VM Test Ford Explorer PHEV: It doesn't get more American than this!

You always meet twice in life! This also applies to the Ford Explorer with the license plate K-EX 224 E and us: After the driving presentation, the hybrid giant returned as a test vehicle – and remained the wrinkled, angular cowboy it always was. No wonder – it is assembled in Chicago, Illinois, the only somewhat European metropolis in the Midwest, which otherwise prefers pickups and large ladder frame SUVs derived from them. Further south, by the way, Rivian production is currently starting in a former Mitsubishi factory – similar models, but purely electric.

Strong performance thanks to a lot of power and torque

For US standards, the 5.06-meter-long and empty 2.5-ton block is "Midsize," while in Europe, the plug-in rather competes with the upper mid-size SUV class like the Audi Q7 and Co. and is quite different here: Where the premiums feature accurate decorative stitching and various types of leather, the skins in the Explorer are laid so loosely as if it had already covered millions of miles, which at least has the advantage that nothing can be deformed anymore. The plastics used are also of a rather inexpensive nature.

But it has been endowed with a lot of power and sound, a total of 457 hp and 825 Nm from the combustion engine and e-machine, which the cowboy shoots from the hip at 2,500 rpm, ensuring rapid progress, always accompanied by the V6 sound of the large 3.0-liter Ecoboost, which shoots the large caliber to 100 km/h in 6.0 seconds if necessary. The intermediate sprint from 80 to 120 km/h is ticked off in 3.3 seconds. Power and torque are always delivered by a ten-speed automatic! The sound always subtly reminds of the old Mustang V8s with its metallic undertones: Although two cylinders are missing from the "Ecobooster," it is clearly audible as a Ford.

After about 30 kilometers electrically, it's over with eco

The equipment: Complete, including two foldable extra seats in the third row, and while the premium customers are still smoking over their eternal price lists, the Explorer's construction order is already in Chicago – there's not much choice – metallic paint, if you don't want it in white – that's it! This differentiates the Explorer from all other models: While the Asians hardly offer portions in this size and the Europeans only taste premium in this segment, Ford just throws the big steak into the ring. The only competition would be the upcoming Jeep Cherokee, which, however, has to make do with a more delicate, finer four-cylinder turbo. It shares the short electric range with it: Official 42 kilometers meant the Explorer was disqualified from the plug-in subsidy in 2022, unnecessarily increasing its cost.

And because everything here is so lavish except for the range and detail quality, the same applies to consumption: At the end of our test round, the Explorer enjoyed 7.3 l/100 km and 7.9 kWh/100 km – when the battery is empty – which was the case for us after 31.3 kilometers – there’s not much to be done in the single-digit range on long-distance routes anymore. And if you ride the explorer into the prairie and enjoy that it can also go off-road and doesn't take offense due to its robust appearance. If you want to return to the city, you can also recharge the battery with the V6 beforehand, which, however, increases fuel consumption additionally and is energetically completely inefficient.

The cost calculation mainly revealed high insurance rates

In terms of costs, we noticed less about leasing rates or consumption, but rather the insurance, which was as expensive as never before for a test vehicle with the Explorer. What puzzled us a bit, as the Explorer has to queue far behind BMW X5, Range Rover, and Co. in terms of attractiveness to thieves, and spare parts prices don't seem exorbitantly high either. And the few Explorer drivers we have seen so far did not stand out for wild driving, rather the opposite.

Because the driving behavior itself is characterized by sovereign casualness – the somewhat indirect steering fits just as well with the character as the sovereign but not too soft suspension, and the leisurely search of the ten-speed converter for the various transmission possibilities – which can be fine-tuned depending on the ground with a driving program. Using rotary knobs, which also exist for climate control – the rest is controlled or touched via the vertically oriented 10.1-inch central screen, although the Explorer's voice recognition is rather mediocre and hardly understands abstract commands.

Hard to convey to Europeans

So most Europeans will hardly understand it, because with its robust design, it is aimed at the many commuters in the vast US suburbs who can charge at home and at the office and (still) don't worry about fuel consumption on really long distances. There are exactly three prices for it: The ST-Line starts at 65,882.36 euros net (that's 78,400 euros gross), the more chromed "Platinum" costs a thousand more gross, meaning 66,723 euros net or 79,400 euros gross. A trailer hitch costs 798.32 euros (950 euros gross). For metallic colors, however, there are quite different surcharges: sometimes they cost nothing for the Platinum (then they cost exactly the 1,000 euros for the ST-Line that it is cheaper), sometimes 168.07 euros (200 euros gross), and sometimes 252.10 euros net (300 euros gross - for the ST-Line then accordingly 1,008.40 or 1,092.44 euros net, that's 1,200 or 1,300 euros gross). With the surcharge list, you get through quickly and it is not surprising that the Explorers are offered "to go" in the USA.

And anyone who knows that the suburbs - where they are sold - like "Sandwich" are sometimes 80 miles or just under 130 kilometers(!) away from the Chicago Ford plant, might be surprised why the giant is so stingy with its range. It didn't strike us the first time - how quickly times have changed between our two encounters!

Technical Data:

Six-cylinder gasoline engine + permanent magnet electric machine, 2,956 cm³, system output: 336 kW (457 hp)/5,750 rpm, 825 Nm/2,500 rpm, LxWxH: 5,049x2,107 (2,285 mm mirrors) x1,778 mm, wheelbase: 3,025 mm, 71.8-liter tank + 13.6 kWh battery, 240-2,274 liters trunk, curb weight of test vehicle (fully fueled, including 80-kg driver): 2,678 kg, towing capacity: 2,500 kg

Measurements:

Elasticity 50-80/80-120 km/h: 1.7/3.3 sec., Acceleration 0-60/0-80/0-100 km/h: 3.4/4.4/6.0 sec.

Noise at 30/50/60/80/100/120 km/h: 48.7/52.7/54.9/57.8/61.0/62.5 dB(A)

Consumption test round (159.0 km): City: 29.1 kWh, Country: 4.5 l/100km +1.8 kWh/100 km + Highway: 9.9 l/100 km, Total: 7.3 l/100 km + 7.9 kWh

Cost per km: 0.81 Euros

What does that mean?

The Explorer is clearly the most American car you can currently buy aside from grey imports. What encompasses all the pros and cons of this vehicle species in one sentence means: The Explorer offers too much of everything - power, strength, space and buys that with the corresponding disadvantages and well-known prejudices: It is not really economical and well-crafted. However, in its uniqueness, it is fun and relatively inexpensive for its size and performance.