Ford Reveals Its VW-Based EV Crossover for Europe, the Explorer

• Ford has revealed a new EV model for Europe called the Explorer.

• This compact SUV will be built in Germany and is based on Volkswagen's MEB platform.

• There is also an Explorer EV slated for the U.S., but it will likely be considerably larger than this one.

Ford has promised that an electric version of the familiar Explorer three-row SUV is coming to the U.S. sometime soon, but this is not that car. Instead, this Ford Explorer is a new, smaller electric crossover built in Germany that's exclusively for the European market. It uses Volkswagen's MEB platform as part of a partnership between Ford and VW and is set to go on sale later this year.

Ford hasn't provided exact dimensions for this Explorer EV, but to us it looks like a compact SUV in the vein of the Escape or Bronco Sport that we get in the U.S. It has a modern-looking grille-less face, a relatively low-slung but still boxy shape, and interesting details including a slatted design element on the C-pillar and chunky wheel patterns. Inside, it has a large 14.6-inch vertical touchscreen and a digital gauge cluster, plus a spacious center console and a lockable compartment behind the screen. It's a two-row setup with five seats, and Ford claims 17 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat.