The new generation Ford Explorer is said to be a
couple of weeks away from being officially unveiled. AutoNews reports that it will
debut on January 9 in Detroit, at the Ford Field stadium, followed by an
appearance at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. The 2020 Ford Explorer should go on sale nationwide in the first half
of 2019, and the company’s Chicago facility will be responsible with putting it
together.
It doesn’t look like it has
gotten a significant makeover, but the all-new Ford Explorer really is new. For
starters, it sits on the sample platform as the 2019 Lincoln Aviator, which is
rear-wheel drive-biased, instead of FWD as the outgoing models.
Those willing to upgrade from the lesser models will
get their Explorers with all-wheel drive, whereas the rest will have to make do
with RWD. Also, the vehicle now has longitudinally mounted engines, which
results in shorter overhangs.
The engine lineup will reportedly include a couple
of V6 units, such as 3.3- and 3.0-liter mills, as well as a 3.3-liter V6 hybrid
and a 2.3-liter turbo-four. The Ford Explorer ST is believed to sit at the top
of the range, supposedly powered by the 3.0-liter V6 found in the Lincoln Continental
and MKZ, making some 400 hp.
Moving inside, it revealed a tablet-like
infotainment system, rotary dials used to select gears and change the driving
modes, and a digital screen in the instrument panel, although the latter will
perhaps be reserved for the Platinum grade.
