Ford Explorer at the 2023 Festival of Speed | GRR
The new Ford Explorer has made its dynamic debut at the 2023 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, entertaining crowds as the midsize SUV hurtled up the famous Hill.
The new Explorer shares its underpinnings with the Volkswagen ID.4, not that you would know it from the outside. The chunky SUV’s styling features a Euro-US fusion that sounds like a pop-up restaurant concept but looks pretty convincing in the metal.
L-shaped LEDs dominate the bluff front end with an ‘Explorer’ script running across the blank valance where you usually expect to find a grille. It’s chunky in profile, with a pinched window line at the C-pillar being the most obvious clue to its VW heritage. The back has a clean design to match the front.
Its VW blood is hidden even better on the inside, where you get a 15-inch portrait-style infotainment screen that looks great and can recline by up to 30 degrees to combat reflections. More controversial is the squared-off steering wheel, complete with fiddly VW-group touch-sensitive buttons.
Generously equipped, the Explorer has heated massage seats, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry, and an electrically operated boot. You also get a family-friendly central cubby big enough to swallow a laptop.
As with the ID.4, you get a choice of 52kWh and 77kWh batteries and recharge speeds, which means a 10-80 per cent charge will take around 25 minutes. You can expect 52kWh models to get 220 miles from a charge, while the larger battery will give you a range of up to 335 miles.
Unlike VW, Ford is expected to offer the Explorer with a 340PS (250kW) dual-motor option – 41PS (30kW) more than the ID.5 offers. A sub-six-second 0-62mph time should be possible.
You can operate the car yourself or leave the car’s autonomous driving aids to handle business for you, dealing with driving on the motorway and in queues so long as you keep your hands on the steering wheel.
The Explorer is expected to be priced from just under £40,000 when it goes on sale later this year.