The 2027 Ford Explorer is on the lot at Beadle Ford, parked next to our 2026s, and the first question every shopper asks is the right one: what actually changed? The short answer is that 2027 is a top-of-lineup year. The Tremor, which debuted for 2026, now offers the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 as its own equipment group. The V6 comes back to the Platinum. The ST gets a new Sinister Package. Below that, the changes are paint, roof, and convenience items.
This guide walks through every change from the 2027 Order Guide and price list that matters to a retail buyer, what carries over unchanged, and how to decide whether a 2027 is worth it over one of the 2026 Explorers sitting beside it. The full spec table, trim pricing, and all ten deep-dive guides live in the 2027 Ford Explorer Buyers Guide.
On This Page
What’s actually new on the 2027 Explorer vs. the 2026?
Eight changes, three of them significant. Here is the complete list from the 2027 Order Guide:
- Tremor 801A. The 3.0L EcoBoost V6 becomes its own Tremor equipment group, bundling BlueCruise hardware with a 90-day trial, an open-on-approach liftgate, a power-fold third row, driver memory, and electronic sound enhancement. The Sun and Sound Package is now available on it.
- 3.0L EcoBoost V6 on Platinum. The 2026 guide dropped the V6 from the Platinum. For 2027 it is back, and ordering it includes the 3.0L Ultimate Package: Lux Leather with quilted seats and door panels, Platinum seat badges, quad chrome exhaust tips, and 21-inch dark alloy wheels.
- ST Sinister Package (19G, $1,695). 21-inch gloss black aluminum wheels, 275/45R21 all-season tires, amber LED daytime running lamps, and a red ST badge with a black outline.
- Two new paints. Avalanche Gray ($395) and Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat ($495). Space White Metallic is dropped.
- Panoramic Vista Roof with Power Shade ($1,695) replaces the fixed panoramic glass roof that was new for 2026.
- Slick Roof Conversion ($295) deletes the roof rails on Active 200A, ST-Line, ST, and Platinum for a cleaner roofline.
- Universal garage door opener ($145) is optional on Tremor, ST, and Platinum.
- Ford Security Package. Every 2027 includes a year of theft alerts, start inhibit, and stolen-vehicle services, with a one-time purchase option ($595) if you want it permanently.
Everything else, from the body and the 13.2-inch screen to the safety suite and the two engines, carries over. That makes the 2027 a strong year at the top of the lineup and a quiet one for the Active and ST-Line trims that most families buy.
Is the Explorer Tremor new for 2027?
No, and this is worth being clear about because a lot of early coverage got it wrong. The Explorer Tremor debuted for the 2026 model year with the 2.3L EcoBoost in the 800A equipment group. We have 2026 Tremors on the lot today.
What is new for 2027 is Tremor 801A. In 2026 you could order a Tremor with the 3.0L V6, but it came through as an engine option that pulled in a bundle of Ultimate content. For 2027 Ford made the V6 Tremor its own equipment group with a clear standard-equipment list: the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 rated up to 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft, the full Tremor Convenience content (ambient lighting, auto-dimming mirror, power-folding memory mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, driver memory, power-fold third row), BlueCruise hardware with a 90-day trial, an open-on-approach liftgate, and electronic sound enhancement. It starts at $56,460 before the $1,795 destination charge, and the Sun and Sound Package ($3,340) can now be added for the 14-speaker B&O system, multicontour front seats, and the Vista Roof.
The hardware that makes a Tremor a Tremor is unchanged from 2026: 4WD only, TORSEN limited-slip rear axle, P265/65R18 all-terrain tires on 18-inch gloss black wheels with Electric Spice accents, front and rear underbody deflector plates, unique front tow hooks, auxiliary grille lights, and 8.7 inches of ground clearance. The complete breakdown, including 800A vs. 801A and how it stacks up against a Bronco, is in the 2027 Explorer Tremor guide.
What is the ST Sinister Package?
The Sinister Package is a $1,695 appearance option for the ST, and it is the one change on the 2027 that you can spot from across a parking lot. It swaps the ST’s standard 21-inch Magnetite wheels for 21-inch gloss black aluminum on the same 275/45R21 all-season tires, fixes the LED daytime running lamps to amber (they are non-configurable, so you cannot switch them back to white), and replaces the ST badges with a red ST badge outlined in black.
There are no mechanical changes. The ST underneath is the same 3.0L EcoBoost V6, sport-tuned suspension, red performance calipers, and paddle shifters it was in 2026. If you want the black-wheel look on an Explorer but your roads are gravel, the Tremor is the better fit; if you want the performance trim with a meaner face, this is the box to check. Full details: the ST Sinister Package explained.
The 3.0L V6 returns to the Platinum
For 2026, the Platinum was a 2.3L-only trim. For 2027, the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 is available again, and ordering it brings the 3.0L Ultimate Package with it: the Lux Leather Package (Platinum badges on the front seats, premium leather, quilting and stitching on the seats and door panels), quad chrome exhaust tips, and 21-inch dark alloy-painted machined aluminum wheels.
