Ford Explorer

The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first five-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer, was introduced as a replacement for the three-door Bronco II. As with the Ford Ranger, the model line derives its name from a trim package previously offered on Ford F-Series pickup trucks. In 2020, the Explorer became the best-selling SUV in the American market.
Currently in its sixth generation, the Explorer has featured a five-door wagon body style since its 1991 introduction. During the first two generations, the model line included a three-door wagon. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac is a crew-cab mid-size pickup truck derived from the second-generation Explorer. The fifth and sixth generations of the Explorer have been produced as the Ford Police Interceptor Utility.
The Explorer is slotted between the Ford Edge and Ford Expedition within North America's current Ford SUV range. The model line has undergone rebadging several times, with Mazda, Mercury, and Lincoln each selling derivative variants. Currently, Lincoln markets a luxury version of the Explorer as the Lincoln Aviator.
For the North American market, the first four generations of the Explorer were produced by Ford at its Louisville Assembly Plant and its now-closed St. Louis Assembly Plant. Ford currently assembles the Explorer alongside the Lincoln Aviator and the Police Interceptor Utility at its Chicago Assembly Plant.

First generation (UN46; 1991)

The Ford Explorer was introduced in March 1990 as an early 1991 model to replace the Bronco II. As Ford sought to balance off-road capability with family use of the vehicle, the Explorer underwent design changes from its predecessor while still retaining mechanical commonality with the Ranger pickup truck.
Growing in size from the compact Bronco II, the Explorer was a mid-size SUV, competing directly against the Jeep Cherokee and Chevrolet S-10 Blazer. To compete against both model lines, three-door and five-door body styles were launched. The Explorer's wider body allowed for three-across rear passenger seating in the five-door version built on an extended wheelbase. The traditional exterior-mounted swing-away spare tire carrier was deleted in favor of an underfloor location. Like the Ford Taurus station wagon, the rear liftgate had a flip-up rear window.

Chassis

As with the Bronco II, the first-generation Explorer shares its chassis underpinnings with the 1983–1992 Ford Ranger. The three-door version uses a wheelbase while the new five-door features a wheelbase.
As with the Ranger, the UN46 Explorer has a Twin I-Beam or Twin-Traction Beam coil-sprung front independent suspension and a leaf-sprung solid rear axle. Brakes are discs in the front with drums in the rear. Anti-lock was only on the rear axle during early years, with four-wheel ABS available by 1994.

Powertrain

The first-generation Explorer was equipped with a 4.0 L Cologne V6, an optional engine for the Ranger and the Ford Aerostar. Initially producing, the engine output was raised to for 1993. A Mazda M5OD 5-speed manual was the standard transmission offering, with the option of the Ford 4-speed A4LD overdrive automatic transmission.
Along with the standard rear-wheel drive, the Explorer was offered two configurations of part-time four-wheel drive at its launch using a Borg Warner 13–54 transfer case. The "Touch Drive" electric-shift transfer case was standard ; it allowed the vehicle to be shifted from two-wheel drive into high-range 4x4 drive and into low-range 4×4. As an option, the Explorer was also offered with a manual-shift transfer case.
All Explorers were equipped with the Ford 8.8 axle in either a limited-slip differential or an open version; multiple rear-axle ratios could be specified. Four-wheel-drive front axles were the TTB Dana 35 with some Dana 44-spec components; 4×2 models shared Twin I-Beam components with the Ranger.

Engine	Production	Configuration	Power	Torque	Transmission	Transfer Case
Ford Cologne V6	1991–1994	OHV 12-valve V6			5-speed manual 4-speed automatic	Borg Warner 13-54 Electric Shift Touch Drive Optional: 2-speed manual transfer case

Body

Shifting into the midsize SUV size class, the first-generation Explorer is far larger than the Bronco II. The three-door Explorer grew 12.6 inches in length, with the five-door Explorer 22.4 inches longer and 730 pounds heavier than the 1990 Bronco II.
As with the outgoing Bronco II, the Explorer shared many design elements with the 1989-1992 Ranger, adopting its front bumper, headlamps, and wheels; the grille was sourced from the off-road oriented Ranger STX. Alongside the introduction of the five-door body style, the body was styled with multiple aerodynamic upgrades over its predecessor, including its own door stampings to eliminate exterior drip rails and bracket-mount sideview mirrors. In what would become a design feature of the model line, the B-pillar and D-pillars were blacked out. The three-door body shared a similar roofline as its five-door counterpart, fitted with pop-out rear quarter windows and a forward-sloping C-pillar.
The interior of the Explorer was fitted largely with all-new trim, with model-specific door panels and seats. On three-door Explorers, four-passenger seating was carried over, with front bucket seats and a split-folding rear bench. Five-door Explorers were fitted with standard front bucket seats and a three-passenger split-folding rear bench seat. A front split-bench seat was offered as an option, expanding seating to six passengers.

Trim

The first-generation Explorer followed the rest of the Ford light truck line in trim nomenclature, marketing a base-level XL trim and higher-range XLT trim. Sharing the features of the XLT, the outdoors-themed Eddie Bauer was the highest-range trim. The XL was distinguished by a black grille with steel wheels, while the XLT offered a chrome grille and alloy wheels; the Eddie Bauer offered alloy wheels and two-tone paintwork.
The three-door Explorer differed slightly, sharing the XL and Eddie Bauer trims with the five-door. In place of the XLT trim, the Explorer Sport was offered, distinguished by its black lower bodywork, grille, and standard alloy wheels. From 1991 through 1994, the Explorer Sport was marketed by Mazda as the Mazda Navajo ; the 1991 Mazda Navajo became the first SUV to win the Motor Trend Truck of the Year award.
For 1993, Ford introduced the Explorer Limited as a luxury-trim version of the model line, offered only as a five-door. Slotted above the Eddie Bauer, the Limited was largely introduced as a direct competitor for the Oldsmobile Bravada and Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Distinguished by its monochromatic exterior, the Limited was also fitted with model-specific alloy wheels and lower bodywork. The trim was fitted with nearly every feature available to the model line, also serving as the introduction of several features offered as options on other trims for 1994, including an anti-theft system, keyless entry, and automatic headlights.

