2020 Ford Explorer SUV revealed
Hopes of a reborn Territory quashed as Ford's "most powerful Explorer ever" is revealedThe covers have come off the 2020 Ford Explorer SUV, which is being touted as the most powerful version of the vehicle ever made – despite no V8 offering.
The seven-seat family SUV was thought to be on the radar for Australia after comments from senior Ford execs in 2018. It could have replaced the much-loved, Aussie-made Ford Territory as a new rear-drive seven-seat SUV, given the new Endura is five-seat only.
But Ford Australia says it will stick to its current SUV range, with no plans for the Chicago-built Explorer to be built in right-hand drive or sold in Oz.
Damien Smy, Ford Australia's product communications manager, told carsales.com.au that there were "No plans to produce the vehicle in right-hand drive, so that limits the opportunity for Australia.
"Mustang and Endura have been popular in right-hand drive," he said, but reiterated that until a plan for right-hand drive models are given the go-ahead, it's a no-go.
The new Ford Explorer seven-seat SUV sports a fresh new look inside and out, new safety and tech features along with a rear-drive platform and updated four- and six-cylinder turbocharged engines, paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Like the new 2019 Ford Focus, the traditional gear shift lever has been replaced by a dial.
Based on a monocoque chassis like the Holden Acadia, Toyota Kluger and Hyundai Santa Fe seven-seat SUVs, the Ford Explorer should handle more like a car than a rugged ute-based SUV like the Ford Everest.
With almost three decades of history behind it, the Ford Explorer is touted as America's favourite SUV and was imported and sold in Australia in the early 2000s.
It has a controversial past after catastrophic rollovers caused by the Firestone tyres fitted to the Ford Explorer were linked to more than 240 deaths in the 1990s.
Engine options for the all-new 2020 Ford Explorer will be exclusively turbo-petrol, starting with a recalibrated version of the 2.3-litre four-cylinder Ecoboost motor in the Ford Focus RS and Ford Mustang which is tipped to belt out around 225kW (300hp) and 420Nm.
Top-shelf Ford Explorer models will be offered with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that the Blue Oval says will grind out around 270kW (365hp) and 515Nm, making it the most potent Explorer to date.
Ford is also plotting fuel-efficient hybrid and go-fast ST versions of the Explorer.
Rear drive is standard across the Ford Explorer range in the USA; all-wheel drive will be optional on most models.
Four-cylinder Explorer are claimed to tow up to 2400kg while the V6 will haul just over 2500kg.
Boasting a modern yet conservative design that won't upset rusted-on buyers in the USA, the new Ford Explorer comes with the usual safety tech and driver assistance features, the main one being autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, which can pump the brakes faster than the driver can react – and without their input.
This is in addition to blind spot and cross-traffic alert systems combine with lane keep assistance, automatic high-beam dipping and a rearview camera with a built-in lens cleaner, all of which are grouped under the 'Co-Pilot360' safety suite.
Optional safety systems include evasive steering assist, post-impact braking adaptive cruise control with speed sign recognition, reverse autonomous emergency braking and automated parking, none of which are new or innovative.
"It's not about filling the vehicle with technology for technology's sake," Ford Co-Pilot360 engineering manager, Chris Billman, said.
"It's about improving the experience, making driving less stressful, and helping the driver to feel more confident behind the wheel."
The interior of the new 2020 Ford Explorer has been jazzed-up with a digital instrument cluster, underpinned by a large 12.3-inch LCD screen.
Depending on the model grade, buyers will get either a 10-or 8-inch central screen that runs Ford's SYNC 3 infotainment system, which is available on many Ford's sold in Australia today.
Family-friendly features include dozens of cup and bottle holders, storage cubbies and ISOFIX child seat anchorages for both the second and third rows. The boot will offer almost 2500 litres of cargo space, which is quite a lot, while a power-operated rear tailgate is standard.
There's also a FordPass Connect system which runs a WiFi hotspot for up to 10 devices, plus there's a four USB ports plus 12V and 110V sockets to power devices.
The 2020 Ford Explorer SUV goes on sale in the US from mid-2019.
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