18/06/2024 Better late than never should be Ford’s motto when it comes to passenger electric vehicles. We waited an age for the Mustang Mach-E and have been expecting the Cologne-built Explorer for what seems like years, now at last, we’ve driven it at its European launch in Slovenia.
The new 4.5m long Explorer is built in Europe for the European market. Explorer is a mid-sized electric SUV, slightly larger than a Ford Focus. It came about as the result of a strategic tech-sharing partnership with Volkswagen and harnesses the VW ID electric platform many EV owners would know from the ID.4. Despite this buddying up the Ford execs at the launch went out of their way to avoid comparisons – it was nearly comical. In truth customers will only see a new Ford car and be unaware of the minor tweaks made underneath to make it more dynamically a ‘Ford’.
The Explorer costs from €42,120 net in Ireland and is good looking, classy and instantly likeable. There are hints of Range Rover to its exterior and its boxy shape is really quite nice. Explorer features short overhangs (essentially shorter bumpers than the ID.4) and to our eyes this makes it a better looking car. The five-seat Explorer ticks most of the design boxes required of any road going SUV. If Explorer was launched two or three years ago it would be the class leader by now but as Ford has dragged its heels bringing the car to market now joins a sector that is already full of likeable, similar models. Many rivals offer a cheaper entry point too.
Inside the Explorer Ford has a few tricks on offer to make it a little different to its VW cousin such as clever storage (17 litre mega console) that can take valuables up to the size of a laptop or handbag. The centre 14.6 inch (portrait layout) touch screen is tiltable and also hides a secure storage area (‘my private locker’) that locks in place. The cabin space available is closer to a Mondeo and the boot holds 490 litres. The usual creature comforts and ADAS safety technology is featured and available.
Ford has a nice headline-grabbing potential 602km driving range from the extended range rear-wheel drive version. The car can fast charge at an acceptable rate with 10-80% possible in 26 minutes. The standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) Explorer has a 77kWh battery and its motor pushes out 281hp and 545nm. The dual motor all-wheel drive (AWD) version has a 79kWh battery (max 566km range). Its motors push out 335hp and 679nm. Both have an 11kW onboard AC charger.
The driving experience is neutral, utterly sure-footed and predictable. The car feels weighty in a premium way, but not overweight – despite the lightest version being 2.09 tonnes. It is a given that as an EV Explorer is quick in a sprint (RWD 0-100km/h in 6.4 seconds / 5.3s AWD). Ford has reworked the ID’s driving dynamics to add a bit more driving enjoyment with unique rear dampers (shock absorbers) while also adjusting the suspension overall to make the drive more true to Ford. The car is surprisingly quiet at speed thanks to good attention to its aerodynamics. The relatively low roofline, flush surfacing and well-thought-out frontal area help make what should be ‘a brick going through the air’ that bit more slippery.
At the press conference, Ford called the Explorer ‘Adventure Ready’ but in truth its a pretty meaningless phrase that we took as standard PR chat you’d expect but what Ford has done some good work with the Explorer’s long gestation. Tweaks have been made and creases ironed out from those found in ID.4s to date. The software and screen worked adequately during our test. We drove on mixed road types and the car performed well without setting pulses racing. At no time did we feel the need to find a more twisty or dynamic route that we would have in many a previous Fords. The simple fact is the Explorer drives as well as any rival in its class. Michael Sheridan
