Ford has applied its storied Explorer nameplate to its new electric compact SUV for Europe, the company has announced.
Ford unveiled the new car in a digital event ahead of deliveries, which are set to start early next year.
The Ford Explorer name was chosen "as a nod to our American heritage and the spirit of adventure that the name Explorer is very much synonymous with," a spokesman told Automotive News Europe.
The European Ford Explorer, however, is very different from its U.S. counterpart. The European version is 4470 mm long and is based on Volkswagen Group's electric MEB electric platform. The U.S. Explorer meanwhile is categorized as a large SUV at 5049 mm long. It is powered by combustion engines up to 3.3 liters in size.