Photo: Instagram | Kelsonik
In production for a little over four years, with the assembly taking place in the United States and China, the sixth-generation Ford Explorer has already received a mid-cycle refresh. The facelift was introduced for the 2022 model year when it also received a rear-wheel drive variant of the ST, a hybrid Platinum, and a few other revisions.
Between us, the latest iteration Ford Explorer looks good. It has a somewhat boxy appearance, an imposing grille flanked by the headlamps, simple taillights, lower parts of the body decorated by plastic cladding that makes it look a bit more utilitarian. Nonetheless, we reckon it could become more appealing from a styling perspective with a new face, and so does kelsonik, who came up with a new rendering recently that puts a more serious smile on the face of the SUV.
You do know where the new face came from, don't you? Yep, that would be the 2024 Ford Mustang GT. Decorated by the typical emblem, the muscle car's grille was adapted to fit the design, and it is narrower and taller here. The bumper has bigger side vents and central air intake, and the LED headlights look far better than the ones equipping the real high-riding vehicle. Last but not least, the pixel manipulator gave it a vented hood similar to the one of the pony car, which no longer features the Explorer lettering above the grille.
As a matter of fact, this isn't where they drew the line because if you look closely, you will also see that the black cladding was painted in the same color as the rest of the exterior. The wheels were enlarged, and they fill the arches way better with the king-sized appearance. The ground clearance was left pretty much the same. Nonetheless, an even sportier-looking variant of the Explorer would need some chassis enhancements and uprated brakes to handle the added power better.
Such a model deserves a V8 under the hood, like the Mustang's Coyote lump. The 5.0-liter unit develops 480 hp and 415 lb-ft (563 Nm) of torque in the GT configuration and 500 hp and 418 lb-ft (567 Nm) in the Dark Horse. That would be a boost over the Explorer ST's 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, which kicks out 400 hp, working in concert with a ten-speed automatic transmission. At 415 lb-ft (563 Nm), the thrust is identical. The 2023 Explorer ST carries an MSRP of $50,005, slotting between the Limited and King Ranch. The latter is also the most expensive, priced from $54,075 before destination. The Platinum can be yours from $53,820, and for the entry-level variant, which is known as the Base, the Blue Oval is asking at least $36,760.
You do know where the new face came from, don't you? Yep, that would be the 2024 Ford Mustang GT. Decorated by the typical emblem, the muscle car's grille was adapted to fit the design, and it is narrower and taller here. The bumper has bigger side vents and central air intake, and the LED headlights look far better than the ones equipping the real high-riding vehicle. Last but not least, the pixel manipulator gave it a vented hood similar to the one of the pony car, which no longer features the Explorer lettering above the grille.
As a matter of fact, this isn't where they drew the line because if you look closely, you will also see that the black cladding was painted in the same color as the rest of the exterior. The wheels were enlarged, and they fill the arches way better with the king-sized appearance. The ground clearance was left pretty much the same. Nonetheless, an even sportier-looking variant of the Explorer would need some chassis enhancements and uprated brakes to handle the added power better.
Such a model deserves a V8 under the hood, like the Mustang's Coyote lump. The 5.0-liter unit develops 480 hp and 415 lb-ft (563 Nm) of torque in the GT configuration and 500 hp and 418 lb-ft (567 Nm) in the Dark Horse. That would be a boost over the Explorer ST's 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, which kicks out 400 hp, working in concert with a ten-speed automatic transmission. At 415 lb-ft (563 Nm), the thrust is identical. The 2023 Explorer ST carries an MSRP of $50,005, slotting between the Limited and King Ranch. The latter is also the most expensive, priced from $54,075 before destination. The Platinum can be yours from $53,820, and for the entry-level variant, which is known as the Base, the Blue Oval is asking at least $36,760.
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