Photo: Ford
All-new from the ground up for the 2020 model year, the Explorer has a more luxurious brother in the guise of the Aviator. Both models are available with electrified powertrains, and the Ford Motor Company knows that going green comes at a cost for Chicago.
Automotive News reports that $50 million will be invested into a modification center near the Chicago Assembly Plant, a facility that will handle the final assembly of the Explorer Hybrid and Aviator Plug-In Hybrid. The modification center used to be the stomping ground for the Police Interceptor.
The main production line in Chicago is reserved for gasoline-exclusive options of the mid-size SUVs, which are offered with four- and six-cylinder powerplants connected to the 10R80 automatic transmission. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost joins the 3.0-liter EcoBoost and a 3.3-liter naturally aspirated V6, and both nameplates ride on the CD6 platform which will be shared with the Mustang.
Turning our attention back to the electrified options, it’s understood that Ford will ship vehicles to the modification center to undergo final assembly then send them back to the plant for a final check on the customer acceptance line. To this effect, 450 temporary union workers will be converted to full-time workers at the assembly and stamping plants.
Such a move will ultimately translate into a boost in production in 2020, more so if you remember that SUVs are all the rage in this day and age. The demand keeps improving year over year, and the Explorer has always been one of the most popular SUVs in the mid-size segment.
Care to guess how much these babies cost? From the get-go, make that $36,675 for the Explorer XLT with rear-wheel drive, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost, an amenities such as a powered liftgate and 8.0-inch SYNC 3 touchscreen infotainment. Over at Lincoln, the Aviator is a bit more expensive at $51,100 from the get-go but it’s also more luxurious than the half-sibling with the Blue Oval badge.
The main production line in Chicago is reserved for gasoline-exclusive options of the mid-size SUVs, which are offered with four- and six-cylinder powerplants connected to the 10R80 automatic transmission. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost joins the 3.0-liter EcoBoost and a 3.3-liter naturally aspirated V6, and both nameplates ride on the CD6 platform which will be shared with the Mustang.
Turning our attention back to the electrified options, it’s understood that Ford will ship vehicles to the modification center to undergo final assembly then send them back to the plant for a final check on the customer acceptance line. To this effect, 450 temporary union workers will be converted to full-time workers at the assembly and stamping plants.
Such a move will ultimately translate into a boost in production in 2020, more so if you remember that SUVs are all the rage in this day and age. The demand keeps improving year over year, and the Explorer has always been one of the most popular SUVs in the mid-size segment.
Care to guess how much these babies cost? From the get-go, make that $36,675 for the Explorer XLT with rear-wheel drive, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost, an amenities such as a powered liftgate and 8.0-inch SYNC 3 touchscreen infotainment. Over at Lincoln, the Aviator is a bit more expensive at $51,100 from the get-go but it’s also more luxurious than the half-sibling with the Blue Oval badge.
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