The Ford Explorer was one of the kickstarters of today’s SUV craze, and it has remained a major part of the automaker’s lineup since its introduction. Ford has made several revisions over the years, and the last significant overhaul happened in 2020 with the introduction of the sixth-generation SUV.
2026 Ford Explorer Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 Ford Explorer
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 Ford Explorer
The 2026 Ford Explorer gained a handful of updates, most notably the introduction of the new Tremor configuration. It offers a 2.5-centimetre suspension lift, all-terrain tires, a Torsen limited-slip differential, and underbody skid plates. Those upgrades give the Explorer a bit of off-road capability, even if they won’t transform the three-row crossover into a trail-bashing monster like a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco.
Design
Ford didn’t radically change the Explorer’s appearance for 2026. It retains its large grille and sculpted sides, and the Tremor configuration adds bright orange accents in the grille, tow hooks, and wheels. Other trims bring black exterior accents, unique wheel designs, and more.
Powertrain
Powertrain options remain unchanged for 2026. The base configuration includes a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. A twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 is available, making 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. Both engines pair with a ten-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive (AWD) in Canada. The available twin-turbo engine makes the Explorer feel much livelier thanks to its extra 100 horsepower, but both options return decent fuel economy as low as 8.7 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway with the four-cylinder and 9.6 L/100 km on the highway with the V6.
Interior
The Explorer can seat up to seven people with a second-row bench seat and six with the optional captain’s chairs. Cloth upholstery and heated front seats comes standard in Canada, but higher trims add synthetic or genuine leather, ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, and massaging front seats. The Tremor configuration gets unique interior accents and orange stitching.
Technology
Ford equips a 13.2-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, along with navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth, SiriusXM radio, and more. Available tech includes upgraded Bang & Olufsen stereos, remote start, and ambient interior lighting.
Safety
The 2026 Explorer hasn’t been crash tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It comes standard with a long list of advanced driver assistance features, however, including automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alerts, automatic high beams, safe exit warnings, rear parking sensors, pedestrian detection, and driver attention monitoring. Blue Cruise, front parking sensors, adaptive headlights, and intersection turning assist are available.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor is available now. As of the time of this writing, Canadian pricing starts at $54,495 for the base Active trim, including the $2,295 destination charge and other fees. The ST-Line trim starts at $59,995, while the Tremor is priced from $61,995, the Platinum from $65,145, and the range-topping ST starts at $73,195.
