Exclusive: Ford Explorer Electric Review

Could Ford redeem itself with this – the new Explorer EV? That’s the electric avatar sold in Europe and not the fuel-driven Hulk from the US. And I’m making a case to say Ford should build this in India, or have it built. 

This Ford Explorer shares the MEB platform with the Volkswagen ID.4 and the Skoda Enyaq that Ameya’s just driven. 

Ford Explorer Electric: Design

It’s a nice, ample-sized SUV, and it looks nothing like the Volkswagen ID.4. That one's more of a crossover. This one's very square, very upright, very SUV.
I guess that's a good thing because it goes with the Explorer badge, though, it doesn't share anything with that car from the US. This is in fact, smaller, in terms of size, to give you a certain perspective, think Hyundai Tucson. It's that sort of size and that segment. It's got some interesting design details. I think the squarish look is what's going to attract a lot of people, the nice big wheels, nice alloy pattern as well. These are 20-inchers, which also makes the car look really ample. 

There is this weird little design detail on the C-pillar with a shiny element that's been thrown in there. I think it's just to break the monotony of the big glass expanse that is darkened here in the European market. We don't get there, obviously, but because all the way back, so just to break that black, I think they've done that, well, some people might like it. I'm not a fan. Having said that, I think in the face is also where you see a completely new design language, though, like all Ford SUVs, you've got this big Explorer badging that’s spread out. It's nicely done in black, it’s kinda subtle. Huge Ford logo, no grille and sharp DRLs on the higher version, you get a full LED headlight.

Ford Explorer Electric Review: Performance

A little background before I start driving. It has three battery packs on offer and you also have the option of rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. I’ve driven both, but more on the all-wheel drive later. 

This rear-wheel drive one gets two of the three battery pack options. Power and range figures are different on both. The smaller battery has less power and less range, so naturally, I drove the more powerful version. 

The car is quick, and it's very smooth. It also has a different driving character from its Volkswagen counterpart because that was something I expected. That's a good thing. It's a key takeaway, in fact. The nice weighted feel you get from the battery down below is also nice, and there's a marked difference in the different driving modes when you go from, say, eco to sport, Ecosport, not the play of words I was looking for. But yes, when you do that, you actually do get a nice sense of exhilaration. Despite being a single motor, it's pretty agile, and like I said before, pretty quick. Driving character compared to the other electric Ford SUV, which I've driven before, which is, of course, the Mustang Mach-E is completely different. That car does have a more sporty feel. It feels more energetic. This one has a more of a touring, family SUV feel. And I think that's a good thing that they have two different sorts of characters because otherwise everything starts just feeling the same. And let's see, because, you know, what happens with this car in terms of its success here might determine what happens with future Ford SUV models, which are going to be electric as well. Like with every electric, here again, you have that one problem: road and wind noise. You start picking it up depending on the road surface. Right now, the tarmac is nice and smooth, so I'm not really picking up too much of that. But yes, the minute you are speed crosses 120, 130, you do start getting the wind noise off of the mirror and the A pillar. But uh, you know, I mean, these are sort of nitpicking things or points that we tend to focus on a little more with electrics, which, to be fair, is also the case with the other cars, but you just don't notice it as much.

Time for the all-wheel drive version now. Switching to the higher variant car is kind of obvious, and it's for very obvious reasons. I mean, you of course, have the dual motor set up, so performance is definitely different. You feel that right away, but it's also a cabin, the way it's laid out. Feature-for-feature they're very similar, but this does feel more plush, little plumper, more quilted, nice seats and it's got the faux leather, and then you got this huge panoramic sunroof. So, it does feel a little more upmarket, but otherwise, in terms of features and the layout, of course, things are similar. We're getting more and more used to this now with electrics, just this ample amount of torque that's just there, the flick of your, well, your foot really.

Ford Explorer Electric Review: Ride and Handling

Steering and overall handling has also been pretty good, though that's to be expected with this platform and also at this particular level of development. So I'm glad that you don't get a sense of roll and it's pretty agile and manoeuvrable and the steering, just the way it's shaped, I was very curious to see how it would be, but it's actually very comfortable, both in terms of size and also in terms of the nice grip you get from it. So, yeah, that shape is actually working for me.

Ford Explorer Electric Review: Interior

Overall, the material quality of the cabin feels pretty good, and then there are these little interesting things that have been done, quite smartly. Now, this entire system is a bit of a carryover from the Volkswagen, so especially this screen, and this one, but this, instead of being horizontal, has been made vertical, and it has a little party trick. You can just use this little lever to make it co absolutely vertical, change the angle, based on what you like or all the way down, and it also has a little bit of a cubby hole inside to keep things that, you know, maybe you don't want other people to be able to access. You do this and lock the car, no way to access that secret compartment. It has a wireless charger, space to keep the phone if you don't want to charge it, two cup holders and some space here. 

Now comes the other interesting thing. The tray in the centre console comes out, gives you a nice and deep bin below it, and the whole cupholder assembly comes out, too. Why? Well, then you can put in like a whole laptop in here, nice and deep, lots of storage, pretty innovative. One last thing. I did talk about how I liked the shape of the steering wheel. The controls on the steering are also nice because they just slide to the touch for volume or song change, any of it. It's really responsive, nicely done.

Ford Explorer Electric: Verdict

Ford recently announced that it will make a comeback to India, but not in a way you’d think. It’s just going to make cars at its Chennai plant for exports. But with VW and Skoda definitely bringing the likes of the ID.4 and Enyaq or even the Elroq, it makes sense to use the same line to also build the Explorer. Maybe in limited units. Or Ford can simply assemble it and those cars too, at its own plant!

It requires out-of-the-box and brave thinking. But boy, that would be the right statement, isn’t it?