2020 Ford Explorer

Ford Explorer King Ranch Edition

Ford Explorer, America's all-time best-selling SUV, adds the first-ever King Ranch edition to its stable, giving midsize SUV customers an all-new rugged, premium appearance with the uncompromising quality, craftsmanship and authenticity of the iconic Texas ranch.

"In 1853, Captain Richard King bootstrapped the King Ranch in the harsh landscape of southern Texas until it became a shining example of agricultural and livestock innovation and success," said Lee Newcombe, Ford Explorer marketing manager. "Ford Explorer families can now enjoy a piece of the King Ranch's renowned craftsmanship and the multigeneration legacy that still thrives 168 years after its founding."


5A9B8B63-A550-4400-A924-6162AE8781C0.jpegE3B66F4C-54E8-470E-8C43-521ECA8C8473.jpegF49C6227-3231-48DA-9D57-4B50586AFB15.jpegB47AB864-AFD1-4C1B-8579-9F1EA72B63D7.jpeg0EC02C9C-B9DD-4483-AFC7-827E2C07025A.jpegD873F062-D6CE-4FDC-A13D-0AB040247EAA.jpegC3768CAB-927A-4089-8DE9-25E53FE3FB3F.jpegFBE7380B-C871-4919-8B5A-FC36AC688407.jpegE889EF3E-288D-4930-B06C-6302FBBFFD65.jpeg
 
Ford Explorer Timberline

Ford delivers on its promise to offer more rugged SUVs and trucks with the new Explorer Timberline - the most off-road-capable Explorer ever. The first Timberline series Ford SUV is designed to give customers more capable off-road features to enjoy weekend adventures with family and friends.

Ford Explorer Timberline is the latest addition to America's all-time best-selling SUV lineup. The seventh new rugged SUV or truck Ford has introduced since 2019, Explorer Timberline joins the all-new Bronco brand two- and four-door Bronco and Bronco Sport, all-new F-150 Raptor, and the Tremor lineup of Ford trucks - Ranger Tremor, F-150 Tremor and F-Series Super Duty Tremor.

"Ford is delivering on more capable SUVs with Timberline. Consumer data has shown us that now more than ever, customers want to get outside and explore nature with friends and family," said Kumar Galhotra, president, Americas & International Markets Group, Ford Motor Company. "Timberline hits a new sweet spot with these customers who want an ideal combination of passenger space, moderate off-road capability and great manners around town."

Two consumer trends have come together to support the launch of the Timberline series. The first is the popularity of SUVs and the growing number of buyers who go off-roading. Over the last 10 years, SUVs have jumped from 36 percent to 55 percent of the U.S. market, with actual sales up from about 4.6 million units in 2011 to nearly 7.8 million in 2020. Ford Explorer owners report a 56 percent increase in off-road use over the last three years. Timberline will give customers more confidence and capability to get to their next adventure, whether it's driving to their favorite fishing site or taking a detour off the beaten path.


Explorer 1.jpgExplorer 2.jpgExplorer 3.jpgExplorer 4.jpgExplorer 5.jpgExplorer 6.jpgExplorer 7.jpg
 
The Ford Explorer Timberline Is Ford's Latest Off-Road Play Thing

Ford has so many off-road signaling trims now — Ranger Tremor, F-150 Tremor, Super Duty Tremor, Bronco, Bronco Sport, F-150 Raptor — that I’m beginning to lose track. But here is another one: the Ford Explorer Timberline.

As with most new trims, Explorer Timberline can come in a new color, called Forged Green Metallic. There is also a specialized LED lamp situation, which can be two-and-a-half times the brightness of the high beams. Here is more of the meat of it, according to Ford:

A new addition for Explorer Timberline is a Torsen® limited-slip rear differential, which automatically sends torque to the wheel with the best traction and prevents the other wheel from spinning to help keep the vehicle moving.

A standard Terrain Management System features seven drive modes – including Trail and Deep Snow/Sand – that drivers can opt for based on road or trail conditions. Standard Hill Descent Control allows the Explorer Timberline to maintain a constant speed between 2 and 12 mph, enabling drivers to focus on steering down uneven descents.

Explorer Timberline delivers on capability in the form of its standard steel skid plates. The underbody protection starts underneath the front, continues under the engine and transmission and through the rear – all to help protect key components and give customers more confidence while off-roading. Steering calibration, stabilizer bars and springs are specially tuned for Timberline – including an exclusive front rebound spring that helps prevent sudden jarring off-road.

