2020 Ford Explorer Adds Space, Power and Tech

Ford Motor Co. took the wraps off the redesigned Explorer SUV on Wednesday night, ahead of its public debut next week at the Detroit auto show.

Due this summer, the 2020 model is larger and more powerful than the outgoing Explorer. The three-row SUV also sports a redesigned interior and a bevy of tech features.

The sixth-generation SUV switches back to a rear-wheel-drive platform from the front-drive configuration that was adopted in 2011. Unlike earlier Explorers that rode on rwd body-on-frame construction, however, the new design is a rwd unibody chassis that also carries the new Lincoln Aviator.

The layout extends the Explorer’s wheelbase by six inches. Coupled with a longitudinally mounted engine and transmission and other packaging changes increases interior volume. This allows for more head and hip room, and it adds 6.1 cu-ft of cargo space behind the front seats.

The new Explorer also is 200 lbs lighter than its predecessor, thanks to greater use of high-strength steel and aluminum. The exterior design is highlighted by a blunt nose, wide stance, shorter front and rear overhangs and a sloping roofline.

The base model will be powered by a 2.3-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine that generates 300 hp (up 7%) and 310 lb-ft of torque. A 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 that makes 365 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque is optional. Both engines are mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Towing capacity has increased from just 3,000 lbs for the outgoing base model to 5,300 lbs with the new 4-cylinder engine. The new V-6 model can tow 5,600 lbs, up 600 lbs. over the outgoing model.

Ford also plans to offer a high-performance ST variant and a hybrid-electric model. Details about those vehicles will be announced later.

The 2020 model includes more than a dozen new standard features, including a power liftgate, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility and Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite of driver assist technologies: lane-keeping, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, cross-traffic alert, high-beam headlight assist and a rearview camera with built-in lens cleaner.

The Explorer also will be Ford’s first North American nameplate to offer the carmaker's upgraded active park assist, which takes full control of steering, braking and throttle functions during parallel or perpendicular parking maneuvers.

Other available goodies include an intelligent adaptive cruise control system that can read traffic signs, wi-fi connectivity and a wireless charging pad for smartphones and other devices. Front row seats feature 8-way adjustability and cooling, heating and massage modes.

Every seating position in the two rear rows has child-seat anchors, while retractable second-row sunshades are optional.

Both the second- and third-row seats fold flat to create nearly 88-cu-ft of space that Ford says can accommodate a 4x8 sheet of plywood. The load floor is reversible with a hard, wipeable surface. A raised, angled-lip is designed to prevent bottles and jars from rolling out of the vehicle when the liftgate opens.

An 8-inch infotainment touchscreen is standard. Buyers also can opt for a 10.1-inch vertically oriented screen—a first for Ford—and a 12.3-inch instrument panel display.

Pricing will start at just under $33,900, up $400 over the base 2019 Explorer. Ford has sold 7.7 million Explorers in the U.S. since launching the vehicle in 1991.