The eco SUV from America

Some people may have flirted with the Explorer while on vacation in the USA because they can no longer see the established competitors of Mercedes, Audi and BMW in this country. But a private import of the most famous Ford SUV is not for everyone and usually involves a lot of paperwork and high costs.

Stately prices for the Ford Explorer PHEV

Now Ford is officially opening the door and starting the delivery of its top SUV model in Europe. However, the luxury liner is not cheap. Prices start from 76.000 euros for the ST equipment. The platinum version costs 77.000 euros. However, no price list is required for this. All things that usually have to be paid extra for the German competitors are already on board as standard with the fat American. Seen in this way, the price is relativized and the Explorer could almost pass as a bargain.

Guaranteed an outsider - the Ford Explorer PHEV

Anyone who knows the American car culture knows that the diesel engine does not play a role in the USA. This means that the question of whether the Explorer is also available as a diesel engine is superfluous. Answer: no. Ford could have done this somehow, but the adaptation of a diesel unit plus its entire exhaust gas aftertreatment would simply have become too complex and expensive and would have been in no relation to the small numbers that Ford can sell in Europe. Because the Explorer is and remains an outsider in the Old World. It is only bought by those customers who consciously want to stand out from the crowd with an American SUV.

825 Newton meters and ten gears, the Ford Explorer PHEV shows off the numbers!

But since the Explorer as a conventional gasoline engine would not stand a chance with us, the Ford strategists immediately nailed it: a plug-in hybrid drive works under the hood. Hybrid technology is by no means new territory for Ford. On the contrary, the manufacturer is considered an electrification pioneer among US brands. A three-liter gasoline engine is used in the Explorer in conjunction with an electric motor. Together they produce 336 kW / 457 PS. The torque is even more impressive: the system sends 825 Newton meters to ten-speed automatic. Many diesel drivers dream of this. This makes the Explorer Ford's most powerful hybrid vehicle ever, capable of sprinting from zero to 100 km / h in just six seconds.

Whispering on the highway

But that's not how you drive the US car. The Explorer teaches you to be serene from the very first few kilometers. It embodies the sovereign glider who has nothing to do with sporting ambitions and radiates calm, of course also because of its electric drive. Anyone who is out and about in an urban environment can only hear a faint whisper. In the so-called EV auto mode, the electronics decide when which motor takes over the propulsion, always taking care to get from A to B as efficiently as possible. If the "EV Now" program is selected, the Explorer will roll electrically until its battery is empty. With a capacity of 13,6 kWh, this is the case after 44 kilometers at the latest, at least according to the WLTP standard. In everyday life there are significantly less.

The first Explorer with a plug

In "EV Later" mode, the battery charge is saved for later use, for example for an environmental zone. And anyone who has to reach their destination with a fully charged battery presses "EV charging". The latter is poor in terms of efficiency because gasoline has to be converted into electrical energy, but depending on the situation, there is sometimes no other way. Charging via a power cord and socket makes more sense (hence the name plug-in). A normal house connection takes just under six hours. The Explorer would have to park for around four and a half hours at a public charging station.

WLPT consumption of 3.1 liters!

If you have enough charging discipline and always hang the car on the cable when the battery calls for it, you can move the 2,5-ton SUV with less than five liters over 100 kilometers. Ford promises 3,1 liters after the WLTP cycle, but this can only be achieved under laboratory-like conditions. Those who are lazy to load just force the six-cylinder to work will quickly drift into the double-digit consumption range.

PHEV with a trailer load of up to 2.5 tons

The fact that the Explorer lives up to its name and can also discover other territories than flat highways is shown by its complex all-wheel drive system and its software. Motto: could if I wanted. A total of seven driving programs can be controlled: Normal, Sport, Unpaved Road, Slippery, Load / Trailer, Eco and one setting for deep snow or loose sand. Nothing stands in the way of the next expedition. And horse and boat owners shouldn't be denied: the Explorer can be used as a workhorse. If necessary, it pulls trailers weighing up to 2,5 tons.

Space giant included

The American also scores points when it comes to the package, if only by its sheer size of 5,06 x 2,29 x 1,78 meters. The dimensions may be a big handicap in the city and especially in German parking garages, but the Explorer makes up for it on overland trips and trips. There is more space behind the front seats than in the largest station wagon, to be precise: 2.274 liters. The storage space inside adds up to 123 liters, and twelve cup holders should also be enough for the largest family outing.

8 million explorers to date

The Explorer is built in Chicago. To this day, this series is the best-selling SUV in North America. In 1990 the first generation appeared, today we are at the 6th edition. Since then, over eight million units have rolled off the production line. In contrast, the 2.000 Explorer that Ford hopes to sell each year in Germany is a homeopathic dose. Buyers can therefore be sure of a certain degree of exclusivity.