Explorer Timberline raises the ride height 0.8 inch, thanks to a combination of more robust, off-road-capable heavy-duty shocks – originally developed for Explorer Police Interceptor – and high-sidewall Bridgestone Dueler P265/65R-18 all-terrain tires with a tread pattern that balances off-road traction and on-road quietness. This, along with unique front and rear fascias, results in an approach angle of 23.5 degrees and maximum departure angle of 23.7 degrees, plus minimum ground clearance of 8.7 inches for navigating unpaved roads and uneven trails.

 
The Ford Explorer ST For Track Students Seems Like It's Not Very Useful

This limited edition Explorer wouldn't be my first choice for a track car.

Ford Performance is showing off a special edition Ford Explorer ST at the Woodward Dream Cruise. This isn’t a shocking debut because a “performance” Explorer exists. When the Explorer got a refresh, an ST version was also announced, just in case drivers shopping for a Mustang were suddenly struck by the realization that they needed an SUV.

This one-off Explorer ST dials up the performance with a safety cage, Recaro seats, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and window nets. It keeps the 3.0-liter twin turbo V6 engine, but it’s tuned so it makes more than the stock 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. It also seems to sit lower than usual.

I audibly sighed when I saw this thing. Look, I get it. Performance SUVs are a thing. Like it or not, carmakers will keep lobbing these softballs because SUVs make money. I am perfectly OK with Aston Martin selling the DBX if that means the company will stick around to make the Valhalla. To quote my favorite TV dads, “Don’t judge, Teddy. Don’t Judge.” I won’t judge you, performance SUVs.


ST 1.jpegST 2.jpegST 3.jpeg
 
Ford Explorer ST-Line

Ford Explorer ST-Line, like the Edge ST-Line that joined the Ford SUV lineup in 2020, is positioned between XLT and Limited, with various appearance and technology upgrades to stand apart in the showroom. The model is built on a rear-wheel-drive platform with four-wheel-drive capability and is powered by the most popular Explorer powertrain, a 300-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine and 10-speed automatic transmission.

Designed for drivers who favor the performance-inspired appearance of the ST brand but don't require its full power and capability, Ford Explorer ST-Line comes with a starting MSRP that is $7,570 less than Explorer ST and $2,575 less than Explorer Enthusiast ST.

From the outside, Ford Explorer ST-Line mirrors a fully equipped Explorer ST. It rides on 20-inch machined aluminum wheels and wears ST-inspired features such as a blacked-out grille, fascia-integrated dual exhaust tips, gloss-black "EXPLORER" hood badging, and unique black-out treatment for headlamps and taillamps.


Explorer 1.jpegExplorer 2.jpegExplorer 3.jpegExplorer 4.jpegExplorer 5.jpegExplorer 6.jpegExplorer 7.jpegExplorer 8.jpegExplorer 9.jpegExplorer 10.jpeg
 
Jeep president says he feels sorry for customers that get tricked by Ford

The North American president of Jeep Jim Morrison says that he feels sympathetic towards Ford customers that get tricked into thinking their products are trail rated. Morrison makes note of the Ford Explorer Timerline in particular.

Speaking to Muscle Cars and Trucks, Morrison notes that the new Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe has been identified as a competitor for the Explorer Timberline by members of the industry. He refutes this by saying that Ford’s competitor would not be able to travel as far into the wilderness.

“I actually feel sorry for (Ford Explorer Timberline) customers that get tricked. You can paint a tow hook red. It doesn’t mean that behind the tow hook it would even hold up in the right moment that it needs to.” Morrison says.

“We design all of those Trail Rated elements from the ground up… it’s not just a marketing term, it’s capability that’s bred in. You don’t just put stickers and paint on things. We build it in with incredible capability,

“The Timberline would have made it to about *there*. That’s a 65 grade incline, and it wouldn’t have made it by there,” he adds, pointing to a picture of the Trailhawk climbing up a slope.


Snip.jpeg
 
I Love the Deception of the Ford Explorer ST's Deranged Exhaust Tips

They're not "fake," but they're certainly not "normal," and they've basically broken my brain.

Probably half of you already know what I’m talking about just from the headline. For the other half: Buckle up, pals. Because if you’ve never looked closely at the exhaust tips on the Ford Explorer ST, you’re about to enter a liminal space between truth and fakeness, a zone occupied fully and exclusively by the four rings of chrome-plated deception installed on the back of every Explorer ST that Ford has built since the high-performance variant launched in 2020.

