点击链接阅读中文版本：精炼于形、坚韧于心，探索新福特探险者精致简约的设计美学

For more than 30 years, the Ford Explorer has defined what a mid-large SUV can be: capable, versatile, and ready for adventure. With the New Ford Explorer, Ford builds on that heritage through a design approach guided by a simple principle: less is more. Every surface, detail, and graphic has been refined to create a cleaner, more modern and more technologically sophisticated expression of Explorer while preserving the strength and practicality that have defined the nameplate since its inception.

Developed by the Ford China Design Center, the New Explorer reflects deep insights into Chinese customers and their growing passion for outdoor lifestyles. The result is a vehicle that balances premium everyday usability with the spirit of exploration that has always been central to the Explorer story.

The design continues to draw inspiration from the concept of a "Luxury Land Yacht." Its elegant, composed posture evokes the effortless motion of a yacht cruising across open water, offered in both the sophisticated Standard Edition and the rugged, adventure-focused Timberline Edition.

Exterior Design: Refined Strength and Modern Presence

The New Ford Explorer builds on its established design heritage through a cleaner, more modern interpretation of strength and capability.

The most visible changes appear at the front. The grille adopts a larger, more squared design that creates a stronger and confident presence. Its simplified form replaces complexity with clean surfacing, yet designers have introduced more exquisite details: the first layer consists of large chrome elements that transition from “strong” to “sharp”, with each unit presenting a precision-cut technical aesthetic; the second layer features secondary detail embellishments. Together, they build a rich visual hierarchy that maintains luxury while using more modern techniques. 

At the lower half, the vertical chrome strips of the side air curtains have been simplified into an integrated design feature, emphasizing visual width and combined with the squared grille, reinforcing the powerful vertical volume of the front face.

A new lighting signature reinforces this transformation. For the first time in the segment, the Explorer features an always-illuminated DRL (Daytime Running Light) strip. Thicker and more minimalist in appearance, the lighting graphic stretches across the front of the vehicle to emphasize width and create a stronger visual identity. When illuminated, the three-segment inverted L-shaped signature becomes the focal point, forming part of a growing family design language shared with other Ford vehicles in China.

Beyond the front fascia, the Explorer's proportions continue to reflect the inspiration of a luxury land yacht. Clean surfacing, strong horizontal forms and carefully balanced volumes create the impression of a vessel moving confidently through water, while the signature C-pillar graphic recalls the mast of a sailing yacht. Combined with a 3025 mm wheelbase and flexible five-, six and seven-seat configurations, these proportions balance elegance, practicality and presence.

At the rear, the design remains clean and purposeful. Greater visual emphasis is placed on the exhaust treatment to reinforce the identity of the Explorer as a powerful ICE SUV, while high-gloss finishes create visual consistency with the front design.

For customers seeking greater off-road character, the Explorer Timberline draws inspiration from the Kunlun Mountains to create what Ford describes as a “Mountain-style Land Yacht”. Extensive basalt-inspired black elements, a hollowed-out grille design and recurring octagonal motifs reinforce its rugged personality while maintaining a premium appearance. The exclusive Mountain Logo, inspired by Mount Kongur, Muztagh Ata and Kongur Jiubie, also known as "Three Heroes of Kunlun", appears on the C-pillars, wheels, and wheels, symbolizing a connection to exploration and the outdoors.

Functionality remains central to the Timberline design. Bronco-derived front tow hooks can be retracted when not in use, preserving the integrity of the vehicle's styling while providing authentic recovery capability. An integrated rear towing solution, flush-mounted cover and raised silver skid plate further reinforce the balance between capability and design. The wheel design follows the same philosophy, using basalt-inspired textures and half-octagon detailing to create a stronger sense of stability while retaining the signature Twister Orange and grey contrast that has become synonymous with the Timberline name.

Interior Design: Simplicity, Technology and Craftsmanship

The New Ford Explorer carries its simplified exterior philosophy into the cabin, where clean architecture, premium materials and carefully integrated technology create a more sophisticated and modern environment.

A stable, horizontally oriented instrument panel is anchored by a striking 27-inch high-definition 4K touchscreen, blending luxury and technology while emphasizing the vehicle's sense of width. New spear-shaped metallic trim and integrated ambient lighting extend from the dashboard into the door panels, visually connecting the cabin and creating a stronger feeling of openness and continuity.

The center console adopts a minimalist approach, replacing visual complexity with cleaner linear elements and improved usability. Cupholders, phone wireless charging and storage areas are now openly accessible, while metallic accents and slender ambient lighting details balance functionality with refinement.

The Explorer Timberline introduces additional character through exclusive Kunlun Mountain-inspired details. The Mountain Logo appears throughout the cabin, from the illuminated scuff plates and startup animation to seat quilting and decorative trim elements. These graphics create a distinctive identity that celebrates adventure while maintaining the premium quality expected of its class.

Color, Materials and Finish: From Residential Luxury to Capable Luxury

The Color, Materials and Finish (CMF) strategy elevates the Explorer experience through premium craftsmanship, rich detailing, and purposeful character. Across the lineup, the design journey moves from the warm, residential luxury of the Standard Edition to the rugged yet refined expression of Timberline.

For the Standard Edition, the cabin is conceived as an extension of the living room, creating the atmosphere of a sophisticated private residence. Expanded soft-touch surfaces and upgraded premium PU materials enhance both visual and tactile quality, while available semi-aniline leather seating introduces a higher level of craftsmanship through detailed quilting patterns and refined finishes. An elegant expanse of eco-friendly microfiber suede drapes the door panels, by blending sustainability with luxury, a rich and refined tactile experience is created throughout the cabin.

On premium edition, customers can choose between light and dark interior themes. The Light Theme emphasizes openness and warmth through expanded light-colored surfaces, paired with Espresso-colored upper trim and authentic luxurious oak wood accents that evoke premium furniture design. The Dark Theme delivers a more understated expression, combining the same premium materials and craftsmanship within a sophisticated all-black environment.

Timberline continues to offer its popular exterior color palette - Grey Matter, Agate Black, White Platinum 3C, and Twister Orange. Twister Orange, inspired by the “Golden Mountain at Sunrise” is a distinctive color that symbolizes vitality and exploration. Applied to key details including wheel accents and tow hooks, it reinforces Timberline’s adventurous personality while delivering the premium visual richness associated with luxury products.

Continuing the Explorer Legacy

The New Ford Explorer represents the next evolution of an icon. By blending classic Explorer DNA with a cleaner, more sophisticated design philosophy, Ford has created a premium SUV that remains unmistakably itself - strong, capable, yet elevated by a forward-looking design aesthetic that is ready for a new era.