This is the change our empty-nester buyers care about. A Platinum already includes BlueCruise for a year plus 90 days, multicontour front seats with Active Motion, the 14-speaker B&O system, adaptive headlamps, and heated second-row captain’s chairs. Adding the V6 gives it the power to pull a travel trailer to Oahe without feeling like a step down from the Expedition it is replacing. Note that on a 50-state emissions build the Platinum V6 is rated at 383 horsepower rather than 400; South Dakota vehicles ship with the Federal calibration unless you order otherwise. Which engine to take, and when the 2.3L is the smarter Platinum, is covered in Platinum 2.3L or 3.0L V6.
The 2027 Explorer is on the lot in Bowdle
Compare it with our 2026s in person, or ask us to order a Tremor 801A, a V6 Platinum, or a Sinister ST to your spec.
New paints, deleted paint, and the roof changes
Eight exterior colors for 2027. Avalanche Gray and Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat are new, and Space White Metallic is gone. Agate Black Metallic, Carbonized Gray Metallic, Marsh Gray (ST-Line and up), Star White Metallic Tri-Coat, Vapor Blue Metallic, and Oxford White (fleet only) carry over. The Black Painted Roof ($4,895) is still not offered with Agate Black, for the obvious reason.
The first 2027 to land at Beadle Ford was an Active in Avalanche Gray, and I would encourage you to see it in daylight before you decide between it and Carbonized Gray. It reads darker and warmer in person than it does on a paint chip.
Two roof changes. The Panoramic Vista Roof with Power Shade ($1,695) replaces the fixed panoramic glass roof; it opens, where the 2026 roof did not. And the new Slick Roof Conversion ($295) removes the roof-rack side rails on Active 200A, ST-Line, ST, and Platinum. If you never mount a cargo box, it cleans up the roofline and takes a little wind noise with it. If you carry a kayak or a rooftop carrier to the lake, skip it.
What carries over from 2026 (and what Ford finalized)
The body, the interior, the Ford Digital Experience with Google built in on the 13.2-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the 5G modem, Ford Co-Pilot360â„¢ Assist+ standard on every trim (Assist 2.0 with the 360-degree camera from ST-Line up), and the two-engine lineup all carry over unchanged.
What did change since the May order guide is that Ford published final figures. The 2.3L EcoBoost is rated at 300 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque; the 3.0L EcoBoost V6 at up to 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft. Both use the 10-speed automatic. Maximum towing is 5,000 lbs on every trim with either engine, with the Class III Trailer Tow Package standard. Cargo is 16.3 cubic feet behind the third row and up to 85.3 cubic feet with both rear rows folded. The EPA rating on the 2.3L 4WD, straight from the window sticker on our in-stock Active, is 20 city, 27 highway, 23 combined. Other engine and drive combinations are not yet posted; we will point you to the sticker on each unit rather than guess.
Should you buy a 2026 or the 2027?
If you want an Active, an ST-Line, a 2.3L Platinum, or a Tremor 800A, the 2026 and 2027 are nearly identical vehicles and the 2026s on our lot are the faster, and often better-priced, route. If you want the V6 on a Platinum, the ST Sinister Package, the opening Vista Roof, or one of the two new colors, that is a 2027, and the first one is already here.
Both years are on the lot in Bowdle, so this is a decision you can make by walking between them. The full breakdown, including how your trade fits and where the incentives usually land, is in Buy a 2026 Explorer now or a 2027?. You can also shop every Explorer in stock and get pre-approved before you come in.
Key Takeaways
- 2027 is a top-of-lineup year: Tremor 801A with the 3.0L V6, the V6 back on Platinum, and the ST Sinister Package.
- The Tremor is not new for 2027; it debuted for 2026. The 3.0L Tremor 801A equipment group is the new part.
- Two new paints (Avalanche Gray, Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat) and an opening Panoramic Vista Roof replace Space White and the fixed glass roof.
- Ford finalized the numbers: 300 hp (2.3L), up to 400 hp (3.0L V6), 5,000 lbs towing on every trim, 20/27/23 mpg on the 2.3L 4WD.
- For Active, ST-Line, 2.3L Platinum, and Tremor 800A buyers, a 2026 on the lot is nearly the same vehicle. Both years are at Beadle Ford now.
Frequently Asked Questions
My Take
Most of the Explorer shoppers I talk to in Bowdle, Mobridge, and Selby are trading a 2016 to 2020 Explorer or an Edge, and for them the 2026-versus-2027 question is smaller than the internet makes it sound. Either one is a big step up from what is in the driveway. Where the 2027 earns its keep is at the top: if you have been waiting for a V6 Platinum, a factory-black-wheel ST, or a Tremor with the V6 and everything bundled, this is the year.
If you are an Active or ST-Line buyer, come drive the 2026 and 2027 back to back. They are parked next to each other for exactly that reason, and the numbers on the 2026 are usually the ones that make the decision.
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.