For 2026, the Explorer Platinum was a 2.3L-only trim. For 2027, the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 is back on it, and ordering the V6 brings a bundle of Ultimate content with it. That makes the 2027 Platinum two different vehicles depending on one box on the order form, and this guide is about choosing correctly.
Below: what the Platinum includes on either engine, what the 3.0L Ultimate Package adds, how the two engines compare in the numbers that matter around here, who should take the V6 and who should not, and the pricing. The rest of the lineup is in the 2027 Ford Explorer Buyers Guide.
Is the V6 new on the Platinum?
It is returning, which is slightly different from new. Earlier Explorer Platinums offered the 3.0L; the 2026 order guide deleted it and made the Platinum a 2.3L EcoBoost trim, leaving the V6 to the ST and the Tremor. The 2027 order guide brings it back as an available engine on the Platinum (600A) in both RWD and 4WD.
What changed alongside it is that the V6 now arrives with the 3.0L Ultimate Package included, so a V6 Platinum is not just a Platinum with more power. It is the top of the Explorer luxury ladder, and it is priced and equipped that way.
What every 2027 Platinum includes
The Platinum is the Explorer luxury trim, and most of what makes it one is standard on both engines:
- BlueCruise hands-free highway driving with hardware, one year, and a 90-day plan included (subscription after)
- Multicontour front seats with Active Motion, heated and ventilated, with driver memory; heated second-row captain’s chairs with E-Z Entry; PowerFold third row
- ActiveX seating with leather interlaced diamond-perforated inserts, ambient lighting, 110V outlet
- B&O 14-speaker, 980-watt audio with subwoofer and HD Radio
- Satin chrome and ebony grille, adaptive LED headlamps, satin roof rails, premium silver skid plate elements, open-on-approach liftgate, power-folding memory mirrors
- 20-inch Luster Nickel-painted aluminum wheels (2.3L)
- 13.2-inch touchscreen with Google built in, 12.3-inch cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 5G modem
- Ford Co-Pilot360™ Assist 2.0 with 360-degree camera, front parking sensors, and reverse brake assist; Class III Trailer Tow Package
Platinum starts at $50,660 in RWD and $52,660 in 4WD with the 2.3L, before the $1,795 destination charge. The Lux Leather Package ($1,695) adds Platinum badges on the front seats, premium leather, and quilting and stitching on the seats and door panels, in Salt Crystal Gray or Mojave Dusk. On a 2.3L Platinum, that package and the 21-inch bright machined wheels ($745) are the two upgrades most buyers add.
What the 3.0L Ultimate Package includes
Order the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 on a Platinum and the 3.0L Ultimate content comes with it. Per the order guide, that means:
- The Lux Leather Package: Platinum badges on the front seats, premium leather seating surfaces, quilting and stitching on the seats and door panels
- Quad chrome exhaust tips
- 21-inch dark alloy-painted machined aluminum wheels
- The 20.2-gallon fuel tank that comes with the V6 (the 2.3L uses 17.9 gallons)
- A 3.31 rear axle in place of the 2.3L Platinum’s 3.58
The price list shows the Platinum Ultimate Package (68U) at $5,660, which bundles the Lux Leather Package with the 3.0L Ultimate wheel and exhaust content. Because the V6 is ordered as its own engine code and the packaging on a specific build depends on how it is configured, ask us for the exact V6 Platinum price on your spec rather than adding numbers off this page. We will show you the build sheet line by line.
2.3L Platinum vs. 3.0L Platinum: the numbers
| Platinum 2.3L EcoBoost | Platinum 3.0L EcoBoost V6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Horsepower / torque | 300 hp / 310 lb-ft | Up to 400 hp / 415 lb-ft (383 hp on 50-state emissions builds) |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic | 10-speed automatic |
| Max towing | 5,000 lbs | 5,000 lbs |
| Fuel tank | 17.9 gal | 20.2 gal |
| Fuel economy | Not yet posted for the Platinum; the 2.3L 4WD Active is EPA-rated 20 city / 27 hwy / 23 combined | Not yet posted; see the window sticker |
| Wheels | 20-in Luster Nickel (21-in bright machined optional) | 21-in dark alloy-painted machined |
| Exhaust | Standard | Quad chrome tips |
| Leather | ActiveX with leather inserts; Lux Leather optional ($1,695) | Lux Leather included |
| Base MSRP (RWD / 4WD) | $50,660 / $52,660 | Ask for the V6 build price |
Ford figures on premium fuel. Towing requires proper equipment. Destination and delivery is $1,795 on either.
