Active, ST-Line, Tremor and Platinum run the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four with 300 horsepower and 310 lb-ft. The ST gets the 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 and its 415 lb-ft as standard, Tremor offers it, and 2027 marks the first year it can be ordered on Platinum. Ford quotes it at up to 400 horsepower, with a 385-horsepower figure in California-emissions states.

All five trims use a 10-speed automatic. Four of them start rear-wheel drive with Intelligent 4WD available, while Tremor is four-wheel drive only. Six drive modes per model include Tow/Haul and Slippery, which matters more in an Illinois February than most option boxes.

• 300-hp 2.3L EcoBoost with 310 lb-ft
• 3.0L EcoBoost V6 to 400 hp and 415 lb-ft
• Platinum can take the V6 for the first time
• 10-speed automatic throughout
• Intelligent 4WD available; Tremor is 4WD only
• Standard Class III trailer tow package

Both screens are standard on every trim: a 13.2-inch center touchscreen running Ford Digital Experience and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto need no cable, updates arrive over the air, and a 5G modem drives the Wi-Fi hotspot.

BlueCruise hands-free highway driving is equipped on Platinum and ST with a complimentary plan and available elsewhere in the range. It operates on prequalified divided highways, and Ford still expects the driver watching the road and ready to take over.

• 13.2-inch touchscreen, Ford Digital Experience
• 12.3-inch digital cluster standard
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• BlueCruise equipped on Platinum and ST
• Over-the-air updates and a 5G modem
• Ford Security Package included for a year

Ford Co-Pilot360 is fitted to every trim, covering automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot information with cross-traffic alert, lane keeping and a rear view camera without needing a package. Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go comes with Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+, standard on the Explorer.

Where ratings are concerned, the most recent published results are for earlier model years: IIHS Top Safety Pick for the 2026 Explorer and a five-star NHTSA overall rating for the 2025. There is no 2027 rating from either body yet.

• Ford Co-Pilot360 standard on all trims
• Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Blind spot information with cross-traffic alert
• Lane-keeping system and rear view camera
• 2026 Explorer: IIHS Top Safety Pick
• 2025 Explorer: five-star NHTSA overall

The 2027 Explorer seats six as standard on second-row captain's chairs, with the available bench making it a seven-seater. Tremor is the exception at six seats only. Drop both rows and cargo room reaches 85.8 cubic feet.

Interiors move from Active's practical cloth up through ST-Line's sport treatment to the quilted leather available on Platinum, and the panoramic Vista Roof with power shade can be ordered on any model this year.

• Captain's chairs standard; bench available
• Six seats standard, seven with the bench
• Tremor is six-passenger only
• Up to 85.8 cu ft of cargo space
• Available quilted leather on Platinum
• Panoramic Vista Roof available on every model

At 198.7 inches on a 119.1-inch wheelbase the Explorer has real three-row presence without being awkward in an O'Fallon parking lot. Tremor is the rugged one of the group and ST the sharpest looking.

New paint for 2027 includes Avalanche Gray and Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat. The ST offers the new Sinister Package and its exclusive wheel design and amber accent lights, and the Slick Roof Conversion is available for a cleaner roofline.

• 198.7 inches long, 119.1-inch wheelbase
• Avalanche Gray and Ruby Red Metallic are new
• ST Sinister Package with amber accent lights
• Available Slick Roof Conversion
• Tremor: off-road hardware with 4WD
• Panoramic Vista Roof available