Ford and Lincoln say that the Explorer and Aviator blend models won’t be ready until 2024. There was a plug-in hybrid system in the Aviator Grand Touring, and the Explorer used to have a mixed choice with a 3.3-liter V-6. It was also seen as a redesigned Explorer that didn’t have any camouflage on it. This car should come out around 2025. The Blue Oval’s two three-row mid-size SUVs, the Ford Explorer and the Lincoln Aviator, have undergone many changes. First, officials from Ford and Lincoln told C/D that hybrid versions of both cars will no longer be made after the 2024 model year. We should soon hear more about the redesigned 2025 Explorer and Aviator models. In the meantime, we’ve already seen the Ford’s new look in the wild. Yet Another Hybrid? The Explorer used to have a hybrid engine with a 3.3-liter V-6, but the Aviator Grand Touring has a plug-in hybrid system with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine and an EPA-rated electric range of 21 miles. In 2024, neither combination will be on the market. Ford says the Explorer hybrid was removed because there was so much demand for the Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility hybrid and other Ford hybrids. Lincoln didn’t say more, but since both the Aviator and the Explorer are made in the same factory in Chicago, the reasons why the Aviator is no longer being made are connected. The Aviator Grand Touring was one of the few plug-in hybrid cars that met the new Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) requirements and could get the full $7,500 tax credit. The 2024 Aviator only comes with a 3.0L V-6 twin-turbo engine. For the 2024 Explorer, you can choose between a 3.0L V-6 engine or a turbocharged 2.3L inline-four base engine. There will be a change in 2025 For the 2024 model year, the Explorer and Aviator are the only non-hybrid cars that won’t change. However, we expect to see improved 2025 models soon with new looks. The 2025 Ford Explorer’s front and back ends have been changed. It will have new headlights and taillights, a more prominent face, and unique fascias. New wheel designs can also be seen, and the inside is expected to be improved. Ford said that the 2.3L and 3.0L engines make up “a majority of Explorer sales,” but we don’t know if Ford or Lincoln wants to bring back the hybrids as part of this update. So, it’s likely that the blends are no longer for sale. Ford has said that an electric Explorer is being worked on, and the company is now advertising a smaller EV with the Explorer name in Europe. It is planned that the 2025 Explorer and 2025 Aviator will go on sale in the first half of next year. Stay tuned for more updates soon.
