On March 1990, the Ford Motor Company introduced the Ford Explorer for the 1991 model year. It was a replacement for the discontinued Ford Bronco II. Similar to its predecessor, the Ford Explorer was also based on the Ford Ranger compact pickup truck, but larger. Initially, it was equipped with a 155 hp 4.0 L V6 engine with either 4 speed automatic or 5 speed manual transmissions, which was only available for the 4-door type. It was available in both 2-door and 4-door bodytypes with either rear-wheel or four wheel drive. Two four-wheel systems were offered: the "Touch Drive" which can be activated by buttons on the dashboard, and a manual system with a lever on the floor and manually locked front hubs. The four-wheel drive came with a Borg Warner 1354 transfer case and was available in the XL, XLT, and Eddie Bauer trim levels. The two-door body type on the other hand, was built on a shorter wheelbase, and was available in the XL, Sport, and Eddie Bauer trim levels.
The year 1992 saw minor changes on the Ford Explorer except for the availability 5 speed manual transmission for the Sport trim, albeit decreasing the engine power by 15 hp. The air conditioning for all Explorer were improved and alloy wheels were debuted for the XLT and Eddie Bauer trim levels. Also, a six way adjustment for the option sport seat, which was a standard for the Eddie Bauer trim became available.
By 2003, Ford Explorer's Sport trim's engine picked up 15 hp, putting a total power of 160 hp for its 4.0 L V6 engine. Also, 5 hp was added to 155 hp 4.0 L V6 engines for the rest of the other Explorer models. In 2005, the Explorer was revamped with a new grille, bumper, and a downward sloping nose. Safety features were also added including airbags for the driver and passenger. A new "Control Trac" four-wheel drive system was installed. It allowed full time use of the four-wheel drive by automatically sending power to the front wheels when a slip is detected from the rear. Also, a new car-like independent front suspension replaced the "Twin Traction Beam" front suspension.
In 1996 a 210 hp 5.0L V8 engine with a heavy duty 4 speed automatic transmission used. Child seats were made available to all 4-door Explorers, and new alloy wheels were placed on the Limited trims.
A new variant of the enhance Explorer was introduced in 1997. The Mercury Mountaineer is a 4-door SUV with an all wheel drive system and V8 engine. It is very similar to the Explorer except for the chromed-out grille, different side moldings and tailgate. For the Explorer's functional upgrades, a more powerful 205 hp 4.0 L V6 engine was added, along with an optional 5 speed automatic transmission. To sum it up, 3 engines became available for the Ford Explorer: the 160hpV6, 205 hp V6, and the 211 hp 5.0 L V8. In this phase, the all wheel drive system became available on the XLT, Eddie Bauer, and Limited series.
By 1998 the second generation airbags with a reduced deployment force, were employed. The antilock brakes were improved. And also, a new anti-theft "Securilock" system was introduced. A reverse Sensing System was introduced in 1999 to alert drivers of out-of-sight objects behind the vehicle were detected.
By 2001, the 4-door Explorer models had a standard engine of 211 hp 4.0 L SOHC V6 engine, while the 160 hp V6 engine and the 5 speed manual transmission were discontinued.
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