Second generation (UN105/150; 1995)

For the 1995 model year, Ford released a second generation of the Explorer. Following the success of the first generation, the redesign of the exterior was largely evolutionary, with the model line receiving front bodywork distinct from the Ranger. Rear-wheel drive remained standard, with part-time four-wheel drive offered as an option, and all-wheel drive was introduced as an option.
To better compete against the Jeep Grand Cherokee, a V8 was introduced as an optional engine. The Explorer went from lacking airbags to having dual airbags.
The Lincoln-Mercury division introduced its first SUV for the 1997 model year, the Mercury Mountaineer. In contrast to the Mazda Navajo, the Mountaineer was sold only as a five-door. For 2001, Ford introduced the Ford Explorer Sport Trac mid-size crew-cab pickup truck based on the five-door Explorer. Following the introduction of the third-generation Explorer for 2002, the three-door used the second-generation body style through the 2003 model year.

Chassis

The second-generation Ford Explorer is based upon the Ford U1 platform shared with its predecessor, adopting the UN105/UN150 model codes. Introducing key chassis upgrades that were also shared with the 1998 Ford Ranger, the long-running Twin I-Beam/Twin Traction Beam front suspension was retired in favor of a short/long-arm wishbone front suspension configuration in order to accommodate larger engines. Along with more compact packaging of front suspension components, the design allowed for improved on-road handling/feel. In line with the Ranger and F-Series trucks, the rear suspension remained a leaf-sprung live rear axle.
The standard four-wheel ABS of the previous generation returned; the rear drum brakes were replaced by disc brakes. As with the first generation, rear-wheel drive remained standard with part-time four-wheel drive as an option; all-wheel drive became an option for the first time.

Powertrain

The second generation Explorer carried over its 160 hp 4.0 L V6 from the previous generation. For 1996, largely to match the V8 engine offerings of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Land Rover Discovery, a V8 was introduced as an option for rear-wheel drive XLT five-doors. By 1997, the V8 was offered with nearly all trims and was paired with all-wheel drive; output was increased to .
For 1997, a third engine was added to the model line, as Ford introduced an overhead-cam version of the 4.0 L Cologne V6. Differing from its predecessor primarily by its single-overhead-cam drivetrain, the 210 hp engine rivaled the V8 in output. Introduced as standard equipment for Eddie Bauer and Limited trims, by 1998, the engine became offered on all non-XL trims. For 2001, the overhead-valve version of the 4.0 L V6 was discontinued, with the SOHC engine becoming standard.
Following the introduction of the overhead-cam Triton-series V8s for the 1997 Ford F-Series and E-Series, the 2001 Explorer would be the final Ford Motor Company vehicle in North America sold with an overhead-valve gasoline-powered V8 engine for nearly two decades.
For 2000, Ford added flex-fuel capability to the Explorer for the first time. The flex-fuel SOHC V6 and chassis were mated to an aluminum body built by Utilimaster in the Ford-Utilimaster FFV, a delivery vehicle built for the United States Postal Service in 2000 and 2001.
A Mazda-produced 5-speed manual was standard with the 4.0 L OHV V6 engine; the SOHC V6 was not offered with a manual transmission until 2000, receiving a heavier-duty version of the Mazda-sourced 5-speed. The V6 Explorers initially received a 4-speed automatic, shared with the Ranger and Aerostar, adopting a 5-speed automatic for 1997. The V8 was paired only with a 4-speed heavy-duty automatic.
For the second-generation Explorer, the four-wheel drive system underwent a redesign. The previous Touch-Drive system was retired and replaced by ControlTrac, an electronically controlled full-time four-wheel drive system with a two-speed transfer case; in place of a center differential, software-controlled multi-disc clutch. Similar to the previous push-button Touch-Drive system, a rotary dash selector was used for driver input, selecting two-wheel drive, and four-wheel drive. As an intermediate mode, "Auto" mode allowed software to control the torque sent to the front wheels; if the rear axle began to spin, torque was shifted from the rear wheels to the front wheels until traction is achieved. The manually operated hubs and manual transfer cases were discontinued.
Similar to the system used on the Aerostar van, the V8 Explorer used a full-time all-wheel drive system without separate high or low ranges. The all-wheel drive's torque distribution was via a viscous clutch with a 40/60 split.

Engine	Production	Configuration	Power	Torque	Transmission	Transfer Case
Ford Cologne V6	1995–2000	OHV 12V V6			5-speed manual 4-speed automatic ; 1995–1996 5-speed automatic ; 1997–2000	Borg Warner 44-05 Electric Shift Control Trac
Ford Cologne V6	1997–2003	SOHC 12V V6			5-speed manual ; 2001–2003 Explorer Sport 5-speed automatic	Borg Warner 44-05 Electric Shift Control Trac; 1997–2001 Borg Warner 13-54 Electric Shift; 2001–2003 Explorer Sport
Ford small block 5.0 L V8	1996–2001	OHV 16V V8			4-speed automatic	Borg Warner 44-04 Full-Time AWD