Ford is affixing the storied Explorer nameplate to a new electric compact crossover for Europe, the company said Tuesday.
Ford unveiled the new vehicle during 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 said.
The European Ford Explorer, however, is very different from its U.S. counterpart. The European version is about 14.67 feet long and is based on Volkswagen Group's electric MEB electric platform. The U.S. Explorer is categorized as a large crossover at about 16.56 feet long. It is powered by combustion engines up to 3.3 liters in size.
Ford offers a plug-in hybrid version of the U.S.-made Explorer in Europe, but sales will end this summer, the automaker said.
The European Explorer will be built at Ford's plant in Cologne, Germany, replacing the Fiesta small car.
A second version of the Explorer, expected to be named the Explorer Sport, will follow and will also be assembled in the Cologne factory.
Output of the two Explorer models sold in Europe will total 1.2 million over a period of six years, the company has said.
Ford said the new Explorer EV will start at less than 45,000 euros ($48,200) when it goes on sale, without giving a precise figure or revealing the markets where that price will apply.
The new EV will compete against VW Group models on the same platform such as the VW ID4 and forthcoming Cupra Tavascan, as well models such as the Nissan Ariya and Toyota bZ4X.