Ford Explorer – comfortable, practical and well equipped

Liam Bradford April 8, 2026 Motoring Comments Off on Ford Explorer – comfortable, practical and well equipped

Ford Explorer Premium RWD Extended Range. Ford Explorer Premium Extended Range RWD.

Ford has lost many familiar names that were familiar to many for years. The Fiesta, Focus, and Mondeo have all been discontinued. Much public and ‘expert’ comment ensued and it’s probably fair to say much of it wasn’t favourable to Ford.

Ford announced its arrival in 2024, and it was an all-electric SUV, not the huge, big-engined off-road vehicle from the 1990s. In a world where so many vehicles share platforms and parts the styling can be homogenous. But, with the Explorer there is a little bit of individuality. Many people were taken by the Explorer’s styling, even though it is a subjective matter.

Three versions of the Explorer are on offer – the Style, Premium and Select – with prices starting at €40,770/£35,285. Standard features include adaptive cruise, navigation system, dual zone climate control, auto dimming mirrors, rear privacy glass and front and rear parking sensors.

The Explorer 170PS with 52kwh and rear-wheel drive can reach 100kph/62mph in 8.7 secs and have a range of about 375km/233miles. The extended rear-drive version has 286PS, 601km/374miles of range and an additional 52kwh battery. All-wheel drive extended range offers 340PS at 79kwh with 529km/329miles.

It is interesting to note that the Explorer consistently had a range of over 4.8km/3miles per kwh. The Explorer is a very practical EV.

Although the screen size is larger than the standard iPad-style central display, the screen on the shared VW ID models is too small to show all of the information, despite its excellent clarity. Some controls can be irritating, such as the slider control of the sound system. Also, the fact the the light switches are located to the left of the steering column and hidden from view by the steering column and steering wheel mounted gear shift.

On the road it rides well, but at higher speeds I was surprised by the amount of road noise. Fords are known to have a tight handling style, which is a Ford hallmark. Thanks to the comfortable seats and the panoramic roof of the mid-range premium version, the Explorer makes for a great place to travel.

Ford may not have some of its most famous names anymore, but the Explorer is still a great vehicle. I believe they’ll be pleasantly astonished.