The Dutch tax climate means that traditional American cars in our country are generally unsaleable. Yet it is the same tax climate that makes the new Ford Explorer very attractive on paper. The key is, how could it be otherwise, with the plug-in hybrid. Is the Explorer a worthy alternative to the Volvo XC90?
In North America, this is a strange comparison, because Ford does not aim at premium products like the Volvo XC90 with the Explorer. For this, the brand has the equally based Lincoln Aviator in house. No, this Ford operates in a segment that we do not actually know in Europe. In terms of size, it can easily beat the XC90s and X5s of this world – in fact, it is slightly bigger than the Volvo in every direction – but the luxury brands aim higher when it comes to design, finish and innovation. In the US, Explorer-like cars are not available, but in Europe there is apparently hardly any need for these types of cars. The biggest thing the mainstream brands have to offer here is the format Peugeot 5008, Nissan X-Trail and, more recently, Kia Sorento. There is an exception, the Volkswagen Touareg, but that car intended purely for Europe is a five-seater that focuses its arrows emphatically on the premium brands. For the Americas, Volkswagen has the Atlas, a somewhat less pretentious, but also larger seven-seater.