By the time final pricing is done on all the options this is going to be the most expensive Explorer ever – base 2019 models are priced at ~$34,000-55,000. No surprise that the newest Explorer is the biggest. It will be the donor platform for the next Mustang.
This evening at Ford Field in Detroit, Ford showed the new 2020 model year Explorer that is lighter – if light can be applied to ~4300-4700 lbs. curb weight, with claimed stronger construction, the broadest model lineup ever, more powerful and efficient EcoBoost engines and increased towing capacity. Powertrain offerings include a 3.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6 projected to produce 365 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque using 93-octane gas, making this the most powerful Explorer ever. The Explorer lineup now features standard, XLT, Limited, Limited Hybrid, ST and Platinum models.
The all-new Explorer comes with a dozen new standard features for only $400 more than the previous model. Standard features include a power liftgate, 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine with an all-new 10-speed transmission, 8-inch digital touch screen with SYNC 3, FordPass Connect Wi-Fi service for up to 10 devices. (Caveat – by the time final pricing is done on all the options this is going to be the most expensive Explorer ever – base 2019 models are ~$34,000-55,000.The average incentive spend on Explorer was $6,194 in 2018 – about $2,000 more than segment average says Edmunds.) However, these traditional virtues for a rear-wheel-drive vehicle might be overshadowed by the added new smart technology that connected vehicles in an ill-defined mobility world will have.
Available on the 2020 are Driver-Assist Technologies:
- Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, which includes Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning and Dynamic Brake Support
- Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert
- Lane-Keeping System
- Rearview camera with built-in lens cleaner
- Auto headlamps with auto high-beams
Other optional Co-Pilot360 technologies include Evasive Steering Assist, which provides steering support to help avoid a collision; and Post-Impact Braking provides braking after a collision to lessen injury and damage caused by a secondary crash event.
Explorer also has optional Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Speed Sign Recognition. In addition to automatically slowing when traffic ahead slows and helping keep the vehicle centered in its lane, the system uses cameras to read speed signs and, combined with the optional navigation system, adjusts cruise control settings accordingly.
Also, Reverse Brake Assist and Active Park Assist 2.0, which handles all steering, shifting, brake and accelerator controls during a parking maneuver with a touch of a button. The class-exclusive item – standard on Explorer Platinum – allows the driver to park in a parallel or perpendicular spot with a touch of a button without having to work the steering wheel, gear shifter, gas pedal or brake pedal.
Optional reverse brake assist, also standard on Platinum, uses radar and ultrasonic sensors to detect an object in Explorer’s path, and can apply the brakes automatically to avoid an imminent collision when the vehicle is backing up at a low speed – such as when exiting a driveway.
An all-new but optional Terrain Management System with up to seven select-able drive modes through a dial in the center console has normal, trail, deep snow and sand, slippery, sport, tow/haul and an eco mode. Each come with special 3D animated graphics in the option new 12.3-inch digital cluster.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
First Look – 2020 Explorer Adds More Driver-Assist Systems
By the time final pricing is done on all the options this is going to be the most expensive Explorer ever – base 2019 models are priced at ~$34,000-55,000. No surprise that the newest Explorer is the biggest. It will be the donor platform for the next Mustang.
This evening at Ford Field in Detroit, Ford showed the new 2020 model year Explorer that is lighter – if light can be applied to ~4300-4700 lbs. curb weight, with claimed stronger construction, the broadest model lineup ever, more powerful and efficient EcoBoost engines and increased towing capacity. Powertrain offerings include a 3.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6 projected to produce 365 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque using 93-octane gas, making this the most powerful Explorer ever. The Explorer lineup now features standard, XLT, Limited, Limited Hybrid, ST and Platinum models.
The all-new Explorer comes with a dozen new standard features for only $400 more than the previous model. Standard features include a power liftgate, 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine with an all-new 10-speed transmission, 8-inch digital touch screen with SYNC 3, FordPass Connect Wi-Fi service for up to 10 devices. (Caveat – by the time final pricing is done on all the options this is going to be the most expensive Explorer ever – base 2019 models are ~$34,000-55,000.The average incentive spend on Explorer was $6,194 in 2018 – about $2,000 more than segment average says Edmunds.) However, these traditional virtues for a rear-wheel-drive vehicle might be overshadowed by the added new smart technology that connected vehicles in an ill-defined mobility world will have.
Available on the 2020 are Driver-Assist Technologies:
Other optional Co-Pilot360 technologies include Evasive Steering Assist, which provides steering support to help avoid a collision; and Post-Impact Braking provides braking after a collision to lessen injury and damage caused by a secondary crash event.
Explorer also has optional Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Speed Sign Recognition. In addition to automatically slowing when traffic ahead slows and helping keep the vehicle centered in its lane, the system uses cameras to read speed signs and, combined with the optional navigation system, adjusts cruise control settings accordingly.
Also, Reverse Brake Assist and Active Park Assist 2.0, which handles all steering, shifting, brake and accelerator controls during a parking maneuver with a touch of a button. The class-exclusive item – standard on Explorer Platinum – allows the driver to park in a parallel or perpendicular spot with a touch of a button without having to work the steering wheel, gear shifter, gas pedal or brake pedal.
Optional reverse brake assist, also standard on Platinum, uses radar and ultrasonic sensors to detect an object in Explorer’s path, and can apply the brakes automatically to avoid an imminent collision when the vehicle is backing up at a low speed – such as when exiting a driveway.
An all-new but optional Terrain Management System with up to seven select-able drive modes through a dial in the center console has normal, trail, deep snow and sand, slippery, sport, tow/haul and an eco mode. Each come with special 3D animated graphics in the option new 12.3-inch digital cluster.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.