2022 Ford Explorer Timberline Is a Light Off-Roader You'll Mistake for a Cop

The 2021 Ford Explorer Timberline is a slightly more off-road-ready variant of Ford's family crossover. It's got a little more ground clearance, a little more traction, and a little more underbody protection. It also has grille-mounted LED fog lights that, dear God, are going to give me a mild heart attack whenever I see them in my rear-view mirror, because they look so much like the grille-mounted low-profile LED lights you see in basically every Explorer-based police car.

Ford says the Timberline is the seventh new off-roady model the company has introduced since 2019—alongside the two- and four-door Bronco, the Bronco Sport, the new F-150 Raptor, and the Tremor variants of the Ranger, F-150, and Super Duty. But an Explorer Raptor this is not: the Timberline spec brings a 0.8-inch lift with heavy-duty shock absorbers from the Explorer Police Interceptor, 265/65 Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires on unique 18-inch wheels, and unique front and rear fascias to add clearance.