Ford Explorer review

We watch American movies, use American social media and spend billions on American goods. But the Ford Explorer – like root beer – is one of those products our transatlantic cousins love that have never had much of an impact in the UK.

That was, until now – at least in name. The Ford Explorer we're reviewing here is available in the UK but is very different to Explorers of old. Firstly, it's much smaller, and secondly it's an electric SUV with a battery pack rather than a petrol or diesel tank.

In fact, it has more in common with modern VW car models than the all-American trucks Ford sells in its home market. Ford secured VW’s electric car tech in exchange for sending van mechanicals the other way, and the Explorer shares lots of parts with the Volkswagen ID 4.

So is the Ford Explorer better than the ID 4, and how does it compare with other rivals, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Renault Scenic? Let’s find out…

The entry-level Ford Explorer has a relatively small 52kWh battery and an official range of 239 miles. It's quick enough, with a 0-62mph time of 8.7 seconds, but we think it's worth stepping up to the Extended Range RWD (rear-wheel drive) version.

That gets you a 77kWh battery and a much more useful official range of up to 374 between charges, or 354 miles on the bigger alloy wheels you get with range-topping Premium trim. That's further than the equivalent VW ID 4 (339 miles) and similar to the Kia EV6 (361) and Renault Scenic (379).

The Explorer Extended Range RWD's electric motor delivers a healthy 282bhp to the rear wheels, making it quite a bit nippier than the Scenic (0-62mph takes 6.4 seconds), but you can have even more pace if you go for the Extended Range AWD – all-wheel-drive – version.

It has twin electric motors together producing 335bhp, and giving an official 0-62mph time of 5.3 seconds – quicker than the Ford Focus ST hot hatch. The price you pay for that pace (beyond the higher price) is that the official range drops to 329 miles, despite the slightly bigger (79kWh) battery.

Like most other electric cars, the Explorer has regenerative braking to put energy back into the battery as it decelerates. It’s far less intrusive than the system in the Ford Mustang Mach-E and more consistent than the ID 4's, making it easier to slow the car.

If you select B mode for maximum regen, the Explorer slows so dramatically when you lift off the accelerator that you hardly need to touch the brake pedal at all – although it doesn't quite allow for one-pedal driving.

The Explorer is not available with adaptive suspension to let you adjust how firm the ride is, but it's much more forgiving over larger bumps and potholes than the Mustang Mach-E. The AWD version seems to cope a bit better than the RWD on the same size wheels, but still bobbles around on uneven surfaces so it's not as comfy as a Scenic.

Compensation for the slightly unsettled ride comes in the form of composed handling. The Explorer leans less through corners than many electric SUVs including the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Scenic, and its steering responds in a fairly reassuring way.

The Explorer is a quiet motorway cruiser that keeps wind noise and motor whine to a minimum, but you sometimes hear thunks from the suspension during town driving.

"The brake pedals in electric VW’s are known for being a little tricky to use because they give very little feedback, so I was pleasantly surprised that the Explorer’s were much better than the related ID 4's." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The first thing that catches your eye when you climb into the Ford Explorer is the huge (14.6in) portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen. Unusually, the screen has a feature called Sync Move, which basically means it can tilt towards you, allowing you to find an angle that works best for you (the screens in most electric SUVs are fixed).

It’s disappointing that, with very few buttons or dials, you operate most features with the touchscreen, but at least the climate controls are always shown at the bottom of the screen. What’s more, the screen is responsive to your prods and has crisp graphics.

What’s less impressive is that the icons for switching between menus are small and positioned closely together, which makes them fiddly and distracting to use when you're driving. Plus, most menus don’t have a back button, meaning you have to return to the home screen if you make a mistake.

Fortunately, the Explorer gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring as standard so you can bypass Ford’s own infotainment software. Meanwhile, key driving information – such as your speed, efficiency and remaining range – is shown on the 5.3in digital driver's display behind the steering wheel.

The unusually square wheel means your view of the display is not obstructed the way it is in the Ford Mustang Mach-E. On the minus side, the steering wheel's touch-sensitive buttons are very frustrating to use (as they are in the related VW ID 4).

The Explorer's driving seat is good for the most part, providing good lower back and shoulder support, although the base is a little short. There's a wide range of adjustment, which is upgraded to electric adjustment on top-spec Premium trim, but the steering column could do with a greater range of reach adjustment.

