From chunky off-road vehicle to well-behaved EV
The Ford Explorer will appear on the European market as a fully electric, fairly compact SUV sometime next year, making it more European than ever. Yet the American Explorer also has a fairly long European history, which goes all the way back to the very first generation.
‘Ford Explorer’ may be a somewhat familiar name in Europe, but the car itself has played a marginal role here so far. That is not surprising, because the Explorer has been expressly intended for the American market from the very beginning. For a long time, Ford Europe and Ford America were strictly separated, with the American branch often being listed separately on Dutch price lists as ‘Ford USA’. However, Ford plans to make his American heritage play a bigger role in Europe. American models such as the (plug-in hybrid) Explorer, Bronco and Mustang are again supplied here, simply via the importer who is also responsible for Pumas, Focuses and Kugas. The electric Explorer is also being pushed forward by Ford as a way to become more ‘American’, but that is actually a bit misplaced. The new model has nothing to do with America or American Explorers except for some appearances. It’s a proprietary EV based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform that won’t even be offered in North America.
Bronco II successor
Ford Bronco II
The arrival of a new European-oriented model with the name ‘Explorer’ is also an excellent opportunity to take a look at the history of this model family. That history begins in 1990, when the first Explorer appears as the successor to the Bronco II. That Bronco II was in turn launched in 1983 as the little brother of the regular Bronco. Where that car can be seen as the (three-door) SUV brother of the Ford F-series (F-150), the Bronco II is a Ford Ranger without a cargo box. An American Ranger, of course, which, to underline the above story, has nothing to do with the Ford Ranger that appeared on the price lists in Europe in 1998.
Ford Explorer (generation 1)
The first Explorer is also based on the Ford Ranger. To better respond to the hugely popular XJ-generation Jeep Cherokee, the Ford Explorer has been available from 1990 in three-door and five-door versions. That is a big difference with the Bronco II, which is only available as a three-door, and suddenly makes it suitable as a family car. This generation of SUVs thus marks the beginning of the trend in North America in which more and more families are abandoning the station wagon and later also the ‘minivan’ for an SUV, although it would take some time before that became really popular. Initially, it was mainly about the more adventurous families, if we can believe Ford, because the brochure pictures have been littered with Kayaks, speedboats and other ‘outdoor accessories’ over the years.
Not subtle
Ford Explorer (Generation 2)
That very first Explorer actually lasted until 2002, because the second generation launched in 1995 was actually little more than a heavily updated version of the original. Both cars are technically still true off-road vehicles, with a ladder chassis, a longitudinally placed six or eight cylinder and, of course, optional four-wheel drive.
Ford Explorer (generation 1, Europe). Note the license plate and amber turn signals, in the housing of the original reversing lights.
European versions can be found in brochures and car books shortly after the launch of the first Explorer. Under the leadership of, among others, the Dutch company Hessing, the cars are being adapted to the requirements that apply here, although this is not done too subtly. The ‘old world’ versions usually have a little less chrome and initially get their large European number plate screwed to the left of the lid. The bumper recess for an American plate simply remains empty. Orange turn signals initially end in the housing for the reversing light, which, like the rear fog light, which is mandatory in Europe, is screwed into the bumper without much attention to detail. Finished! Later, Ford apparently takes ‘the rest of the world’ more into account, because from 1998 all Explorers get a large license plate cutout and orange flashing lights. All Explorers, except the third body style coming in 2000. The Explorer Sport Trac is a five-door pick-up with a remarkably short box, which actually completes the circle with the Ranger base. In Europe we only see the Sport Trac via the gray import, and then very sporadically.
Ford Explorer Sport Trac
Get rid of the three-door
Ford Explorer (third generation)
The third generation Explorer appears in 2002. Although it is still a traditional body-on-frame SUV, so with a ladder chassis, it is now a completely new car. The three-door version is disappearing from the range due to a lack of demand and with a slightly larger body and longer wheelbase, the Explorer is better than ever geared to its role as a family car. The availability of a third row of seats, for a total of seven seats, underlines this.
From ladder chassis to self-supporting
Ford Explorer (fourth generation)
The fourth generation, from 2006, still relies heavily on its predecessor, but from 2010 everything will be different. The Explorer will be a car with a self-supporting body for the first time, will have transversely mounted engines and will therefore also be a front-wheel drive base. More spacious, more practical and better driving, so, but perhaps also a little less tough.
Ford Explorer (fifth generation)
We only see this edition of the Explorer in Europe via the gray import, but it may still look familiar to you. As previous Explorers always seemed to come in sets of two, the current sixth generation is clearly an evolution of its predecessor from a design point of view. Thanks to a plug-in hybrid powertrain, Ford saw the point of bringing the Explorer back here in 2019. It also plays a role in the margin, with a few dozen up to a maximum of 158 copies (2022) per year. For Europe, the current Explorer is therefore very large, while in the US it is seen as an extremely average ‘crossover’. The solution is clear: the new, fully electric Explorer.
Ford Explorer (sixth generation, PHEV, European)
Ford Explorer EV
It is more than half a meter shorter than its large example, but with the vertical taillights, striking C-pillar and sturdy nose it clearly shares design features with the large Explorer. The Explorer PHEV will eventually disappear from the European price lists, which means that the European range will not actually become more American with the arrival of the electric Explorer, but less American. At the same time, we are introduced for the first time to an Explorer that on paper has everything it takes to become really popular here, and that is of course what Ford is all about.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl