2025 Ford Explorer, More Grille, Technology and Soft Surfaces, No Hybrid

Ford has sold more than 8 million Explorers since the nameplate was introduced in 1990, consistently making it one of the best-selling SUVs on the U.S. market. In recent years, it has also been Ford's second best-selling vehicle overall after the F-Series trucks since the demise of traditional automobiles. His current 6th generation Explorer has been running for 5 years and is ready for a facelift. The 2025 model isn't all new, but the changes do address some of the drawbacks of the existing model.

As is often the case with mid-cycle refreshes like this, exterior changes are fairly limited. As is all too typical these days, the grille has been enlarged to take up even more of the face, adopting the octagonal look seen on last year's Escape and extending the grille to other non-truck models in other markets. Applied. The headlamps have also been reworked and the taillamps now feature a bar across the tailgate. The rest of the sheetmetal remains exactly the same as his 2019.

The more notable changes occur inside the 2025 Explorer, where Ford has updated the design to address most of the complaints about the existing model. Most notable among those complaints was the proliferation of hard plastic surfaces throughout the cabin. This problem was solved by applying a new material with a soft-touch texture to all surfaces that could be touched by passengers, such as the dashboard, door panels and especially the center console. Hard plastics are fine on an affordable vehicle like the Maverick, but it's far less desirable when prices can reach his mid-$60,000 price range.

The dashboard itself has been completely redesigned, taking inspiration from the Mustang Mach-E. The top is covered in the same type of fabric used for EV dashboards, and like the Mach-E, hides the speakers behind it, essentially making it a soundbar. The center section is a textured material that varies in color and texture based on trim level, with a padded lower part that dips above the center console to form a shelf with a wireless charging pad.

One part of the current Explorer that is less integrated is the central infotainment touchscreen. The dashboard seemed to have been designed with the base 8-inch landscape screen in mind, as it fits nicely between the air vents on either side. Higher trims always seemed to have vertical 10.1-inch displays arranged that way. This is because it fits between his two hard points on the vent. This is the only Ford car with this setup, and the software interface in this direction has always seemed unfinished with a lot of wasted space.

For 2025, the center vent will be moved from the bottom to the center, and a 13-inch display will sit above it. SYNC 4 is replaced by the same new Digital Experience infotainment system found in the new Lincoln Nautilus, albeit without the full-width display. It is based on Android Automotive with built-in Google services. This gives you Google Play Store, Maps, and Assistant. Like the Lincoln, it includes Amazon Alexa Voice Services, which lets you use your Google or Alexa voice to control vehicle functions like climate control and media playback, or trigger smart home automation.

Ford is by no means the first automaker to adopt Android Automotive, with Volvo, Polestar, GM, Honda, and Renault already in the market, with Acura, Nissan, and others set to follow soon. However, to use all this functionality, your vehicle requires connectivity, and the Explorer has a built-in 5G modem. Starting with Explorer, Ford will only offer free connectivity to Google services for his first year. Owners will then have to pay for a connectivity subscription, the price of which has not yet been announced.

While many are unhappy with GM's decision to drop support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto projection on new EVs, GM is offering these vehicles eight years of connectivity as part of the purchase. There is. Ford will continue phone projection support, but expects more customers to sign up to keep the added features built-in.

People who don't want to pay for built-in Google services can rely on smartphones that they already pay for. If you use Google or Apple Maps from a connected mobile phone, you can still project the map onto the instrument cluster, just as you would with the built-in system. Considering all this, the question arises why Ford would bother to include Google services. Of course, some owners will be encouraged to sign up for subscriptions, but after a year it seems likely that most drivers will be back to relying on their phones.

Another area where Ford is looking to capture recurring revenue over the life of the vehicle is Blue Cruise. The hands-off/eyes-on driver assistance system that debuted on the Mach-E and F-150 will also be available on the Explorer ST-Line, ST and Platinum, with the same subscription pricing model as the Mach-E. This means that at the time of purchase, a customer pays $2,100 upfront and gets three years of his Blue Cruise access. If you don't pay at the time of purchase, there is a 90-day trial period, after which you can subscribe for $75 per month or $800 per year.

As with other products, Ford is looking to simplify the Explorer's manufacturing process going forward. The eight trim levels available for the 2024 Explorer were reduced to only four at launch: XLT, ST-Line, ST, and Platinum. All have the same infotainment screen and one less powertrain option.

In 2025, the production Explorer will be available only with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine or a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine, both with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid is currently only available as part of the Police Interceptor SUV, so those wanting a hybrid Explorer will have to wait until a used police utility hits the market in the next few years. Non-hybrid power options carry over 300 hp with the four-cylinder and 365 hp or 400 hp with the V6, with the ST having the higher output.

The 2025 Explorer will arrive in early spring 2024 in XLT, ST-Line, ST, and Platinum trims. At the Dearborn press conference, Ford also showed images of another wheel variation that will be released in the future. These wheels feature a gold-colored pocket similar to the Maverick wheels on his Tremor, and are an alternative to the Timberline that has been offered for the past few years on the more off-road oriented Explorer. Tremors may be coming soon.