Louth Motors: The Ford giant Explores new horizons with this new SUV

We used to be very familiar with the Ford model names and they were as familiar as bread and jam. But there are serious and sizeable changes afoot at Ford as they develop their electric offerings whilst they migrate away from petrol and diesel.

In Europe at least they are moving away from cars that we felt were part of our collective heritage. Names like Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo will be phased out as they concentrate on SUVs.

Explorer is a new name for us but the legendary Capri is returning, this time also as an SUV. If the Mustang morphs into an SUV, why can’t the Capri? Let’s see if the reappearance of iconic names will stem the sales decline of recent years. Time will tell is very pertinent here.

The Ford Explorer is aimed at the likes of the VW ID.4, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage etc. in the mid-size SUV market.

In the past you’d only compare a car to another similarly power competitor but now the allowances made for an electric car are gone and it has to stands on its own merits.

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Ford is off to a good start with the looks of the Explorer. How most electric vehicles manage to look a certain way that is best described as futuristic is a bit of a wonder and the Explorer certainly wears that label well.

The absence of a grille is maybe the primary reason as are the uneven boomerang LED daytime running lights.

That flat front is the perfect mount for the every growing in size company logos. At the back you need a bright colour to see the detail of the lines because dark colours make them invisible as is the Explorer lettering.

At the side you get to see the floating roof and the standout line is the rising centre line over the rear wheels.

The Explorer shares the same platform as the VW ID.4 and the larger Skoda Enyaq. It also shares some internal stuff as well like the switchgear, steering wheel, driver’s display and drive selector.

That’s economics and not a criticism – after all, we see lots of the same gear used in different models from the same brand.

Above: Interior of the Ford Explorer

I’m yet to be converted to two buttons for 4 electric window control which, be it design or economics, is not one I’d like to see copied or spread.

The overall look is one of understated minimalism. Translation - more physical buttons less menus please. The central infotainment screen is unique in that it can be set at different angles.

I’m not sure of the merits of doing this, sun shining on the screen perhaps, but as a suggested improvement I wish they angled it towards the driver. It does act as a discreet cover for a secret storage space behind it that’s handy but an elaborate way of doing it.

The Explorer is available in two trims Select and Premium in either standard range (52kWh battery) or extended range (77kWh battery). The WLTP range claimed for the Select is 375km and 602kms. I had the extended range Premium model which claims 570kms / 15.4 kWh/100km and during my test I returned 17.6 kWh/100km for a potential range of 437kms.

Electricity consumption management becomes a bit of an art form and any excessive exuberance eats into the range in any car which leads you to drive it easy and only very infrequently do you get exposed to the power available that can do 0-100km/h in 6.4s – a Golf GTi can do that in 5.9s for comparison.

Recharge time is 10% to 80% in 28mins but the regeneration features could be better as there is no one-pedal driving.

The desirable heat pump is an optional extra on all models which is a downside but allows a headline price for the Select standard range model to be advertised for €42,120 or for just €1,471 extra, you can get the bigger batteried model which to me is a no-brainer working out at just 3.5% extra.

The specification on the Select model is quite high with powered, heated driver's seat with massage functionality, 7 speakers, 19” Alloys, Wireless Phone Charging, and Front & Rear Parking Sensors with Rear View Camera. The boot is a very useful 532 litres but has an unfortunately high bottom lip.

On the road the manners it demonstrates are very good feeling a bit sporty. Being electric you can’t help notice that the car feels a bit heavy -2.1t - with all those battery cells.

But they are under the floor between the front and back wheels that enhance its handling characteristics and the car does not lean much in bends. The steering, better than a lot of other electric cars, could do with a tad more feel but in the places where the car will be used, owners will appreciate its lighter feel.

The suspension works very well with minimal jolts or jars when the bumps and potholes arrive but it could be a little bit better.

Passengers get a lot of space front and rear as well as a comfortable and quiet ride. Ford’s second major electric car after the Mustang Mach-E will allow them sell more electric cars as the pricing is keen and the product is more coherent and a proper family car.

More importantly, it’s a car from a brand that we have known for a very long time here in Ireland and whilst it has the Ford supertanker a significant amount of time to turn, the resultant Explorer has made the wait worth it and may well signal the resurgence of the Iconic brand.