An updated Ford Explorer is coming to America for the 2025 model year, and it has all the electronic bells and whistles you could ask for (and some you wouldn’t think about.)
The Ford Digital Experience has already appeared in the Lincoln Navigator as the Lincoln Digital Experience, and it’s making its big Ford in the new Explorer. The center console display grew to a 13.2-inch touchscreen. On that screen, Ford hosts a suite of apps for download and promises these apps, such as Audible and iHeartRadio will seamlessly connect with your phone and smart home devices. You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you don’t want to mess around with all that.
But that’s not all. On this new giant screen Ford provides all sort of entertainment options (available only when the car is in park, of course.) Including watching and streaming videos via apps like YouTube and Prime, as well as an app which allows users to “surf the web.” Perhaps there is a hidden time machine in the new Explorer that allows users to transport back to 2000, when surfing the web was a thing, but Ford PR made no note of it.
The bit Ford is really proud of, however, is the “growing” list of games available for the Ford Digital Experience via Google Play, including a Ford-exclusive version of Asphalt Nitro 2. We were not able to give it a whirl however, likely because the PR guy didn’t want me beating his high score. We were told that the system will work with any old Bluetooth controller.
Engine options are pretty familiar to Ford fans; Active, ST-Line and Platinum all get the 2.3-liter Ecoboost engine good for 400 horsepower. ST owners can score a 3-liter Ecoboost — also with 400 horsepower. Rear-wheel drive is standard on all trims, with four-wheel available for every vehicle.
Folks who live large and go for the higher ST-Line, ST and Platinum trims also now have access to BlueCruise (not to be confused with Blue’s Clues) which is Ford’s advanced driver assistance system. It comes with cool features like Lane Change Assist and something called In-Lane Repositioning, which helps provide you more space by subtly shifting away from vehicles in adjacent lanes.
As for looks, the inside feels a little more luxurious and has been updated with different textures and colors available, including a dark sort of black, sort of purple, sort of brown color called Mojave Dusk which is pretty metal. The rest are various shades and flavors of safe gray, but the materials are soft and there’s fun contrast stitching on the door panels, dash and instrument panels.
Ford even has some new quilting options for the seats, which look nice—not thrilling, but nice. And on the ST, you can get these cool perforated seats.
The exterior’s been updated too, with a new integrated light bar in the rear, a larger grille and sleek, aggressive headlights. Pricing has yet to be announced, however Ford told Jalopnik it shouldn’t be too far from current Explorer pricing, with kicks off for the Active trim at around 36,500.
Ford built another beefy SUV (because why mess with what clearly works well) with plenty of stuff to keep even the most grown up kids happy on a long camping trip, or boring trip to Target with the wife. Ford will sell them like beefy hotcakes.
