Explorer

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

It's been a rough start for the current-generation Ford Explorer. Production was delayed when Ford revamped its Chicago plant as part of a $1 billion investment. When it entered production later than planned, the 2020 Ford Explorer was plagued with quality control issues. These ranged from missing manual park release covers to faulty air-conditioning systems, as well as chassis, and transmission issues.

Ford admitted it took on too much when it launched the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator simultaneously, but the bad publicity severely affected sales. Fortunately, Ford claims these issues have been ironed out, which should put the Explorer in a better position when next year's model rolls out.

According to Ford Authority, order books for the 2021 Ford Explorer were open on July 13. Production, on the other hand, will reportedly begin on September 21, 2020, at the automaker's Chicago Assembly Plant, where the Explorer is built alongside the Lincoln Aviator. It's unclear what will change for the 2021 model year, but there's a good chance some new color options will be added and some less popular colors will be removed.

There could also be a small price increase over the 2020 Ford Explorer, which starts at $32,765. We're not expecting the change to be too significant, however, since the current-generation Explorer has only been in production for one year.

We're also expecting the engine options to carry over, which include a 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four engine that produces 300 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque in the XLT and Limited trims, a 3.3-liter hybrid V6 with 318 hp and 322 lb-ft of torque and a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 rated at 365 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque in the Platinum trim and 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque in the range-topping ST model.

Regardless of the trim, power is sent to either the front or all four wheels through a ten-speed automatic. Let's just hope Ford can bring the Explorer's sales back on track for 2021.