Cologne Compact: Here’s how to drive a Ford Explorer

Berlin – Lower Saxony, Bavarian, Czech, Spanish – and now Kölsch. In the horsepower world, few electric platforms are as widely used as Wolfsburg’s Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB). After VW built cars like the ID.3 and ID.4 using it, and subsidiary brands Audi, Skoda and Cupra also using it, Ford is now also using the parts set.

In the summer, the Ford Explorer will be the first electric volume model to hit the market after the Mustang Mach-E. The starting price will initially be 49,500 euros. A slimmed-down base version will arrive later this year, dropping the price to 42,500 euros.

With edge and personality

Here are two modern crossovers that aren’t considered related to the ID.3 and ID.4, nor even close to their American namesakes, because while the former is round and soft like a pebble on the beach, the latter is a big old-fashioned off-roader that also comes as a plug-in hybrid, just to avoid any confusion.

The Cologne Explorer, on the other hand, has corners and edges and a compact format because, with an overall length of 4.47 metres, it is considerably shorter than a conventional Ford Kuga and sits exactly in the middle of the models in the Wolfsburg Select family.

VW standards meet Cologne smarts

Inside, though, the MEB’s family ties are more apparent. At least around the steering wheel, it has the same sensor buttons that have caused VW so much trouble. The start button is well hidden here and there. And while the screen behind the steering wheel is far too small for the Explorer, the Cologne-based company lets the driver select direction and regen level via a steering-column lever.

But then, pretty soon, the similarities end. The center console, in particular, features a solution that’s as clever as it is unique: Ford has placed a secret compartment behind a vertically mounted 15-inch tablet for your phone or similar, which hangs from the central lock and thus creates an enclosed in-car security zone, like a hotel room safe.

Between the seats is a console that is more mobile and offers more storage than some kitchen cabinets. Explorer comes with several inserts and room dividers available straight from the factory that can be distributed between the seats in a variety of ways. The website has even more features, including free file downloads for home 3D printers.

A big trunk but nothing extra

If you want to carry big items instead of small ones, the Explorer has between 536 and 1,422 litres of boot space, but if you look under the front hood you’ll be disappointed, because even Cologne seems unable or didn’t feel the need to build the first MEB model with a frunk, the shelf under the front hood that is typical of electric cars.

VW-like drive and battery

The cooperation was mainly aimed at saving time and containing costs, so Ford took over the initiative one-to-one from Volkswagen. Thus, the entry-level model, with 125 kW/170 hp rear-wheel drive and a 59 kWh battery, with a range of nearly 400 standard kilometers, will go on sale at the end of the year.

If you want to get behind the wheel in advance and want more power and a longer range, you can now choose between 210 kW/286 hp and 77 kWh for up to 602 kilometers, or 250 kW/340 hp, all-wheel drive and 79 kWh, which is the best option and allows for a range of 566 kilometers. All this at a top speed of 180 km/h.

If you actually want to achieve this figure, you’ll also need to order a heat pump for efficient air conditioning, which is only available at an extra cost, as is the trailer hitch and panoramic roof. The smaller battery only charges at 135 kW, while the larger one manages 185 kW. In practice, this doesn’t change the service life: it can take just under 30 minutes to go from 10 percent to 80 percent.

Increase engagement while driving

Even though the drive and battery are identical, the Explorer presents its own character to the driver. In the same way that a Ford Focus always drives with a bit more determination and commitment than a VW Golf, the chassis is tuned a bit tighter, so the Explorer feels a bit closer to the road than the ID.4. The steering feels more precise and has more feedback, making it a bit more fun to drive overall. Not least because the Explorer is very maneuverable like any MEB car and very sporty to drive like any electric car.

The only issue for many Explorer drivers is braking: thanks to Wolfsburg, you can’t really drive with just one pedal, and even with the higher regeneration levels, it’s not enough to simply take your foot off the accelerator and slow down to a stop.

Conclusion: There’s one more possibility

They all use the same components. But with the Explorer, Ford has managed to turn the monotony of the Wolfsburg MEB into a standalone car that actually makes a difference, especially in the interior and when driving. And when it comes to price: the Explorer is noticeably more expensive than the ID.3 and ID.4, especially until the base model debuts.

Ford isn’t going to leave it at that: at the turn of the year, the Cologne-based company wants to conjure another character from the MEB hat with an electric SUV coupe.

Data Sheet: Ford Explorer Extended Range All-Wheel Drive