November 10th 2016
The next-gen Ford Explorer was recently caught testing somewhere. The spy shots show that the upcoming crossover is going to be larger than the current Explorer in the market. Judging from the spy shots, we believe the next-gen Ford Explorer will make an abundant use of aluminum on doors, hood and other parts. Ford’s aluminum suppliers, Alcoa and Novelis, have also been innovating to produce a more reliable and sturdy aluminum, but it is not ready to be used in the cars yet.
According to the new EPA standards, all the vehicles should meet the minimum fuel requirement of 54.5 mpg by 2025 and Ford is working hard toward reducing the overall weight of its SUVs and crossovers, and to boost the fuel economy. With an extensive of aluminum components, we believe that the next-gen Ford Explorer might also weigh lesser than the current 2017 Ford Explorer.
Like the 2017 Ford Explorer, the new Explorer will also be a front-wheel drive, while an all-wheel drive variant will be optional. We don’t have any updates regarding the powertrain specifications or when exactly will the new Ford Explorer arrive at the dealerships. It might make its official debut sometime in 2018.