The competition for supremacy in the three-row mid-sized SUV segment has been heating up for several years. Consumers have been shying away from sedans and coupes, such as the Ford Taurus, the Chevrolet Impala, and the Dodge Intrepid, and leaning more towards crossovers and SUVs. The thing is that modern technology has made it possible for families to travel around in style, with plenty of room to spare, without having to give up excellent fuel economy.
But the problem for carmakers is that since the segment is heating up so much, they are scrambling to do anything possible to get a leg up on the competition. Ford has been known to have an advantage in the full-sized pickup truck segments, but when it comes to SUVs, the overall score of 49 that Consumer Reports gave the 2023 Ford Explorer shows that it is about time for Ford Motor Company to make a change.
A change is why so many people are excited about the new 2024 Ford Explorer. There are a ton of rumors floating around the internet, with many of them being based upon the previous model years of the Explorer and the current model years of many of the immediate rival SUVs, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Honda Pilot, or even the Toyota Highlander or Chevrolet Traverse. The point is that a new version of the Ford Explorer is already for sale, just not in the Western Hemisphere.
China has already been shown a new generation of the Explorer via an internet show (because the live show was canceled), so it is more than safe to say that the new generation seen here could be similar to the one the Chinese marketplace is seeing now. So, with that in mind, let's look at a few ways the new Ford Explorer will raise the mid-sized SUV to new heights.
Consumers in the Northern Hemisphere like to have options when they order a vehicle from the manufacturer. They also like to have options when buying a brand-new SUV from a new car dealership, not to mention when looking for a like-new used model. The point is that Ford knows that the market demands choices of drivetrains, and they are more than happy to offer them.
Just like the current 2023 model, the Explorer could offer at least three choices when it comes to what comes under the hood. The first will be the standard 300-horsepower turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder. The second choice will come with some of the high-level trim offers, a 400-horsepower twin-turbo 3.3-liter six-cylinder. The final option is the hybrid model that joined the lineup in 2020. It has a 3.3-liter V-6 engine and one electric motor for a combined horsepower rating of 318.
The hope is that an all-electric drivetrain will also be added to the lineup, but the timing is a little off. Ford is in the process of modifying its factory in Ontario to build five new EVs, hopefully including a new electric Ford Explorer. That remodel is a couple of years out, though, so even though we would love to see an electric Explorer, it will probably not be seen until 2025 or 2026.
One thing that all of you are waiting for the most is whether Ford makes the leap and designs a Ford Explorer that is driven entirely with an electric drivetrain. For example, since the 2024 Ford Explorer ST will already be the most athletic of the group since it is the sport version of the Explorer, it would make sense to create an Explorer EV based on the Explorer King Ranch or Explorer Platinum, one of the upper trim levels engineered for luxury and comfort.
An EV is a great way to travel cross country or across the state, so it would simply make sense for Ford to give the top trim levels of the Explorer the first chance at receiving an all-electric drivetrain. An electric drivetrain would propel the Ford Explorer to a whole new level, gaining some of the ground the SUV has lost over the last few years to its more heated rivals.
The refresh on the 2024 Ford Explorer could be similar to what the Chinese version of the SUV underwent, except catering a little more towards Western consumers. One of the things that you can bet on is that the front end will be revamped to look more aggressive, which is one of the big selling points of the sixth-generation Ford Bronco.
The front grille should be larger with slimmer but more pronounced LED lights. The bumper will wrap around into air intakes, leading to the sides that will stay unchanged since the previous year. The body panels on the sides of the Explorer have been carried over for another year because they have become one of the tell-tale signature signs of the SUV, leading the eyes back through the curves of the sides towards the back, where more changes have been made.
A chrome strip has been placed along the bottom edge of the window, with LED lights installed horizontally on each outer edge for the taillights and rear blinkers. The rear bumper was also revised with a thicker skid plate and dual exhausts to improve the engine's performance.
The most significant changes to the 2024 Ford Explorer will not be on the outside of the SUV or even under the hood of the vehicle. The biggest changes will be found inside the cockpit. New technology comes out onto the market faster than you can read this informative piece, so you can see how easy it is for car makers to have state-of-the-art technology that you may not have heard of before. For now, you can rest assured that a couple of changes to the new 2024 Explorer will happen (at least they should, anyway.)
The infotainment center inside the Ford Explorer in China is 27 inches in a horizontally designed display. The touchscreen in the US and Canada is only 8 inches, with a 10.1-inch upgrade available, both vertically designed displays. There have been rumblings through the grapevine that people think the 56-inch display in the Mercedes EQS is simply too much, so the Ford Explorer we get here may not have as large of a screen as the one seen in China. However, it should still have a bigger screen than it currently does.
Since everyone is so excited about the release of the 2024 Explorer, it is best to discuss the release date first. Unfortunately for all of you that have gotten your hopes up for an early chance to order, it is expected that the 2024 Ford Explorer, Explorer ST, Explorer XLT, and any other trim level that they decide to offer will begin to appear on the market at the end of this year, or the beginning of next.
The hope is that by the end of summer when the other models begin to start appearing on the market that the 2024 Ford Explorer will make its appearance, but since the executives at Ford Motor Company will not give anyone a straight answer, it could be as late as the first part of the following year depending upon the availability of any new software and computer chips that they need for production.