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2025 Ford Explorer: A Sexier, Techier SUV

ford explorer 2025 exterior oem 05 jpg 2025 Ford Explorer | Manufacturer image

Competes with: Chevrolet Traverse, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Kia Telluride, Mazda CX-90, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Grand Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas

Looks like: A racier take on the current Explorer

Powertrains: 300-horsepower, turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder or optional 400-hp, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6; rear- or all-wheel drive; 10-speed automatic transmission

Hits dealerships: Summer 2024

It’s been a few years since the Ford Explorer had its last update, so for the 2025 model year, the Blue-Oval brand has given its family hauler a thorough freshening. There’s new styling, new tech and some new features to explore, plus a dramatically new and nicer interior with some updated colors.

Related: Which SUVs Can Tow at Least 5,000 Pounds?

The number of trim levels has also been halved for 2025: Gone are the base, XLT, Timberline, Limited and King Ranch, while the Active, ST-Line, ST and Platinum remain … for now. The brand hinted that an off-road-oriented model like the Timberline (but maybe not a Timberline; maybe a Tremor, based on the wheel we were shown) is on the way.

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New Face, Familiar Shapes

Ford has updated the front and rear styling on the 2025 Explorer, with new all-LED headlights and larger grilles up front, and new liftgate styling in the rear that features LED taillights extending into a continuous nameplate bar. On the ST-Line, ST and Platinum trims, an optional black-painted roof is available for the first time. Wheel sizes will vary, with 18-inch wheels standard on the base Active trim, 20-inchers on the ST-Line and top Platinum variants, and 21-inch wheels standard on the performance-oriented ST trim.

Grille designs and trim will also vary across models, with the Active looking basic yet upscale, the ST-Line getting all the racier looks of the high-performance ST (but without its bigger engine or sporty tuning), the ST featuring special red badging, and the top Platinum trim busting out the chrome for the premium appearance. For 2025, a new paint color, Vapor Blue Metallic, is available on the Active, ST-Line and ST.

Specs Under the Hood

Mechanically, the Explorer carries over from the 2024 model year largely unchanged. The base engine found in the Active, ST-Line and Platinum models is a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder making 300 horsepower and 310 pounds-feet of torque. It’s actually not the same engine as the outgoing model; it’s the updated one from the Mustang, but consumers will see no difference between the two. The optional engine is the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 making 400 hp and 415 pounds-feet of torque; it’s standard on the ST and optional on the Platinum trim. Both engines are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, which sends power to the rear-wheels; all-wheel-drive is curiously optional on every trim level, even the top Platinum and high-performance ST trims.

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All-New Interior

The interior is the bigger story for 2025. The updated Explorer features a new instrument panel that’s been pushed forward a bit to create a more airy atmosphere and now integrates a tray below the 13.2-inch touchscreen for an available wireless phone-charging pad. There are new materials, as well, with “wrap-and-stitch” soft-touch surfaces on the center console, door panels and dashboard. Silver mesh accents are included throughout.

Each trim level gets a slightly different look and color. The base Active trim has a dark-gray interior with bronze stitching, plus dark-gray vinyl seats with black inserts and bronze stitching; the ST-Line gets a little racier with a black interior and seats covered in imitation leather with cloth inserts and red stitching; the ST trim looks the same but replaces the cloth inserts with faux suede; and the top Platinum trim gets fancy with Mojave Dusk leather (kind of a deep-purplish eggplant color) and matched stitching covering the dash, doors, center console and seats.

New Tech to Keep You Busy While It Drives Itself (Sort Of)

The other big news for the 2025 Explorer is twofold. There’s an all-new Android-based multimedia system replacing the venerable Sync setup, and Ford’s semi-autonomous hands-free BlueCruise driving system is now available on several trims.

A big 13.2-inch touchscreen is standard and runs a new multimedia system called the Ford Digital Experience (the Sync name, after nearly two decades, is dead). It integrates a lot of functions from Google with an increased focus on Google Assistant voice commands and Amazon Alexa integration. The voice commands can be used for vehicle features like setting climate controls, information searches, destination setting for the Google Map navigation system, finding broadcast channels, controlling home automation devices, and making calls, texts and calendar events.

But unlike some other automakers going to proprietary Google systems, Ford will still maintain access to Apple CarPlay for customers preferring that interface. The system will also stream music, audiobooks and podcasts using apps (such as Spotify, Amazon Music and Audible) downloaded from the Google Play store directly to the vehicle, duplicating the function of peoples’ mobile devices even when a phone isn’t connected. When the vehicle is parked, the screens can also play video content and stream TV shows. Users can also surf the internet, play games or use a Bluetooth-connected keyboard for easier browsing. A Ford wireless connectivity plan will be required for maximum feature content.

You’ll also need a Connected Services plan for using the optional BlueCruise hands-free highway driving function, which is available on the ST-Line, ST and Platinum trims. You get a 90-day free trial of the system if your Explorer is equipped with it, but customers can also sign up for one year of the service with their new vehicle purchase. BlueCruise allows for hands-free cruising on highways as well as stop-and-go traffic, and it now comes with a lane change assist function that allows the vehicle to switch lanes with just a tap of the turn-signal stalk when the system is activated.

Pricing and Availability

Orders for the new 2025 Ford Explorer are now open at dealers across the country. Pricing will start at $41,220 (including destination) for the base Active trim — a $2,765 price bump over the least expensive 2024 Explorer. That’s not insignificant, but it does include a bunch of new standard features. Deliveries of the new Explorer are expected to start in the summer of 2024.

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Aaron Bragman
Detroit Bureau Chief Aaron Bragman has had over 25 years of experience in the auto industry as a journalist, analyst, purchasing agent and program manager. Bragman grew up around his father’s classic Triumph sports cars (which were all sold and gone when he turned 16, much to his frustration) and comes from a Detroit family where cars put food on tables as much as smiles on faces. Today, he’s a member of the Automotive Press Association and the Midwest Automotive Media Association. His pronouns are he/him, but his adjectives are fat/sassy.
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