Here’s one reason the electric Ford Explorer should be your next SUV

Introduction

I haven’t driven anything electric from Ford for ages. The last was the Mustang Mach-E mid-size family SUV, fairly early on in its lifetime. I quite liked it, despite some reasonably hefty dimensions and the fact it had nothing in common with the muscle car it shared a name with. The Ford Explorer is a variation on the theme, only it sits on a Volkswagen platform rather than Ford’s own.

With European manufacturers facing tough competition from the Chinese car makers, it’s understandable to see why these sort of tie-ins happen. But I liked the ID 4 and Skoda Enyaq, so I’m fine with the Explorer borrowing a few parts. And importantly, it feels like a proper Ford – especially on the inside.

The question is if that’s enough, with the aforementioned rivals being supplemented by the hugely popular Tesla Model Y, closely followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Peugeot E-3008 and very good Renault Scenic.

The styling

The Ford Explorer gets off to a decent start in the looks department. My test car was a Select Extended Range edition, which has a 77kWh battery. There’s enough going on here to give it a reasonable amount of personality. I quite like the smoothed off angles of the body shape and it’s a good-looking thing on the whole. The rounded front end is a highlight and makes the car instantly recognisable thanks to the slimline LED headlight and black Explorer badging, complimented by a sizeable Ford oval immediately below that.

There’s quite a lot of plastic in evidence and I wasn’t that keen on the rear pillar design, but other than that, the rear end is tastefully executed. Sandwiched in-between are chunky doors that open up and allow plenty of easy access. My car had some premium trimmings too, like Explorer puddle lights and the 19in alloys are a nice touch, made all the better by decent profile tyres that protrude enough to help avoid scuffing them through tight spots.

Meanwhile, inside, there’s a lot to like, with some VW-flavoured components in evidence. However, the vibe is definitely Ford, with lots of comfort coming from the seats both front and back. The seat coverings don’t look that special, but they do ooze durability to me, which is an essential consideration if you’re a buyer with kids and/or pets. Overall, it’s a success even though the boot wasn’t as big as I’d anticipated.

The drive

I think Ford has managed to incorporate some special sauce into the Explorer that makes it great fun to drive, as per most of its other models. That can’t be said for lots of EVs, which often deliver a rather humdrum experience behind the wheel. Sure, it’s a press-and-go electric car, which shaves a little off the experience, but I found the Explorer to be quite engaging both on longer runs and short around town hops.

Although this is quite a bulky car, my Select rear wheel drive car felt quite nimble, with its weight not really detracting from the overall driving experience. The steering is nicely set up and light without being woolly. The driving position is commanding, with plenty of electric options for getting the seat set up just right while controls fall to hand without fuss. The drive selector on the column is just like that of the VW kit, but the twist and go method it works by is decent.

I was impressed with the overall efficiency of the Explorer too, which is something that left me feeling similarly impressed while driving those VW cars based on the same platform. Charging to 100 per cent at home gave me enough to do a run to the airport, across to another event and then home again while still leaving 20 per cent in the tank. Sure, I was driving gingerly, with the one-pedal ‘B’ drive mode selected and enjoyed some slipstreaming along the way. Nevertheless, the Ford Explorer is quite frugal with the juice given its size.

Being a Ford, though, there is performance on tap if required and the size and weight does nothing to hinder the sporty edge produced by the Explorer when it’s pushed. This car handles well at pace too. I’d have been mightily disappointed if it didn’t considering the Ford involvement, despite the platform stuff underneath. Parking is thankfully straightforward as the camera and sensor package is excellent, with crisp and clear views appearing on that huge infotainment screen.

The technology

A lot of the good stuff is found within the sizeable confines of the portrait oriented infotainment screen, which at just under 15in is a whopper. I love the graphics on this and also on the display binnacle in front of the steering wheel. Ford always seems to do a decent job of this, with graphics and fonts that are sensible, clear and not gimmicky. It all just worked too, for the most part, with nothing that disappointed in the same way as some of the VW rivals I’ve driven.

Aside from that, the interior feels quite minimalist and the Explorer isn’t a car that comes with a wow factor on the tech front. Everything is present and largely correct, although as with any touchscreen-centric system, some of the functionality requires a deep dive and this isn’t ideally suited when you’re on the go. I quite liked the controls on the steering wheel though, which worked on a push and click basis.

The Ford Explorer also has the mildly irritating multi-function buttons for the electric windows, which can result in accidentally opening the rears instead of the fronts. Less components I guess, but less convenience at the same time. Considering there was a non-branded audio system in my trim level, it sounded okay, although I dare say the Bang & Olufsen setup found in the Premium trim probably sounds considerably better.

Ford Explorer verdict

I ended up really rather liking the Ford Explorer and it was a shame to hand it back. It was much more entertaining to drive than I was expecting, with a very decent level of efficiency considering the size and weight. While the interior might be described as a little on the spartan side, it’s very comfortable and that central touchscreen dominates proceedings.

There’s some inevitable crossover of components going on because of the VW connection, but overall, the Explorer holds its own. Head for the all-wheel drive Premium edition if you want more goodies than the Select trim and even more performance, however. If you just like the look of the Ford Explorer, the standard range Select model is the starting point, with more marginalised performance as a result of the compromise.

Ford Explorer technical specifications

Powertrain	Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Battery	77kWh
Power	282bhp
Torque	401lb-ft
0-60mph	6.4 sec
Top speed	112mph
Range	374 miles
Charge rate	185kW
Cargo volume	360 litres