To further attract family buyers, Ford aerodynamically optimized the passenger compartment of the Explorer, adopting flush-mounted glass and wraparound doors a wider body allowed for three-across rear seating. In a significant design change, a five-door body style joined the model line, competing against the Jeep Cherokee and Chevrolet S-10 Blazer (the Explorer and five-door S-10 Blazer were introduced within a month of each other). While again sharing a visual commonality with the Ford Ranger, the Explorer differed significantly from its Bronco II predecessor, becoming a family-oriented vehicle with off-road capability. The first-generation Ford Explorer was introduced in March 1990 as a 1991 model-year vehicle. Venezuela: Valencia, Carabobo ( Valencia Assembly)įront engine, rear-wheel drive / four-wheel drive United States: Louisville, Kentucky ( Louisville Assembly Plant) St. 9.1 Rollover and Firestone Tire controversy.7.3.1 2020 Ford Police Interceptor Utility.In 2020, CNBC reported the Ford Explorer range as the best selling SUV of all time in America. Louis Assembly Plant ( Hazelwood, Missouri) the model line is now currently produced at Chicago Assembly ( Chicago, Illinois). The first four generations of the Explorer were produced by Ford at its Louisville Assembly Plant ( Louisville, Kentucky) and at its now-closed St. Through rebranding, Mazda, Mercury, and Lincoln have sold versions of the Explorer Lincoln currently markets the sixth-generation model line as the Lincoln Aviator.

For police use, the Ford Police Interceptor Utility has been derived from the fifth and sixth-generation Explorer to replace Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (and the later Taurus-based Police Interceptor Sedan). The fifth generation was repackaged as a CUV, adopting a variant of the Ford Taurus chassis architecture (developed for SUV use).Īlongside the five-door Explorer wagon, a three-door Explorer wagon was offered from 1991 to 2003, serving as the direct replacement of the Bronco II the 2001-2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac was a crew-cab pickup derived from the model line. The first two generations were directly derived from the Ford Ranger, switching to a model-specific chassis for the third and fourth generations.

As with the Ford Ranger, the Explorer derives its name from a trim package previously offered on the Ford F-Series pickup trucks.Ĭurrently in its sixth generation, the Explorer has been offered with multiple chassis and powertrain layouts. Within the current Ford light truck range, the Explorer is slotted between the Ford Edge and Ford Expedition. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year.

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