SPY PICS: New Ford Explorer hits the beat

The all-new, sixth-generation Ford Explorer has broken cover for the first time and could eventually become a direct – albeit belated – replacement for Ford Australia’s homegrown Territory.

Interestingly, as you can see from these spy shots taken near Ford HQ in Dearborn, Michigan, the next-generation Ford Explorer has emerged in US police patrol vehicle (PPV) guise.

Back in June, the Blue Oval announced its new Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle – based on the next-generation Ford Explorer – will be released in mid-2019 as a 2020 model.

The civilian version of the Explorer PPV is expected to become available to the North American public around the same time, and offered with the same 40 per cent more efficient hybrid powertrain.

There’s no confirmation of a right-hand drive version of the full-size SUV; in fact Ford has previously told us the next Explorer won’t come Down Under, where Ford has been without a car-based seven-seat SUV since the Territory was axed when local manufacturing ceased in October 2016.

This week new Ford Australia chief Kay Hart also ruled out a seven-seat version of the smaller Endura, a rebadged version of Ford Edge due on sale here late this year.

As in Europe, the Endura/Edge will be imported from Canada only in five-seat diesel form, leaving Ford Australia without a direct replacement for the popular Territory – the only SUV ever made in Australia -- and without a direct rival for top-selling seven-seat crossovers like the Toyota Kluger.

Speaking at this week’s launch of the upgraded 2019 Ford Everest, Hart said that – “for now” – the Everest off-roader fills the seven-seat SUV role for the Blue Oval in Australia.

“We’re not currently looking at it and it’s not in our plans,” she said. “We currently have the seven-seat Everest, and that’s where our focus has been.

“For now, that’s our full SUV line-up, which is great,” said Hart, who also poured cold water on a local release for Ford’s born-again Bronco SUV.

Like the Everest, the Bronco will be based on the same rugged T6 ladder chassis as the Australian-developed Ranger ute.

Ironically, the Bronco will fill the US market space vacated by the Explorer when it migrated from a full chassis to the same monocoque platform as the Mondeo – which also underpins the Endura/Edge -- in 2011.

Before that, the Explorer – Ford’s top-selling SUV in the US for 27 years -- was sold in Australia between 1996 and 2005 but was embroiled in the Firestone puncture controversy, earning it the nickname ‘Exploder’.

Since then the current Explorer has only been produced in left-hand drive, while a long-wheelbase seven-seat version of the Edge/Endura is built in China for domestic consumption only.

However, Ford Asia Pacific boss Peter Fleet has thrown his support behind a global version of the next Explorer produced in both left- and right-hand drive, and the model’s return to Australia.

“I would love to have wider availability of Explorer,” he told motoring.com.au at the Detroit motor show in January.

“It’s a power brand globally. Even in markets where we haven’t sold Explorer, people know what that is.

“Within our company it is such a strong product, so I would love that opportunity.

“We made that decision and went global with Mustang, but frankly we haven’t made that decision yet with Explorer. If I get my business case lined up then I would love to globalise the Explorer.”

At the same show, global product development chief Hau Thai-Tang also left the door open to a new Explorer for global consumption including in Australia.

“I think the Australian market would be a good market for it – in other markets it’s a little bit big,” he said in January. “There’s nothing [definitive] as yet … we are always looking.”

Since then, in March, Ford said it would replace 75 per cent of its current US model range and add four new global SUVs and trucks by 2020, including a new Escape and Explorer and an all-new ‘baby Bronco’ compact SUV.

As you can see here, next year’s all-new Ford Explorer will wear a handsome but evolutionary exterior design featuring sleeker headlights, a mesh grille, restyled LED running lights and a smaller glasshouse with more aggressively angled C- and D-pillars.

Similarly, at the rear, there’s a squared-off tailgate and revised tail-lights, but the overall look continues the Explorer’s trademark styling cues.

The biggest change will be underneath, where the 2020 Explorer will be underpinned by Ford’s latest medium-large car/crossover platform dubbed CD6, which replaces various architectures including CD4.

Unusually, according to US reports, CD6 will be capable of housing both transverse and longitudinal engines -- including everything from 2.0-litre four-cylinder to 3.5-litre V6 turbo-petrol EcoBoost engines.

Configurable in front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, EU6 is also reportedly pre-engineered to employ the new Ford/GM 10-speed automatic transmission (in a north-south application) and both six- and eight-speed automatics (in east-west application).

As such, CD6 will be employed beneath the new Lincoln Aviator SUV and – reportedly – the seventh-generation Ford Mustang due post-2021.

With the 2020 Explorer, the most noticeable difference will reportedly be the switch from all-wheel drive to rear-drive as standard, with AWD to be optional in the next Explorer.

The 2020 Ford Explorer is also expected to grow in all directions to further differentiate it from the Edge, which would make it a natural fit as the flagship of Ford Australia’s SUV line-up, positioned above the EcoSport, Escape, Endura, and Everest in both size and price.