The Ford Explorer now has a new entry-level version: here is what it costs and its main features

Ford completes the range of the new Ford Explorer, adding an entry-level version that lowers the price by offering less power and a smaller-capacity battery. Let’s recall that the new electric SUV from Ford was initially put on sale in variants with rear-wheel drive, 286 CV and a 77 kW battery, priced from 46,800 euros including discounts, while the dual-motor versions with all-wheel drive and a 79 kWh battery, which reach 340 CV of power, start from 55,850 euros.

The cheapest Ford Explorer, which will be available for orders from December, has a starting price including discounts of 41,800 euros for the base trim, and 44,800 euros with the Premium trim. With the maximum possible aid under the MOVES Plan, you could get an Explorer RWD 52 kWh with 170 CV from 34,800 euros, which is 4,750 euros less than the version with the 77 kWh battery and 286 CV. What do you lose in exchange? As you can imagine, a good number of kilometres of range, and performance also suffers. But for many people, this entry-level version of the range may be more than enough. Let’s take a look.

Range of up to 384 km, fast charging in 25 minutes

Starting with what is probably your biggest concern, the battery drops from the 77 kWh of what is now called the Explorer Extended Range to 52 kWh in the standard Explorer. The range for this version is up to 384 km, compared with the 602 km achieved by the “large” battery. If you think of the Explorer as a second family car and will use it mainly for urban driving, it is more than enough.

However, it is worth paying the difference and making the leap if what you are looking for is a car that can do everything, and with which you won’t have to do so many calculations or make so many stops when travelling. Because the Extended Range version not only offers 218 km more range on a single charge, but the extra 116 CV of power is very noticeable. The entry-level version has its top speed limited to 160 km/h, compared with 180 km/h for the variant with the large battery, which also accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds, 2.3 seconds faster. Recovery capacity also improves in the same proportion, so driving the more powerful version is more pleasant.

That greater thrust also means consumption is slightly lower, as it generally works much more “within its means”: compared with the 15.5 kWh/100 km homologated by the Explorer Standard Range, the “Extended” version settles for 14.7 kWh/100 km. The only area where the base model wins is in maximum DC charging power, which is 145 kW, compared with 135 kW for the Extended Range. In any case, the difference in charging time is almost imperceptible, 25 minutes versus 28 minutes, respectively, to go from 10 to 80%.

As for standard equipment, the basic Explorer is not as bare as it might seem, since it includes as standard full LED headlights with automatic high beam, a rear camera, 19-inch alloy wheels, heated front seats (the driver’s with memory and massage function), adaptive cruise control and a good arsenal of driver-assistance systems. For 3,000 euros more, the Premium variant adds the B&O sound system, ambient interior lighting and Matrix LED headlights.