This is our first chance to see Ford develop the refreshed Explorer ST. This one is on the road in Dearborn, Michigan.
Engineers cover this Explorer with quite a bit of camouflage, making it hard to see the changes. From the way the liner adheres to the body, it looks like the inlets in the outer corners are bigger. The entrance to the lower fascia appears to be narrower vertically but wider horizontally. Our spies report that the headlights appear to have a new shape, but it’s hard to see in the photos.
11 Pictures
At the rear, the Explorer could have new taillights. Otherwise, there are no visible changes. The ST continues to have a pair of exhaust pipes on either side of the tail.
Although this explorer has its windows closed, we cannot take a good look at the dashboard to see if there are any changes. In China, Ford is giving the SUV-market-specific version a massive 27-inch horizontal screen that dominates the dashboard. We don’t yet know if the Blue Oval would bring such a big change to the updated model in the US.
The current Explorer ST comes with a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that develops 400 horsepower (298 kilowatts) and 415 pound-feet (565 Newton-meters) of torque. Power goes through a 10-speed automatic, and buyers can select rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. There is no indication yet if the updated model will include changes to this configuration.
It’s unclear when Ford would introduce the refreshed Explorer ST. It just received updates for the 2022 model year.
Last year, a memo from Ford to suppliers said the automaker was pushing back the start of production of the EV versions of the Explorer and Lincoln Aviator until December 2024, rather than the original plan to start building them in mid-2023. Part of the reason for this change was allegedly to boost Mustang Mach-E assembly at the Cuautitlan plant in Mexico.
This is our first chance to see Ford develop the refreshed Explorer ST. This one is on the road in Dearborn, Michigan.
Engineers cover this Explorer with quite a bit of camouflage, making it hard to see the changes. From the way the liner adheres to the body, it looks like the inlets in the outer corners are bigger. The entrance to the lower fascia appears to be narrower vertically but wider horizontally. Our spies report that the headlights appear to have a new shape, but it’s hard to see in the photos.
11 Pictures
At the rear, the Explorer could have new taillights. Otherwise, there are no visible changes. The ST continues to have a pair of exhaust pipes on either side of the tail.
Although this explorer has its windows closed, we cannot take a good look at the dashboard to see if there are any changes. In China, Ford is giving the SUV-market-specific version a massive 27-inch horizontal screen that dominates the dashboard. We don’t yet know if the Blue Oval would bring such a big change to the updated model in the US.
The current Explorer ST comes with a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 that develops 400 horsepower (298 kilowatts) and 415 pound-feet (565 Newton-meters) of torque. Power goes through a 10-speed automatic, and buyers can select rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. There is no indication yet if the updated model will include changes to this configuration.
It’s unclear when Ford would introduce the refreshed Explorer ST. It just received updates for the 2022 model year.
Last year, a memo from Ford to suppliers said the automaker was pushing back the start of production of the EV versions of the Explorer and Lincoln Aviator until December 2024, rather than the original plan to start building them in mid-2023. Part of the reason for this change was allegedly to boost Mustang Mach-E assembly at the Cuautitlan plant in Mexico.
