2020 Ford Explorer
Like many models in the Ford lineup, the Explorer has undergone a full redesign for the 2020 model year. Designers made improvements to this midsize sport utility across the board. What does that mean for you? It means you can get the best Explorer ever made today and take advantage of plenty of new features and options. In this preview guide, we’ll explore exactly how the Explorer has changed and what makes this SUV a good pick for your family of up to seven passengers.
New Hybrid Model
Exciting things are afoot with the all-new Explorer Hybrid. Not only is this a green technology, but you’ll also save tin fuel costs over the course of the lifetime of your SUV. We still don’t know the official EPA estimates, but Ford is promising a 500-mile range on this hybrid SUV. Given the fact that the Explorer Hybrid has an 18-gallon tank, we’re looking at about 38 electric-equivalent miles per gallon. That’s in the lower half among hybrid SUVs, but still a marked improvement over the non-hybrid Explorer, which gets between 20 and 24 combined miles per gallon.
The Explorer Hybrid, in addition to the battery that stores energy whenever you brake or coast, offers a 3.3-liter V6 engine. Together with the electric motor, they produce an impressive 318 horsepower.
More Power
Speaking of performance, there’s a new Explorer ST performance trim whose engine delivers 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. Its sport-tuned suspension and 20-inch wheels are where the rubber meets the road. And the Explorer ST has looks to match its high-octane mein, which can be dialed up to an 11 with one of two styling packages: ST Street Pack and ST Track Pack. Both of them offer 21-inch wheels, red-painted calipers and upgraded brakes.
Under the Sheet Metal
The biggest changes to the 2020 Ford Explorer are more than skin deep. Explorer has returned to rear-wheel drive like a truck while keeping the unibody construction of sedans and today’s SUVs. Rear-wheel drive makes sense for an SUV, since handling and balance improve dramatically when steering and power come from different ends of the vehicle. The Explorer tows better now too, bigger loads with more stability. Ford also spent some time upgrading the transmission that now comes in the form of a sturdy yet smooth 10-speed automatic. Finally, the Explorer is now bigger on the inside, inviting you to stretch your legs and stay a while.
The Explorer has always been an important sport utility vehicle, being one of the forerunners of the smaller SUV craze that goes on to this day. With this latest update, Ford has ensured that the Explorer will continue to move forward into future decades as strong and vibrant as it always has been.