{"id":132616,"date":"2019-01-10T00:44:14","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T05:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=132616"},"modified":"2019-01-10T00:44:14","modified_gmt":"2019-01-10T05:44:14","slug":"ford-backs-suv-push-with-all-new-2020-explorer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2019\/01\/ford-backs-suv-push-with-all-new-2020-explorer\/","title":{"rendered":"Ford Backs SUV Push With All-New 2020 Explorer"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Ford executives are joined by the development team at the 2020 Ford Explorer debut.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the pint-sized EcoSport up to the yacht-like Expedition, a visit to a Ford showroom reveals an array of utility vehicles wearing the Blue Oval badge, but none carries the gravitas of the Ford Explorer. Since the original rolled out for the 1991 model-year, the Detroit automaker has sold more than 7.7 million of them, making it the best-selling SUV in automotive history.<\/p>\n

No wonder, then, that the automaker took over the Ford family-owned Ford Field stadium in downtown Detroit for the first public showing of the all-new 2020 Explorer which will be reaching U.S. showrooms a few months from now. \u00a0\u201cThis vehicle is a beacon for the future\u201d of Ford, said Executive Vice President Jim Farley, as the first of the new SUVs rolled out onto the field.<\/p>\n

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Auto Show News!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Starting at $33,000, a modest $400 bump up from the outgoing model, the fourth-generation Ford Explorer is more than just a modest update. Practically everything is new, as the old line goes, from the ground up, starting with a new rear-wheel-drive platform that will be shared with an assortment of other Ford products going forward, starting with the also-new Lincoln Aviator that generated its own buzz during a preview at the Los Angeles Auto Show last month.<\/p>\n

The original Explorer was a classic, truck-based body-on-frame SUV. Like the gen-3 model, the new 2020 model officially qualifies as a \u201ccrossover,\u201d but Ford took pains to stress that it will boast significant off-road capabilities, especially when ordered in all-wheel-drive, as well as towing capacity of up to 5,600 pounds.<\/p>\n

(Ford hints at 2020 Explorer with debut of all-new police interceptor utility. <\/em>Click Here<\/a><\/span>\u00a0for the story.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The new Explorer (shown here with Ford product chief Hau Thai-Tang) gets a new, rear-drive platform and a more dynamic design.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The shift from a fundamentally front-drive to a rear-drive architecture was something that Ford weighed carefully. In the end, explained product development chief Hau Thai-Tang, it offered some key advantages. \u201cIn this segment,\u201d he explained, \u201cthe number one purchase reason is styling, and the architecture enabled us to get the right proportions.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the presentation, Ford officials stressed that despite sharing the new platform, the Explorer and Aviator will get markedly different designs. No more badge engineering, they promised.<\/p>\n

What Ford designers and engineers pulled off is impressive, the new Explorer appearing to have a longer, more aggressive hood, but by stretching the wheelbase six inches and, among other things shortening overhangs, especially up front, it was able to actually yield more interior space. There\u2019s added room in each of the new SUV\u2019s standard three rows. The cargo bay has also been widened, Chief Engineer Bill Gubing pointed out during a recent media backgrounder, enough so that one can lay a 4×8 sheet of plywood flat on the ute\u2019s load floor.<\/p>\n

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The 2020 Explorer is expected to be offered in more trim packages than ever before.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Family buyers, meanwhile, will likely appreciate the new easy-entry second-row seats that let even a child gain access to the third row.<\/p>\n

Another surprise is the fact that the bigger Explorer is also 200 pounds lighter than the outgoing model \u2013 and that without resorting to the sort of radical approach Ford took with the now \u201caluminum-intensive\u201d F-150 pickup.<\/p>\n

In keeping with the realities of today, Ford is betting it can win over potential customers by loading up the tech features. There\u2019s a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster on mid and high-trim models, as well as an optional, vertically oriented 10.1-inch touchscreen anchoring the center stack.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s 4G WiFi that can connect up to 10 devices, plenty of USB ports, three 12-volt sockets and even a 110-volt outlet.<\/p>\n

(<\/em>Click Here<\/a><\/span>\u00a0for more about the Lincoln Aviator.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Explorer will feature a wealth of advanced safety gear, such as the CoPilot 360 system that pushes into near-autonomous territory. It not only automatically brakes when there\u2019s a risk of a frontal collision, but also if a car, bicyclist or pedestrian walks behind the Explorer when backing up.<\/p>\n

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New easy-access second-row seats are said to be more child friendly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The system can help keep you centered in your lane while driving and, in a sign of how thoughtfully the new model was engineered, the system will give a little wider berth when driving by a big truck.<\/p>\n

Other nice details: a reversible load floor, one side more resistant to mud and dirt, and an \u201capple catcher,\u201d a lip at the back of the cargo bay that prevents loose items from rolling out. \u201cI don\u2019t care as much about losing an apple,\u201d admitted Thai-Tang, as \u201cthat bottle of merlot.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those who\u2019ll do more than drive on smooth freeways \u2013 whether off-roading or just dealing with a tough winter \u2013 Ford\u2019s terrain management control system now offers more selectable modes that instantly adjust a range of vehicle functions to optimize traction and maneuverability.<\/p>\n

In terms of powertrains, there are two initial options, though Ford is hinting there\u2019ll be more, Farley dropping a line about an \u201celectrified\u201d version during the Wednesday night unveiling.<\/p>\n

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A look at the new Explorer's optional touchscreen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For the moment, we know about a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four that gets a bump from 280 horsepower in the old SUV to 300 now, torque holding at 310 pound-feet. For those who need more performance and the full 5,600 pounds of towing capacity, there\u2019s also a 3.0-liter EcoBoost option that replaces the Explorer\u2019s old 3.5-liter six. It makes 365 hp and 380 lb-ft. Both engines are paired with Ford\u2019s latest 10-speed automatic gearbox.<\/p>\n

The basic package puts power through the rear wheels, and Ford expects that to account for the majority of the new Explorer\u2019s sales. But the all-wheel-drive option should gain a bit more traction, so to speak, the automaker estimating it will make up 40% of sales.<\/p>\n

(To see more about Ford being transparent about its turnaround plans, <\/em>Click Here<\/a><\/span>.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll get an even closer look at the new 2020 Ford Explorer next week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The best selling sport-utility vehicle in automotive history is getting a new look and load of new capabilities to ensure that the Explorer, the vehicle that kicked the SUV craze into high gear, remains the benchmark for the segment going forward. Ford officials took over Ford Field in Detroit tonight roll out the all-new model. TheDetroitBureau.com has details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7,8,5,12,9],"tags":[],"make":[56],"post-state":[],"category_old":[149,150,151,123,276,319,299,248,316,132,125,161,137,139,312,128,291,278,288],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132616"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132616\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132616"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=132616"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=132616"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=132616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}