The new generation Ford Explorer is said to be a couple of weeks away from being officially unveiled.
AutoNews reports that it will debut on January 9 in Detroit, at the Ford Field stadium, followed by an appearance at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, a few days later. Subsequently to its premiere, the 2020 Ford Explorer should go on sale nationwide in the first half of 2019, and the company’s Chicago facility will be responsible with putting it together.
At a first glance, it doesn’t look like it has gotten a significant makeover, but the all-new Ford Explorer really is new. For starters, it sits on the sample platform as the 2019 Lincoln Aviator, which is rear-wheel drive-biased, instead of FWD as the outgoing models.
Those willing to upgrade from the lesser models will get their Explorers with all-wheel drive, whereas the rest will have to make do with RWD. Also, the vehicle now has longitudinally mounted engines, which results in shorter overhangs.
The engine lineup will reportedly include a couple of V6 units, such as 3.3- and 3.0-liter mills, as well as a 3.3-liter V6 hybrid and a 2.3-liter turbo-four. The Ford Explorer ST is believed to sit at the top of the range, supposedly powered by the 3.0-liter V6 found in the Lincoln Continental and MKZ, making some 400 horsepower.
Earlier this month, our spy photographers managed to snap the interior of the 2020 Ford Explorer. These revealed a tablet-like infotainment system, rotary dials used to select gears and change the driving modes, and a digital screen in the instrument panel, although the latter will perhaps be reserved for the Platinum grade.
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