First sight: Ford’s new electric Explorer

Ford is taking a familiar nameplate electric as part of a wider design “reset” that began around five years ago.

The new Explorer, a fully electric mid-size crossover, will sit between the Puma and Mustang Mach-E in its new-look portfolio

and in some ways is the spiritual successor to the Focus, which is being phased out.

This new model is very much in keeping with contemporary trends, but a typical battery-powered crossover this is not.

Lifting the covers off in the studio, it is immediately apparent that the team wanted more conventional SUV proportions,

But according to two complaints from vehicle owners, their SUVs behaved erratically following the repair.