The latest generation of the Ford Explorer was expected to have a smooth start to its life, following on from its strong-selling predecessor. That wasn't really the case, though, with early sales being heavily affected by production and quality issues. Now that these have hopefully been sorted, Ford has taken the surprising step of lowering prices for the 2021 Explorer, according to a report by Ford Authority. Then again, maybe it's Ford's way of atoning for the new Explorer's earlier troubles.

Currently, the 2020 Explorer starts at an MSRP of $32,765 for the base model. For 2021, it will start at a cheaper $32,225, but that's not even close to the biggest price drop in the range.

That honor goes to the range-topping AWD Platinum, which will have a massive $3,770 slashed from its starting price. Whereas this model costs $58,250 now, it will go for $54,480 as a MY2021. Every other trim also sees a drop in price, with the Limited (in both RWD and AWD guises) dropping by $3,670.

One step above the base model is the XLT RWD which sees its price drop from $36,925 to $34,000. Across the range, the 2021 Explorer's average price decrease works out to a substantial $2,572.

Production of the 2021 Explorer is set to get underway on September 21, 2020, at the Chicago Assembly Plant. Here, the Explorer is manufactured together with the Lincoln Aviator. We don't know much about what changes the range will undergo just yet, but we don't expect anything more significant than some new exterior colors and, reportedly, the addition of an FX4 off-road model.

The message is clear, though: if the Ford Explorer is on your radar, it's best to wait it out just a bit longer for the 2021 model to take advantage of these appealing price cuts.