Test Car Specifications
Model: 2025 Ford Explorer Select RWD Extended Range
Price: From £45,875 (£49,525 as tested)
Motors: 210kW electric motor
Battery: 77kWh lithium-ion
Transmission: single-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power: 286hp
Torque: 545Nm
Emissions: 0g/km
Range: 374 miles
0-62mph: 6.4 seconds
Top speed: 112mph
Boot space: 470 litres
Styling
Though the Explorer is closely related to the VW ID.4, the car doesn't look all that similar. The front end isn't especially Ford-like, save for the Blue Oval logo on the dash, but the clean nose has a kind of smiling face, which gives it the look of a Far Eastern knock-off. Further back, though, the Explorer looks a bit more European, with the short rear windows and muscular bodywork. Overall, the effect is attractive enough, but it isn't necessarily distinctive.
Interior
Perhaps the biggest draw of the Explorer is its interior, which we reckon is the most attractive of any fitted to a car on Volkswagen's MEB electric vehicle platform. The clean cabin is dominated by a massive portrait-orientated touchscreen that slides up and down on an angle, either covering or exposing a cubby hole as required. It's a really neat idea, and though using the screen feels a bit odd in its most reclined position, the screen itself is great. The operating system is clear and easy to use, and the design feels nice and modern. The reversing camera system is brilliant, too.
But the touchscreen isn't the only area in which the Explorer's cabin pulls ahead of its cousins. The materials are pretty good and the faux leather feels nicely tactile, while the build quality is hard to fault. There are quite a few parts lifted straight from the VW parts bin, which feels a bit strange in a Ford, but it's all good stuff so customers won't mind too much.
We also like the digital instrument display, which isn't especially large, but it shows you all the information you need in a nice and clear way. It has some configuration options, too, which means you can tailor it to the layout you want.
Practicality
Given it rides on much the same underpinnings as the ID.4 and Enyaq, it's no surprise to see the Explorer offering comparable interior space. Space in the front is brilliant, and you'll have no great issue sitting two adults in the rear, thanks to ample legroom. Headroom is less impressive, but it's adequate for anyone who isn't exceptionally tall.
Boot space, on the other hand, is a little more of a sticking point. The 470-litre space back there is decent enough, but it looks a bit cramped compared with the VW ID.4, which has 73 litres more capacity. And the Enyaq's boot is even bigger. Nevertheless, most customers will get by with the Explorer's boot, especially as the rest of the cabin is so practical, with lots of storage solutions, including the 'secret' one behind the touchscreen.
Performance
Ford is offering the Explorer with a choice of batteries and powertrains, giving customers a total of three different combinations. The base option pairs a 52kWh battery with a 170hp electric motor, allowing an official range of 233 miles on a charge. At the other end of the spectrum is the 79kWh 'Extended Range' battery, which works with two electric motors to provide 340hp, all-wheel drive and an official range of 329 miles.
But we suspect customers will be most tempted by the version tested here: the 77kWh Extended Range option. That sees a 77kWh battery power a 286hp electric motor that drives the rear wheels alone, allowing a range of up to 374 miles on the official economy test. It's also plenty fast enough, getting from 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds, and providing instant responses.
Perhaps more importantly, it should manage something in the region of 200-250 miles between charges on the motorway, assuming your feet aren't too leaden and you don't go too crazy with the heater. On our test, we managed a range of about 240 miles on a motorway slog, despite single-figure outside air temperatures and climate control in action, as well as running the heated seats and heated steering wheel for part of the journey. Not bad going for a big SUV.
And when the battery level finally drops, every version of the Explorer is capable of charging from 10 to 80 percent in less than half an hour, which is great news for those on longer journeys. Using a domestic 'wallbox' charger, you should be able to fill the battery overnight.
Ride & Handling
Ford’s products – even its SUVs – have often been associated with engaging and lively handling, but the Explorer doesn’t really conform. It’s quite a soft and mushy thing, with steering that’s relatively light and not especially feelsome, albeit acceptably precise, and suspension that’s more interested in ironing out the bumps than controlling the Explorer’s big body. So while the Explorer has adequate grip and will put up with some abuse on a good road, it never really encourages you to take the Ford by the horns.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t really soften the ride all that much either. It isn’t exactly jagged, but there’s this strange underlying choppiness that materialises even on the smoothest of motorways. There’s nothing harsh or savage about it, but it’s a little jiggly and unsettled, which doesn’t inspire much confidence. And it ensures the Skoda Enyaq is a much more comfortable thing.
The Skoda is quieter, too. You might expect a big, electric SUV to be near-silent on the road, but there’s quite a lot of tyre roar and a bit of wind noise in the Ford, which combines with the unsettled ride to make it a much less cosseting motorway cruiser than it probably should be.
Value
The Explorer comes in at just under £40,000, which pays for the cheapest 52kWh battery pack and the entry level Select trim. And while the battery-and-motor combination might not suit everyone, the standard equipment is fairly generous. You get 19-inch alloy wheels, the huge central touchscreen and part-leather upholstery, not to mention heated front seats, wireless phone charging and a 12-way electrically adjustable driving seat with a massage function. A heated steering wheel is standard, too, along with front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and adaptive cruise control.
All of which makes the Premium trim level feel a little unnecessary unless you want the all-wheel-drive powertrain that's only offered in Premium form. Starting at £43,975, it provides larger 20-inch alloys, a B&O sound system and a panoramic glass roof, as well as full 'Sensico' faux leather upholstery. Were it our money, we'd save the extra on a bigger battery, rather than using it for more kit. Especially as the cheapest Skoda Enyaq comes in at £39,000, and is similarly well equipped.
Verdict
In truth, the Explorer and ID.4 are predictably closely matched, but we wouldn’t choose either car in a battle of the electric SUVs based on VW architecture. It isn’t that the Explorer is a bad car per se – it’s quite nice in lots of ways – but on balance, we’d still choose the Skoda Enyaq, which has the Ford licked in terms of driving engagement and (to our eyes, at least) style. It’s a bit cheaper, too. But the Ford has a smarter cabin, and that might swing it for those less interested in driving.
