Ford has taken the wraps off the updated Explorer in China as the new flagship of its range with a redesigned exterior and a new massive screen inside the cabin. The Chinese website calls it a brand-new model although it is better described as a comprehensive facelift of the sixth-gen Explorer that was introduced in 2019.
The model made its first appearance on spy
shots last February, with detailed but unofficial photos surfacing on the
Chinese Ministry Of Industry and Technology back in April. Now, Ford has
officially revealed it online, since the Beijing Auto Show where it was
supposed to debut has been postponed without a set date. Thus, the SUV is
expected to make its official debut at the Chengdu Auto Show in late August.
The 2023 Explorer is instantly
recognizable from the side view due to the carry-over body panels, but
everything else has changed. At the front, there is a significantly larger
grille flanked by slimmer bumper intakes, and new LED headlights that are
connected through an LED strip. There is also an Explorer lettering on the
bonnet.
The rear end is also tweaked, with a new
set of LED taillights mounted horizontally. Between them, there is a chrome
strip, while the revised rear bumper got a more prominent skid-plate with dual
exhaust pipes. The grille pattern and the bumpers will be different depending
on the trim level, with the ST-Line version getting the sportiest treatment.
Due to the redesigned front and rear ends, the Explorer is slightly longer than
before, measuring 5,063 mm. The most important update happened
inside the cabin, where the dashboard has been overhauled inspired by the
“high-tech cockpit of yachts”. The highlight is the new horizontally-arranged
27-inch infotainment touchscreen which replaces the portrait-orientation unit
found in the US-spec Explorer. The screen looks smaller than in the Mondeo and
Evos but this might have to do with the increased width of the SUV.
Ford designers made the climate vents
slimmer and brought the center console higher, while creating a more premium
atmosphere thanks to the ambient lighting and the leather upholstery. Besides
the 27-inch infotainment touchscreen that comes standard in all trims,
equipment includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, heads-up display, a
B&O audio system, tri-zone climate control, plus an array of ADAS giving it
L2+ autonomous capability.
The Chinese-spec Ford Explorer retains the
turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine that produces 272 hp and 425 Nm of torque, just like in the outgoing model. A 10-speed
automatic gearbox sends power to either the rear wheels or to all four through
an intelligent AWD system. Ford didn’t go into specifics about any updates on
the CD6 platform which is shared with the Lincoln Aviator. The Explorer is
produced by Changan Ford in China, with a market launch expected in the coming
months. We don’t know if the styling and tech updates will find their way into
the US- and EU-spec models in the future, but there are some reports suggesting
that they will be reserved for the Chinese-spec model bringing greater
differentiation than before.
