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2020 Ford Explorer Shows Off Plasticky Cabin

What the carparazzi spied this time around is the Platinum, the range-topping trim level of the 2020 Explorer. But as opposed to previous galleries, this one is rounded off by a clear look at the cabin design.
2020 Ford Explorer Platinum 11 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
2020 Ford Explorer Platinum2020 Ford Explorer Platinum2020 Ford Explorer Platinum2020 Ford Explorer Platinum2020 Ford Explorer Platinum2020 Ford Explorer Platinum2020 Ford Explorer Platinum2020 Ford Explorer Platinum2020 Ford Explorer Platinum2020 Ford Explorer Platinum
The prototype spied this time around features the Platinum badge on the left side of the tailgate. The EcoBoost 4WD on the right-hand side is ridiculously small by comparison, and as the name implies, a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine is complemented by the quad-tailpipe exhaust system.

We’re still not too sure about the quality of the plastic used on the side skirts, wheel arches, and either bumper. On the other hand, the chrome on the grille is as bling-bling as you’d expect from the Platinum.

Moving on to the interior, the upper part of the dashboard is definitely interesting by Ford standards. The moment you start going lower than the HVAC system, you’ll notice the problem that hampers down most Ford models. More to the point, it's the low-quality plastic. Adding insult to injury, there’s an unusual combination of gloss, matte, painted chrome, faux wood, and plastic surfaces that mess up the feng shui of the cabin.

As much as we want to like the 2020 Explorer, Ford didn’t put as much of an effort into this SUV as Lincoln did with the 2020 Aviator. On the upside, the digital instrument cluster and plethora of cubbies make the Explorer as versatile as it gets for this segment.

Like the Aviator, this fellow here is a mid-size SUV with three rows of seats, the 10-speed SpeedShift automatic transmission, and 400 pound-feet of torque. As opposed to the Lincoln, Ford will offer the Explorer with a hybridized 3.3-liter Ti-VCT instead of the plug-in hybrid 3.0-liter EcoBoost.

In the case of the 2020 Police Interceptor Utility, even the hybrid-less Ti-VCT V6 is paired to the 10-speed transmission and all-wheel-drive. It remains to be seen what sort of output the entry-level engine will develop in this application, but for reference, the F-150 with the 3.3-liter comes with start/stop, 290 horsepower, and 265 pound-feet of torque.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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