Don’t get excited yet: It’s unlikely to make it to Australia.
As part of a ‘Go Further’ branded event in Amsterdam, American marque Ford have introduced the new Explorer for Europe, powered exclusively via a plug-in hybrid V6 powertrain with all-wheel drive.
“I am very excited about the iconic Ford Explorer coming to Europe. The most versatile SUV we’ve ever offered in the region is able to carry 7 adults in comfort, tow a 2,500kg trailer with ease, and still deliver 40km of zero-emissions driving range.” – Roelant de Waard, Vice President (Marketing, Sales, Service), Ford of Europe
The Explorer’s powertrain is not to be scoffed at. By mating a 3.0-litre EcoBoost V6 mill to an electric motor, total combined output is rated at a very healthy 330kW and torque at a monstrous 850Nm, with power going to all-four wheels via a 10-speed auto. The Explorer comes as standard with a drive-mode selector (replete with off-road modes no one will ever use), as well as technological niceties like adaptive cruise with traffic jam assistance, speed-sign recognition, and active lane-keep assist. There’s also a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, which works in concert with the 10.1-inch central MMI system, which runs SYNC3.
The powertrain can be had in various different modes that increase or decrease the lean on electric propulsion depending on the selected mode. You can have it in either EV Auto, EV Now, EV Later, and EV Charge modes, which are pretty self explanatory. But when the battery level is too low, it’ll switch automatically back to (you guessed it) EV Auto. Claimed fuel consumption is said to be about 3.4L/100km which, for a big 7-seater SUV, is pretty impressive (but Volvo’s XC90 T8 can do 2.1L/100km, albeit with a slight power deficit).
In Europe, the Explorer will be offered with a variety of advanced driver assistance systems, aimed to make the experience behind the wheel as stress-free as possible. This means things like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and automated parking, in addition to things like adaptive cruise and lane-keep assist mentioned earlier. You also get AEB & reverse-AEB which is always good.
Some quarters are suggesting that now the Explorer is available in Europe, it could be possible that it’ll make its way to Australian & New Zealand markets. However we have to pop your balloon there, as the Explorer will only be available in left-hook markets there, with no plans to develop a right-hook model for the UK or indeed markets like ours. Boo.
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