The towing rating is the same. What the V6 changes is how the vehicle feels doing it: 415 lb-ft against 310 means a loaded trailer on the grade out of the Oahe bottoms, or a headwind on US-83 at 75 mph, does not require the 10-speed to hunt for a gear. It also changes the range: the 20.2-gallon tank is worth roughly two extra hours of highway between fills, which matters on the drive to Sioux Falls or Rapid City. Ford has not published EPA figures for either Platinum yet; expect the V6 to cost some economy in exchange for the torque, and we will point you at the sticker on each unit rather than guess.
Pricing a V6 Platinum?
We will build the order line by line and show you exactly what the 3.0L adds. Or drive a 2.3L Platinum on the lot first.
Who should take the V6, and who should not
Take the 3.0L if you are coming out of an Expedition or a Tahoe and do not want the trade-down to feel like one; you tow a travel trailer, a pontoon, or a two-place snowmobile trailer more than a few times a year; you drive long highway miles and want the bigger tank; or you simply want the top Explorer with the quad tips and the quilted leather already on it.
Stay with the 2.3L if your towing is an occasional small boat and your miles are mostly around town and to the grandkids. The 2.3L Platinum has every comfort item the V6 does except the Lux Leather (which you can add for $1,695), it is lighter on fuel, and it is several thousand dollars less. At 300 horsepower it is not a slow vehicle; it is the engine in the Active that most of our customers buy and are happy in.
Either way, the Platinum is the one Explorer that includes BlueCruise for a year plus 90 days out of the box. How BlueCruise compares with GM Super Cruise and Nissan ProPILOT, and where it works in South Dakota, is in our BlueCruise comparison guide.
Getting a V6 Platinum at Beadle Ford
The 2027 Platinum with the 3.0L is an order-to-spec build for us at the moment. Pick 4WD (nearly every Platinum we sell is), pick a paint, decide on the Panoramic Vista Roof ($1,695), and we will build the order, price it line by line, and track it through delivery. The engine block heater ($190) is worth adding to anything that lives outside in January.
If you would rather have one now, the Explorers in stock include 2026 and 2027 units with the 2.3L, and a 2026 Platinum shares everything but the engine option. Get pre-approved first and the rest of the conversation is about the vehicle, not the payment. A trade from an Expedition or a Tahoe usually covers more of a Platinum than people expect; bring it along.
Key Takeaways
- The 3.0L EcoBoost V6 returns to the Platinum for 2027 after being dropped for 2026.
- Ordering the V6 brings the 3.0L Ultimate content: Lux Leather, quad chrome tips, 21-inch dark alloy wheels, and the 20.2-gallon tank.
- Both engines tow 5,000 lbs. The V6 adds torque (415 vs. 310 lb-ft) and range, not rating.
- Every Platinum includes BlueCruise for a year plus 90 days, multicontour seats, 14-speaker B&O, and adaptive headlamps.
- 2.3L Platinum lists at $50,660 RWD / $52,660 4WD; ask us to price the V6 build on your spec.
Frequently Asked Questions
My Take
The Platinum buyer I see most is a couple trading a paid-off Expedition or Tahoe now that the kids are gone. They want the quiet, the BlueCruise, and the seats, and they do not want to give up the ability to pull the camper. For 2026 I had to steer that buyer to an ST or keep them in an Expedition. For 2027 the V6 Platinum is exactly the vehicle they were describing.
If that is not you, do not talk yourself into the V6. A 2.3L Platinum 4WD with the Lux Leather added is a genuinely luxurious three-row for a lot less money, and one of the 2026s on the lot might be it.
About the Author
Lexy Tabbert — Beadle Ford, Bowdle, SD
Lexy Tabbert is the Director of Sales and Marketing at Beadle Ford in Bowdle, South Dakota. She covers Ford vehicles, trim comparisons, and buyer guidance — helping families, ranchers, and ag operators across the region find the right truck and configuration for their needs. Learn more about Lexy.
