Just a little bit east of us in China, Ford’s showing some changes for its mid-cycle refresh of the Explorer, and here’s hoping they’re implemented here, too.
The most notable upgrade is the replacement of the portrait touchscreen infotainment system with a wonderful-looking widescreen that stretches to the passenger side. Add in the (thankfully) standard 12.3-inch digital dashboard and heads-up display, and the Explorer interior has a handsome and modern feel. Minor bumps include lower air vents, ambient lighting, and center console dials.
Walking up to the truck sees slightly narrower headlights, thinner side intakes, new wheel options, and connected LED taillights. If anything stands out on the exterior, it’ll be the badging being moved to the tailgate, creating a pleasant bookend with the badging on the edge of the hood.
The powerplant remains the turbo four-cylinder 2.3 EcoBoost producing 272 horsepower and 313 lb-ft of torque, all run through the familiar 10-speed autobox. All in all, we dig it.
Please come to Canada, refreshed Explorer! We’re nice, polite, and have plenty of roads to, well, explore!
Keyword: Will the refreshed 2023 Explorer look like this in Canada, too?