Ford Explorer PHEV (2020): green giant

Contrary to appearances, and as its pure American format doesn't indicate, the Ford Explorer could almost be naturalized European. Now o...

Contrary to appearances, and as its pure American format doesn't indicate, the Ford Explorer could almost be naturalized European. Now officially imported on the Old Continent, the colossus offers a number of advantages in terms of comfort, a sense of welcome... and consumption, since only the rechargeable hybrid version is available. Originality guaranteed, in any case.

As surprising as it may seem, the Ford Explorer's arrival in Europe is motivated by European regulations on CO2 emissions. It's debatable, of course, but the progressive electrification of each manufacturer's range has become an obligatory step. Hence the multiplication of hybrids just about everywhere in the landscape. Ford therefore has, in addition to the Kuga PHEV, a second rechargeable hybrid by proposing the Explorer on our side of the Atlantic.

And on paper, the figures are favorable to it, whether or not the detractors of the genre like it: 71 g / km and 3.1 l / 100 km announced, in WLTP cycle. In principle, not so far from real conditions. You could even, depending on usage, simply move your V6 at rest and your tank full of Lead Free without sipping a drop. As with any plug-in hybrid, it obviously requires a certain amount of discipline to make it worthwhile: quite simply, recharge it whenever you can, so that you can travel daily journeys with all-electricity.

Ford Explorer PHEV 2020 Video

7 places, volume, and a price...

So it's not the (very) limited appetite for these giants that pushed Ford France to put the Explorer in the catalogue. Moreover, the manufacturer is aiming for little more than a few (small) hundreds of sales per year. Nevertheless, a family public adept at large volumes can find something in it for them.

It's difficult for two Explorers to cross paths between the half-timbered houses of Gerberoy, a picturesque village in the heart of Picardy which served as a stopover on our route. This big, strong man is obviously cramped in these conditions. 5.06 m long, 2.28 m wide mirrors included! This makes it one of the biggest SUVs on the market, along with the Mercedes GLS and BMW X7. Much more expensive, though. Let's not even talk about our urban centers, which chase the car by political reflex. Fortunately, the small Parisian beltway does not cover the majority of the territory.

Everything reminds us that the Explorer comes from a country where lack of space is not a subject. With such a large interior volume, there's no need for modularity tricks to optimize space: to make it big, you just have to make it big! Once you get used to the Explorer's American measurements (there are bigger ones over there!), you'll discover an environment in the same vein.

Volume, room for seven (even the third row is still usable), and a hold as a boot: 1,137 l in 5 seats, and up to 2,274 l in "mover" configuration, all seats folded. The 7-seater 330 l (240 l under the shelf) is enough for a few errands or light luggage. It should be noted, however, that in the second row, the three large individual seats (15 cm sliding and independently folding) lack support.

The presentation too, smells like America. Not necessarily in the right direction, even if we have seen worse in the finish. Solid, a tad flashy with woodwork in authentic certified plastic, and the certainly solid fittings are approximate. At least the equipment is complete, including the multimedia side. The large, vertical, tablet-style screen brings together a range of connected functions. There's even a 4G router.

On the comfort side, the seats are ventilated and heated in the first two rows. Not bad, for an "all-inclusive" call price of 77,000 euros. In comparison, its aforementioned premium rivals hover around 100,000 euros, and are not so generous. And rare in PHEV: only the Volvo XC90 T8 and Range Rover are available as a plug-in hybrid, in large SUVs.

Placid comfort and Chronos

Don't ask for a miracle when the road starts to turn. Almost 2.5 tones and a very comfort-oriented suspension means that the car's behavior is quite different from our European habits. Marked body movements, plunged under braking... it's all part of the charm, fans will say. However, here again, one could expect worse and the driving is not at all rustic. An XC90, for example, is hardly less clumsy. Let's also do justice to its all-around qualities, if not more: the cleanliness of our model, which quickly deteriorated after a tricky situation in the middle of the mud, is a good illustration of this. Several off-road driving modes are available to manage the 4-wheel drive (permanent, a good old transmission shaft still does the job). In any case, we were able to get out of a few bad steps without outside reinforcement.

The Explorer therefore prefers large straight spaces, without being jostled. Smoothly driven, the pleasure is real... and the performance is there: the 3-litre turbocharged V6, combined with a 100hp electric motor, delivers a combined 457hp and a maximum torque of 825 Nm. Almost makes you forget the weight, at least in a straight line. Going from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 6 seconds, and the restarts are the same. Muscular! From the very start, the thrust is impressive and doesn't run out of breath.

That is not the point of the system. The all-electric 13.6 kWh battery allows us to cover almost 40 km, in a smooth driving style and on a flat track. Not so far from the 44 km announced, as long as you don't spend too much time on the motorway (you can go up to 130 km/h in electric mode). With the battery empty, the V6's appetite increases quickly, with no surprises. Nevertheless, the average speed remains acceptable considering the weight of the vehicle: we found an average of around 10 liters/100 km at the end of our test, mostly composed of secondary network and motorway.