I was inspired to write this after a visit to my local Lowe’s yesterday afternoon, when I spotted a 2020-ish Explorer ST in the parking lot. Somehow, this must have been the first time in my life that I got close enough to an ST to grasp what’s going on with these exhaust tips — and again, I know I’m late to this topic, and the Explorer superfans have all had their laugh and moved on. But this blew my mind, and now I’m sharing it with you.


1.png
2.png3.png4.png
 
Ford Is Killing The Explorer Hybrid Because Cops Are Buying All Of Them

Some of those that work forces are the same that burn less fuel with hybrid technology

If you were looking for a new large SUV with a hybrid option, Ford just pulled a couple of them from the market. The 2024 Ford Explorer Hybrid and Lincoln Aviator Hybrid just got the ax, because it wants to focus its hybrid production capabilities on the Explorer Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid model. It seems that police forces across the nation just can’t get enough of the 318-horsepower 322 pound-feet of torque hybrid monster.

Ford doesn’t publish information on how many Police Interceptor units it sells every year, but with Explorer and Aviator sales down across the board, Five Oh must be propping the model up quite a bit. Fleet sales have always been big for Ford and the Explorer, but it seems every new cop car sold these days is a Police Interceptor. The Explorer doesn’t quite have the stranglehold on the cop market as the Crown Victoria once did, but it’s got to be a strong market for Ford.

“To meet continued strong demand for the Ford Police Interceptor Utility hybrid and other Ford hybrid vehicles, the 2024 model year Explorer will only be offered with the fuel efficient 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost, which offers up to an EPA-estimated 24 mpg combined fuel economy, and the 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6,” Ford spokesperson Mike Levine commented to Green Car Reports. “Those two engines account for the majority of Explorer sales.”

The Explorer Hybrid is a pretty outmoded hybrid in today’s market anyway. It makes use of a 3.3-liter naturally-aspirated V6 and a tiny 44-horsepower electric motor on the transmission input shaft. It’s supplied by an even tinier 1.5 kWh lithium battery packaged under the rear seat. The seven-seater behemoth was EPA rated at just 25 miles per gallon in combined use, just a 2 MPG improvement over the base 2.3-liter Ecoboost model.

 
Ford Explorer

The adventure continues. Ford Explorer® - America's alltime best-selling SUV - sets a new standard again with an updated lineup of models, all featuring a redesigned interior, advanced new technology and bolder exterior styling to create Ford's best Explorer yet.

For more than three decades, Explorer has helped define SUV comfort, performance and functionality. The new 2025 Explorer lineup - from well-equipped Active to stylish ST-Line to high-performance ST and top-of-the-line Platinum - continues that legacy with a more refined cabin that features sophisticated new color, texture and material choices, and introduces the new Ford Digital Experience infotainment system.

And for the first time, Explorer drivers who opt for ST-Line, ST and Platinum models can enjoy the convenience of Ford BlueCruise hands-free highway driving.

"For nearly 35 years, families have chosen the Ford Explorer, making it America's all-time bestselling SUV. We have refined almost every part of the new Explorer - focusing on a redesigned interior, additional technology like BlueCruise hands-free highway driving and special editions like the 400 horsepower Explorer ST. It's the right combination of delivering what the next generation of customers want and love in a large SUV," said Andrew Frick, president, Ford Blue.


IMG_8672.jpegIMG_8673.jpegIMG_8674.jpegIMG_8675.jpegIMG_8676.jpeg

Ford Explorer ST


IMG_8677.jpegIMG_8678.jpegIMG_8679.jpegIMG_8680.jpegIMG_8681.jpeg
 
2025 Ford Explorer Explorer Comes With What Every Car Needs--Its Own Gaming System

Ford Plus Blue Cruise, a plush interiors and, you guessed it, a bigger screen.

An updated Ford Explorer is coming to America for the 2025 model year, and it has all the electronic bells and whistles you could ask for (and some you wouldn’t think about.)

The Ford Digital Experience has already appeared in the Lincoln Navigator as the Lincoln Digital Experience, and it’s making its big Ford in the new Explorer. The center console display grew to a 13.2-inch touchscreen. On that screen, Ford hosts a suite of apps for download and promises these apps, such as Audible and iHeartRadio will seamlessly connect with your phone and smart home devices. You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you don’t want to mess around with all that.

 
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X