The Ford Explorer Is About to Get a Whole Lot More Adventurous, With a Unique Twist

As you may have heard, Ford is rolling its latest adventure package out to its entire line of trucks and SUVs.

With the F-150, Super Duty (F-250 and F-350), Ranger and Expedition already getting the Tremor treatment, it was only a matter of time till the brand brought the branding to one of its most enduring SUVs.

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Ford’s first five-door sport ute, the Explorer has been in production since the grand old year of 1990. For the 2026 model year, it’s getting Tremor-ified with all the bells and whistles. 

And while most of them are pretty adventure-oriented, one most definitely isn’t — but also makes perfect sense.

Wild beast

Let’s start with the beating heart, the engine. With the Explorer Tremor, there are a couple compelling options.

Balancing performance and efficiency is a 2.3-liter option, but the real monster is what you’ll also find in the Explorer ST:  a 3.0-liter EcoBoost making up to 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. 

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Ensuring things stay under control is standard 4-wheel drive (AWD) with a Torsen limited-slip differential for reliable grip on slippery and sandy surfaces. 

Boosting this Explorer’s adventure capability are 18-inch wheels outfitted with all-terrain tires, upgraded approach and departure angles and an off-road-ready suspension system featuring specially tuned springs and sway bars. 

One welcome companion of the latter is 8.7 inches of ground clearance (one more inch than its brethren), expanding just how far you can go off the beaten path.

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If you do happen to overextend, underbody protection for vital components helps minimize the potential damage.

Rounding out the rugged features are more aggro front and rear aesthetics, auxiliary off-road lights, tow hooks and oh-so-handy roof rack rails for lugging your outdoor gear.

Creature comfort

As rugged as it is on the outside and under the hood, the Explorer Tremor is pretty refined and high-tech on the inside. 

One key interior feature is available BlueCruise 1.5, now complete with automatic lane change capability, which makes long highway drives smooth and largely hands-free.

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Meanwhile, Copilot 360 Assist 2.0, with a 360-degree camera system, should make not only off-road maneuvers easier but help you navigate gridlock and parallel park on city streets.

There’s also Ford’s connectivity package, featuring a Wi-Fi hot spot, Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play app compatibility — plus an optional 14-speaker premium B&O audio system.

Which brings me to one final feature you can only get in the bigger-engined edition, that’s not even available in the Expedition Tremor. 

That would be the incredibly unadventurous, fantastically cushy massaging front seats.

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Because yes, some prospective owners will immediately be taking this rowdy SUV on epic journeys into the backcountry, where kayaking and dirt biking and splitboarding await.

But a whole lot more will probably love that blissful, body-pampering rumble during the precious 20 minutes they have to relax between getting off work and picking up the kids for soccer practice.

Availability and pricing

The 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor is expected to roll into dealerships toward the end of the year.

Pricing has not yet been announced but considering the base model Explorer starts at $40,050, I would not be surprised to see this one in the neighborhood of $50,000.

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2026 Ford Explorer Tremor

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