2020 Ford Explorer ST and Hybrid unveiled
Fuel-sipping and heated up versions debut alongside the rest of the range in Detroit.
Breaking with industry norms, the Ford Explorer ST and Ford Explorer Hybrid have been unveiled just days after the standard models were given their debuts in the USA.
Explorer ST
Under the bonnet is a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 expected to deliver around 298kW of power and 563Nm of torque. This looks to be the same twin-turbo engine standard on the Lincoln Aviator sibling, although the ST does boast more torque.
Hooked up to a standard 10-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, the Explorer ST will have a top speed of around 230km/h. The company has yet to quote a 0-60mph (0-97km/h) time.
Car spotters can tell the ST from other Explorer models via its black mesh grille, quad exhaust outlets, beefier side skirts, Explorer lettering on the bonnet, and roof rails.
Standard features include a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation screen, flat-bottom steering wheel, bucket seats up front with leather and microfibre trim, trailer towing package, parking assistance, and plenty of ST badging.
The Street Pack and Track Pack options add 21-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers, and larger disc brakes and brake pads.
Explorer Hybrid
The greenest Explorer variant has a hybrid drivetrain with a 3.3-litre V6 at its core, and is said to deliver a total of 237kW of power.
Like other models in the Explorer range, the hybrid uses a 10-speed automatic transmission. The company says the car's liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack lives in a specially designed space beneath the second-row seats, and doesn't reduce interior comfort or cargo-carrying ability.
Ford has yet to provide an official fuel economy estimate, but says the rear-wheel drive Explorer hybrid can go for over 805 kilometres on a single tank of fuel.
Standard features on the hybrid include active noise cancellation, a 14-speaker B&O sound system, perforated leather seat trim, wireless phone charging, heated first and second row seats, and 10-way power adjustment for the front row pews.
Australia
Last week Damion Smy, Ford Australia's communications manager, told CarAdvice, "There’s no plan for a RHD Explorer to join the new Endura, Everest, Escape and EcoSport in Australian showrooms".
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