Next generation will be able to shift to a rear-wheel drive platform.
It’s easy for people to forget about Explorer when they talk about the Ranger’s U.S. comeback and the Bronco’s long-awaited revival. Ford has been testing out the next generation in open for over a year. Our first batch of spy photos dates back to October 2016. New details about the refreshed Explorer are now available, but they have not been confirmed. Production will begin in spring 2019.
Sources close to Blue Oval claim that major changes have been made to the sixth-generation Explorer. This will see it switch to a rear wheel-drive platform and the new modular CD6 architecture. The Chicago Assembly Plant will be assembling the model. Most of the body panels are expected to be made from steel. The same report also states that Lincoln-badged models will be constructed in Chicago with a predominantly steel body.
TTAC also has some information about the 2020 Explorer’s powertrain. According to Ford, they plan to offer four engines total. One of these engines – the turbocharged four-cylinder four-cylinder – will be transferred from the current model. It produces 280 horsepower and 310 lb.ft. The F150’s new HTML0-liter V6 will be available in the new Explorer. It will replace the existing 3.5 liter V6 which is rated at 290 horsepower and 255lb-ft. However, the pickup truck, where it serves as the entry-level engine, has 290hp.
The hybrid powertrain option is also possible. However, the most intriguing piece of information concerns the Explorer ST hot model that will replace the Sport trim. This is similar to the Edge Sport having to go in favor of the new Edge ST. It will replace the existing biturbo-3.5-liter V6. The new model will likely produce more horsepower and torque than the Lincoln Continental’s 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet. We don’t yet have final numbers, but it will be a significant improvement on the Explorer Sport’s 365 horsepower and 350 lbft.
The Lincoln version of the plush model will come with either a standard biturbo V6 engine or a plug in optional hybrid that is based on the same gasoline engine. A 10-speed automatic transmission will transmit power to the roads in both cases.
Ford has not yet revealed when the Explorer will be unveiled, but it is possible that we may see it at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. We haven’t seen any official information that suggests a Chicago reveal for the new Explorer next month. However, we checked it and found only the 2018MY.