Ford’s new Android infotainment system finally appears in Ford-brand vehicles. The automaker’s so-called digital experience will debut in the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus earlier this year and will power the new 2025 Ford Explorer SUV, the company announced today.
The 2025 Ford Explorer includes many key features for the digital experience, including built-in Google Maps, Google Play Store, Google Assistant, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and digital HVAC controls. It doesn’t have the luxurious 48-inch panoramic screen setup like the Lincoln Nautilus, but from the outside, the main 13.2-inch touch screen has the same interface. For the first time, Explorer’s 12.3-inch digital instrument panel can project maps.
Speaking of HVAC, the new Explorer appears to be missing physical climate control buttons. This echoes Ford’s newly redesigned Maverick truck, which also moves HVAC controls to a touch screen. However, the Maverick still runs Ford’s older QNX-powered Sync 4 software.
The Explorer’s much smaller screen size compared to the Lincoln Nautilus shows how the system can adapt to different interiors and use cases. As we previously reported, Ford has no plans to phase out its internal Sync operating system, which runs on similarly sized screens in many Ford vehicles.
Ford also plans to put its Android-based system into electric vehicles such as the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E, both of which have larger vertical screens and require a different digital experience than traditional cars. Saw one.