There are some visibility issues, with the wide windscreen pillars sometimes getting in the way at junctions, and the shallow rear window and rearmost side windows limiting your over-the-shoulder view. Fortunately, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are on hand to help during low-speed manoeuvres. A 360-degree camera is available as part of an optional Driver Assist Pack.

The Explorer's interior has more visual wow factor than the ID 4’s and quality is more consistent front to back but the plastics used are mostly hard. It’s similar in that respect to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. The Renault Scenic interior is better overall.

"The Explorer's standard-fit seven-speaker stereo with sound bar is pretty good, but I think top-spec Premium trim’s 10-speaker B&O system will be a must-have for music lovers." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Some electric SUVs have more front-seat leg and shoulder room than the Ford Explorer but you won’t feel cramped behind the wheel, even if you're tall and broad.

Two six-footers will be comfortable in the back whether or not Premium trim’s panoramic glass roof is fitted, but won't have as much space to stretch out as in a Kia EV6 or Renault Scenic. On the up side, the Explorer – and its rivals – have a flat floor, so there’s plenty of room for everyone’s feet, even with three in the back.

The back seats in the Explorer fold down in a 60/40 split to allow you to create a bigger load bay, and there's a ski hatch in the middle so you can feed through long, narrow items. (The EV6 seats fold down in a more versatile 40/20/40 split.)

You also get a height-adjustable boot floor, and with all three seats folded down and the floor in its highest setting, you’re left with a flat extended load area. There's space for your charging cables under the adjustable floor.

With all five seats in use you get up to 470 litres of boot space. That's quite a lot less than the slightly longer VW ID 4 (543 litres) and the Renault Scenic (545 litres). Note that the Explorer and its direct rivals are not available with a third row of seats. If you need to fit in more passengers, see our best seven-seaters page.

The Explorer doesn't have a front boot as some electric cars do, but in-car storage is fantastic. There’s a 17-litre MegaConsole cubby between the front seats, with space for a laptop or three 1.5-litre bottles, plus a compartment below the infotainment screen. When you get out of the car, the screen locks in place to protect valuables in the "secret" compartment.

"Given that the Explorer’s boot is smaller than some rivals', I think it’s a shame it doesn’t have a luggage area under the bonnet, which you do get in the Kia EV6." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The Ford Explorer Extended Range RWD is priced roughly in line with equivalent versions of the Kia EV6 and VW ID 4 but looks expensive compared with a front-wheel-drive Renault Scenic.

To get close to the Scenic's price, you’ll need to wait for the Explorer to be available in its cheapest trim – called Style – which is due on sale soon but will only be available with the smaller battery.

It’s also worth noting that the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Explorer is only available in the top trim, Premium, and costs more than four-wheel-drive versions of the Kia EV6 and VW ID 4 (there's no four-wheel-drive Scenic).

Still, all Explorers are well equipped. The new entry-level Style trim comes with 19in alloy wheels, keyless entry, LED headlights with auto high beam, adaptive cruise control and dual-zone climate control.

Going for mid-spec Select trim adds loads more luxuries, including heated front seats, a massaging driver's seat, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and start, and wireless phone-charging.

Upgrading to Premium trim adds ambient interior lighting, a powered tailgate, a panoramic glass sunroof, 20in alloy wheels (instead of 19s) and matrix LED headlights (which can remain on high beam without dazzling other drivers). You don't get an EV heat pump though – if you want one of those, you'll have to pay extra.

If you want the Explorer with the fastest charging speed, you'll need the Extended Range AWD, which can officially "refuel" at up to 185kW. The Extended Range RWD hits 135kW while the Standard Range RWD manages 145kW. In the real world, that means a 10-80% charge with a fast charger should take about 25 minutes.

When it was tested for safety by Euro NCAP, the Explorer scored the full five stars, which is good news, but nothing unusual among modern electric SUVs.

The Explorer is too new to have been included in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Ford finished 14th out of 31 brands, beating VW. Renault and Kia did better.

The Explorer’s warranty lasts for three years or 60,000 miles, which is a bit disappointing compared with the five-year, unlimited mileage warranty you get with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the Kia EV6. Ford covers the battery for eight years or 100,000 miles.

"I'm really impressed by how much equipment the Explorer gets as standard, but you might still want to add the optional heat pump, which makes heating the interior more efficient." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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