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AUTO REVIEW: 2020 Ford Explorer

NNPA NEWSWIRE — …pretty much the 2020 Ford Explorer is all-new from the ground up. That is no doubt true since engineers switched the vehicle from being front-wheel-drive to rear-wheel drive. In other words, the Explorer sits on an all-new chassis. And because of the switch, in addition to better handling, it will be better off-road and the towing capacity jumped by 600 lbs. to 5,600 lbs.

Published

6 years ago

March 31, 2019

Oakland Post

By Frank S. Washington, AboutThatCar.com

DETROIT – It was a Ford night in January when Ford introduced the all-new Ford Explorer at Ford Field. The company wanted to get the jump on the North American International Auto Show and did so by lifting the bar in the midsize crossover utility market.

The Explorer has been around from some 30 years and it was the dominant crossover, they were called sports utilities back then, for more than a decade. First came the Firestone tire controversy and escalating gasoline prices followed, stunting sales. Still, the Ford Explorer is America’s best-selling SUV.

We didn’t get to drive it but there were some highlights that deserve mentioning. Even from the rafters of Ford Field (it is an indoor football stadium) the Explorer looked good. Ford said longtime traits – including Explorer’s blacked-out A-pillars and D-pillars and body-color C-pillars have been retained. But changes to the overall profile include a more sloping roofline and shorter front overhang that made it look sleeker and less boxy.

They told us that pretty much the 2020 Ford Explorer is all-new from the ground up. That is no doubt true since engineers switched the vehicle from being front-wheel-drive to rear-wheel drive. In other words, the Explorer sits on an all-new chassis. And because of the switch, in addition to better handling, it will be better off-road and the towing capacity jumped by 600 lbs. to 5,600 lbs.

The company said the new sport utility is lighter, leaner, more rigid, and more powerful and it has better fuel efficiency. A real eye opener for me is that there will be two engine choices when the Explorer goes on sale this summer.

The standard engine will be a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will make, get this, 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. It will be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

There is also a 3.0 turbo-charged six-cylinder engine that will make 365 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque using 93 octane gas. It too gets a 10-speed automatic transmission. And both of them will be dial shifters. The Explorer lineup will expand. There will be standard, XLT, Limited, Limited Hybrid, ST and Platinum models.

The cabin has been re-crafted, Ford said it is quieter and offers more space. Of course there will be more technology including an available 10.1-inch portrait-mounted touch screen with full-screen maps, traffic-sensing Ford Co-Pilot360™ driver-assist innovations and features that can help reduce stress such as available Reverse Brake Assist and Active Park Assist 2.0, which handles all steering, shifting, brake and accelerator controls during a parking maneuver with a touch of a button. The portrait screen also can be swiped and pinched like an iPad, which is what it looked like in photos.

An all-new available Terrain Management System™ with selectable drive modes will help tackle any adventure through an easy-to-use dial in the center console; normal, trail, deep snow and sand, slippery, sport, tow/haul and a new eco mode, each come with special 3D animated graphics in the available new 12.3-inch digital cluster.

Ford said the all-new Explorer comes packed with more than a dozen new standard features for only $400 more over the previous model. Standard features now include a power liftgate, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine with all-new 10-speed transmission, an 8-inch digital touch screen with SYNC® 3, and FordPass Connect™ Wi-Fi service for up to 10 devices and more.

These are just some of things that await a test drive this summer. They say good things happen in warm weather. Odds are that the 2020 Ford Explorer will be one of them.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

WATCH HERE

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”