Written by Colin Overland Published: 4 September 2024 Updated: 6 September 2024

Overview

Ford’s electric cars have a knack for grabbing headlines, just not in the way the brand perhaps hoped. Ford’s marketeers have been rather reckless with the brand’s heritage – and their treatment of its most famous sports car nameplates has rubbed its loyal enthusiasts up the wrong way on several occasions.

The pure-electric Mustang Mach-E and reborn Capri are the most recent offenders – and they’ve both been largely dismissed by Ford followers for how starkly they’ve strayed from the templates set out by their ancestors. But the Explorer is something a little different, at least for Ford’s European customers.

For a start, it isn’t a badge Ford’s European drivers hold in high esteem. It went missing from the UK market long ago, and it wasn’t widely mourned when we lost it (unlike the Capri). And while it might be another product of Ford’s platform sharing deal with Volkswagen, it feels like more of a Ford than the Caddy-based Tourneo Connect.

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The Explorer is based on the same MEB chassis as the Volkswagen ID.4 – but almost everything you see on the surface was put there by Ford’s fair hand. It was designed and engineered in Europe for Europe, it’s loaded with Ford technology, and it’s had 120mm hacked off its rear overhang compared to the ID.4 to make sure it’s distinct enough from both its chassis sibling and the existing Mustang Mach-E.

It’s also built at Ford’s Cologne factory which has made 18 million cars for the continent since 1930 – and it’ll play an important role in Ford’s aim of becoming an electric-only car manufacturer from 2025. The Explorer certainly has its work cut out, though, as it’s rivalling such talented cars as the Skoda Elroq and Renault Scenic E-Tech.

Scroll down to find out whether Ford has finally built an electric car that its fans will respect, or whether it’s little more than a carbon credit cash cow. In this review, we’ll assess the Explorer’s practicality, interior quality, technology, driving experience and running costs before offering our final verdict. If you’d like to learn more about how we reached our verdict, check out our how we test cars explainer page.

What’s it like inside?

The Explorer sports a fresh, modern cabin design that’s aiming beyond Volkswagen and towards Hyundai/Tesla territory in its technological simplicity. We think it makes the Mustang Mach-E’s cabin feel very old fashioned in comparison. However, you can see the Volkswagen influence, in items like the touch-sensitive climate controls and steering column-mounted gear selector.

There aren’t many physical switches. Instead, almost everything in the cabin is controlled by the 14.6-inch touchscreen. We’d have liked some proper switches for the climate controls, but at least there’s a fixed climate hot bar at the base of the screen.

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You get plenty of equipment, too. Every Explorer comes with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, and massage and memory functions on the driver’s seat. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, too.

It isn’t quite as practical as the Volkswagen ID.4, but that’s to be expected considering how much shorter it is. The Explorer has 470 litres of boot space, which is 73 litres behind its chassis sibling. There’s a lot of room inside, though – it’s similarly spacious to the Kuga, despite only being a couple of centimetres longer than a Focus.

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Ford has been quite clever with cabin storage, too. There’s a massive central armrest bin and the infotainment system has a party trick. It pivots away from the dashboard to reveal a cubby that’s perfect for hiding valuables away from prying eyes.

Ford Explorer powertrains

Currently, the Explorer is available with just two powertrains. The current cheapest option, badged Extended Range RWD, has a 77kWh battery pack and a single 286hp electric motor mounted on the rear axle. Ford says this system gives the car a 0–62mph time of 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 112mph.

Above that, there’s the Extended Range AWD which has a slightly larger 79kWh battery and an extra motor on the front axle that boosts power up to 340hp. The extra poke trims the car’s 0–62mph time down to 5.3 seconds, but its top speed remains the same.

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Later down the line, Ford will introduce a cheaper Standard Range version that’ll feature a smaller 52kWh battery and a less potent electric motor on the rear axle.

Range and charging

The most long-legged Explorer is the Extended Range RWD model. It has a maximum WLTP driving range of 374 miles – although we expect that figure will be much closer to 300 miles in the real world. The next most efficient is the Extended Range AWD (329-mile range), followed by the Standard Range (239-mile range).

The two Explorers available to buy now feature new lithium-ion batteries that can accept DC charging speeds of up to 185kW. A 10–80% charge for 77kWh unit takes 28 minutes, while the same charge on the 79kWh model takes 26 minutes.

What’s it like to drive?

Just different enough from the ID.4 to feel distinct. Ford has made some tweaks to the MEB platform’s steering, shock absorbers and anti-roll bars, all of which have fettled the Explorer’s ride and handling when compared to the ID.4.

Our AWD test car, riding on 20-inch wheels (standard with Premium spec), is night-and-day better than the latest Volkswagen ID.4, also on 20-inch wheels. We reckon the ID.4 is too often unsettled and wallowy – but this Ford is much better controlled, with more rewardingly precise steering.

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The ride isn’t quite perfect, though. There’s no engine to drown out the sound of the suspension working, so you’re very aware of how the car judders over small bumps. Ford hasn’t managed to eradicate body roll, either, even if it is better than the VW.

It’s a good all-rounder, though. It’s very happy to dawdle around town; it’ll swiftly hustle up to motorway speeds (the AWD model’s 0–62mph time is faster than a Focus ST, don’t you know) and it relished the challenge of the twisty hairpins and unsurfaced logging roads we pointed it at on our international test drive.

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Switching driving modes makes an appreciable difference to the level of brake-energy recuperation. In Normal when you lift off the throttle, the car slows. Sport mode makes it slow a lot; Eco mode, not so much. There’s also a B setting on the stubby gear selector on the steering column to force some extra electricity into the battery.

What else should I know?

Just a bit of spec info. Currently, the most basic Select model costs around £46,000 and comes as standard with 19-inch alloy wheels, LED lights front and rear, a seven-speaker audio system, a manual tailgate, a manual passenger seat, a 14.6-inch touchscreen and a 5.3-inch digital gauge cluster.

Step up to the Premium trim, and you’re looking a price-tag of at least £50,000. But you get a lot more extra kit to soften the blow, such as 20-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights, a 10-speaker audio system and (for the UK) a panoramic glass roof. That roof feels like the most desirable optional extra – it really brightens the cabin.

When Ford’s new entry-level Explorer Select Standard Range model arrives in late 2024, it’ll have a competitive starting price of £39,875. Depending on how efficient it is, this could end up being the pick of the bunch. We’ll keep you posted.