\u2019re engineered for the extremes.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cIn simple terms, driving in deep, soft sand is like dragging a heavy weight around. That resistance you feel when you\u2019re dragging that weight \u2013 it\u2019s the same thing for vehicles in the desert,\u201d Dallalah said.<\/p>\n
While the summer sun sends temperatures soaring, driving on sand means the engine and transmission need to work harder than on the road\u2014and that creates more heat. Vehicle speeds are typically slower than on the road, so cooling systems don\u2019t get the same airflow to dissipate that extra heat.<\/p>\n
Inside the cabin, the team monitors the performance of the climate control system after letting the vehicle soak in the sun with the engine off and windows closed for over an hour and then setting the A\/C on max. The hottest temperature ever recorded by the team during this soaking process was 162 degrees F (72 degrees C).<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether you\u2019re based in Dubai, Durban, or Darwin, you need to know that if you set the climate control to 60 degrees F, it\u2019s going to deliver,\u201d Dallalah said.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
This type of real-world testing complements the enormous amount of work that Ford teams worldwide pour into ensuring that vehicles, systems, components, and parts are engineered to cope with everything owners demand. That includes using computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering (CAE) to help accelerate and streamline vehicle development.<\/p>\n
\u201cCAD and CAE have really helped transform how we design and engineer our vehicles,\u201d Dallalah said. \u201cBut nothing beats real-world testing to expose issues you didn\u2019t anticipate. And, until you experience the kind of heat and conditions we get here, it\u2019s hard to imagine just how that affects everything your vehicle needs to handle.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Ford continues to push the boundaries of innovation, the desert testing led by Ziyad Dallalah and his team in Dubai ensures that every vehicle is equipped to thrive in the toughest environments. Whether it’s enduring extreme temperatures or navigating power-draining sand, Ford\u2019s rigorous testing program guarantees that drivers around the globe can rely on their vehicles to perform in any condition. After all, it\u2019s this dedication to real-world testing that allows Ford to engineer vehicles that don\u2019t just survive the extremes\u2014they conquer them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the sweltering 140\u00b0F Dubai heat, Ford engineers push their trucks and SUVs to the limit, ensuring they’re built to handle the toughest conditions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3299,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n