Ford has announced that a refreshed version of the Ford Explorer utility vehicle, a 2016 model, will make it's global debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month, with a new look, and a peek at Ford's newest technology. Celebrating the Explorer's 25th anniversary next year, this mid-cycle freshening of the long-running SUV nameplate, comes in the middle of it's fifth generation, which was introduced in 2010 as a 2011 model. That year, the Explorer changed from a body-on-frame truck to a car-based crossover. Since debuting in 1990 as the successor to the Ford Bronco, and as a derivative of the Ranger, nearly 7 million Ford Explorers have been sold. Ford is saving the surprises for the show, but recent spy shots have revealed that the Explorer will receive revised styling, including new fascia, headlights and grille in the front, and new fascia and taillights in the rear.

The finalists in each of the six 2023 World Vehicle of the Year categories have been announced. Once again this year, there is a very strong Korean presence in several of the categories. The winners will be announced at the New York Auto Show in early April.

Ford wants to triple production of its F-150 Lightning in 2023. This comes after the company managed to build only 15,000 units of the electric pickup, short of the 40,000 initial goal. With supply-chain issues slowly disappearing, the automaker wants to be churning them out at a rate of 150,000 units per year, by the end of this year.

Ford is recalling close to 100,000 older Ranger pickups because of faulty repair work during an earlier recall related to Takata airbags. The recall targets the older generation of the Ranger pickup, which went off the market after 2011.