Photo: explorerforum.com
Previously based on a front-wheel-drive platform, the Ford Explorer switched to RWD for the 2020 model year. The Blue Oval had a lot of trouble getting this fellow off the line due to quality control-related issues, but still, the automaker weathered that storm just nicely.
With 2023 just around the corner, the Ford Explorer is due a mid-cycle refresh that’s leaked out early in Chinese specification. Pictures of the Changan Ford-built model are plastered on many forums at press time, and they all feature a supersized landscape-oriented touchscreen infotainment system.
Inspired by the Ford Evos, the ginormous display is complemented by two central vents under which you’ll find some vital buttons for things like the hazard lights. A large cubby hole is located at the very front of the center console that hides the 10R60 automatic transmission. The main difference between it and the 10R80 in the Ranger and F-150 pickups is torque capacity, as in 600 Nm (443 pound-feet) compared to 800 Nm (590 lb-ft).
A rotary gear shift dial on the driver side and two cupholders on the passenger side also need to be mentioned, along with a digital instrument cluster and a two-tone steering wheel with the Ford logo taped off. That detail is particularly interesting because the infotainment system’s start-up screen reads E X P L O R E R, as do the license plates and liftgate badges of two demo vehicles. What’s more, the exterior badges aren’t taped off.
The redesigned headlamps are a bit… well, iffy compared to the pre-facelift model. The upper and lower grille as well as the side vents of the bumper aren’t particularly charming either. As for the rear valance panel that incorporates odd exhaust finishers, that’s a hard pass in my book.
In the Chinese market, Changan Ford currently offers the pre-facelift Explorer with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost. No V6 option, sorry! In this part of the world, the four-cylinder turbo mill develops 203 kilowatts (272 horsepower) at 6,000 revolutions per minute and 425 Nm (313 pound-feet) at 3,500 rpm.
Inspired by the Ford Evos, the ginormous display is complemented by two central vents under which you’ll find some vital buttons for things like the hazard lights. A large cubby hole is located at the very front of the center console that hides the 10R60 automatic transmission. The main difference between it and the 10R80 in the Ranger and F-150 pickups is torque capacity, as in 600 Nm (443 pound-feet) compared to 800 Nm (590 lb-ft).
A rotary gear shift dial on the driver side and two cupholders on the passenger side also need to be mentioned, along with a digital instrument cluster and a two-tone steering wheel with the Ford logo taped off. That detail is particularly interesting because the infotainment system’s start-up screen reads E X P L O R E R, as do the license plates and liftgate badges of two demo vehicles. What’s more, the exterior badges aren’t taped off.
The redesigned headlamps are a bit… well, iffy compared to the pre-facelift model. The upper and lower grille as well as the side vents of the bumper aren’t particularly charming either. As for the rear valance panel that incorporates odd exhaust finishers, that’s a hard pass in my book.
In the Chinese market, Changan Ford currently offers the pre-facelift Explorer with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost. No V6 option, sorry! In this part of the world, the four-cylinder turbo mill develops 203 kilowatts (272 horsepower) at 6,000 revolutions per minute and 425 Nm (313 pound-feet) at 3,500 rpm.
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