2022 Ford Explorer Interior Review
The interior of the 2022 Ford Explorer is clean, lean, and designed to make the journey enjoyable.
Written by Jasmine Kanter
Reviewed by Hillary Kobayashi
Table of Contents
The interior of the
2022 Ford Explorer
is clean, lean, and designed to make the journey as enjoyable as the destination. Compared to the lower trims, the higher trims offer an enjoyable mix of premium upholstery and finishing materials.Don’t overlook comfort in your search for the perfect, rugged outdoor vehicle. Hop into the wrong SUV and it doesn’t matter how beautiful the scenery is—you, your cranky passengers, and your sore backside will remember the bumpy road for a long time to come.
We’ll cover seating, tech, storage, and style. And you can bet that if we find a thread or a cushion out of place, you’ll read about it here!
2022 Ford Explorer interior
A full-size, three-row SUV, the 2022 Ford Explorer can accommodate you, your passengers, and whatever else you’d like to pack. It’s also got the power to take you wherever you want to go.
The standard 2.3L turbocharged inline-four produces 300 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. If you upgrade to the ST trim and higher, you’ll get a 3.0L V6 engine, 400 hp, and 415 lb-ft of torque at your fingertips. Each powertrain comes with a 10-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel-drive, on the other hand, costs $2,000 extra.
The full Explorer model range is listed below:
MORE: Ford Explorer ST V6
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Seating
There are six seats in the 2022 Ford Explorer, two by two by two. The front row is the most pampered, with heating, ventilation, and massage functions available. It’s also the only row to receive specially-contoured sports chairs.
The second row, however, can be fitted with captain’s chairs, which makes them a better spot for adults than the third-row bench.
Here’s a full list of the amenities available and the trim where you can find them:
- Cloth upholstery: Base, XLT
- Eight-way power driver bucket seat: Base
- Four-way manual front passenger bucket seat: Base
- Reclining manual-folding third-row seats: Base, XLT, ST-Line, Timberline, Limited, ST
- Heated eight-way power driver bucket seat with power lumbar support: XLT, ST-Line, Timberline, ST, Limited Hybrid, Platinum Hybrid, King Ranch, Platinum
- Heated four-way power front passenger bucket seat with manual lumbar support: XLT
- Leatherette upholstery: ST-Line, Timberline
- Heated six-way power front passenger bucket seat with power lumbar support: ST-Line, Limited, Timberline, ST, Limited Hybrid, Platinum Hybrid, King Ranch, Platinum
- Leather upholstery: Limited, ST, Limited Hybrid, Platinum Hybrid, King Ranch, Platinum
- Ventilated front seats: Limited, Limited Hybrid, Platinum Hybrid, King Ranch, Platinum
- Heated rear seats: Limited, Timberline, Limited Hybrid, Platinum Hybrid, King Ranch, Platinum
- Front sport seats: ST, Platinum Hybrid, King Ranch, Platinum
- Reclining power-folding third-row seats: Limited Hybrid, Platinum Hybrid, King Ranch, Platinum
- Massaging front seats: Platinum Hybrid, King Ranch, Platinum
Typical of a three-row SUV, space gets tighter as you move backward. It’s best to seat children in the third row, which loses more than ten inches of legroom compared to the second.
Interior dimensions | With optional moonroof on Platinum | |
|---|---|---|
Front headroom | 40.7 inches | 38.9 inches |
Front leg room | 43.0 inches | |
Front shoulder room | 61.8 inches | |
Second-row headroom | 40.5 inches | 38.2 inches |
Second-row legroom | 39.0 inches | |
Second-row shoulder room | 61.9 inches | |
Third-row headroom | 38.9 inches | |
Third-row legroom | 32.2 inches | |
Third-row shoulder room | 54.6 inches |
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Tech
With the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of safety technology, the Explorer is as well-equipped as its name suggests. Standard features include automatic LED headlights, frontal collision mitigation, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane-keeping assistance, and trailer sway control.
Taking
five stars in the NHTSA side crash test
and four stars in the rollover test, it earned a Top Safety Pick+
from the IIHS.As for convenience and entertainment, you get:
- Heated mirrors
- Tri-zone automatic climate control
- Remote keyless locks and keyless entry and ignition
- 4.2-Inch LCD instrument panel display
- An 8.0-inch touchscreen with the SYNC 3 interface, featuring satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and two USB ports
- 4G LTE WiFi hotspot
- Five 12V power outlets
- Rearview camera
- Rear parking sensors
- Cabin air filtration
On higher trims, you'll find captain's chairs in the second row and a wireless charging pad, Bang & Olufsen audio system, and a navigation system in the front. The ST-Line trim and higher adds a surround-view camera system, adaptive cruise control, and evasive steering assistance. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line Platinum trim enjoys a digital instrument panel, two extra speakers, automatic parking, and rear automatic braking.
Should you wish to spend more, Ford is happy to oblige. Over a dozen packages are available, priced between $700 and $4,995. Ford Co-Pilot 360 Assist+ ($995), which includes speed sign recognition software, and the Premium Technology Package ($1,295), which upgrades the touchscreen to 10.1 inches, will appeal to the tech-savvy.
MORE: Ford Explorer XLT towing capacity
Storage
With the second and third rows folded down, the Explorer's cargo space expands from 18.2 to 87.8 cubic feet.
You’ll also be able to tow up to 5,300 pounds. While the Trailer Tow Package doesn’t increase that rating, it does include a receiver hitch, a four-pin wiring harness, a seven-pin wiring harness, a Tow/Haul drive mode, and enhanced blind-spot monitoring.
The Trailer Tow Package is available for the Base, XLT, ST-Line, Limited, King Ranch, and Platinum models for $545 and comes standard with the ST and Timberline Explorer.
Style
The 2022 Ford Explorer isn't afraid to get right to the point. With lines that all point toward the windshield and the view beyond, the interior is refreshingly streamlined. The black plastic on lower trims feels cheap, but the leather and chrome available on more expensive models highlight the simple forms of the panels and central console.
While the Explorer makes it fun to explore the outdoors, it lacks one thing for true luxury enthusiasts: a choice of interior color schemes. The only options are Sandstone, Ebony, and Java, and the only way to change them is to change your trim selection.
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