The 2026 Ford Explorer is a three-row SUV designed for drivers who want one vehicle that can handle multiple roles without making everyday driving feel like work. The 2026 lineup includes five distinctive trims, providing shoppers with a range of options to find an Explore that suits their driving preferences. With trims ranging from practical to more rugged, the Explorer is built to adapt to different lifestyles while keeping usability at the center of the experience. Right from the beginning, the Explorer shows the kind of versatility people look for in an SUV that can handle family life, travel, and everyday errands. It is designed to carry passengers comfortably while still leaving room for the gear that comes with busy schedules. This balance helps the vehicle feel useful on a typical weekday and just as capable when plans get bigger. The real value becomes clearer when you look at how it performs in different driving conditions, how the interior space and features support daily use, and how driver assistance technology can help reduce stress behind the wheel. These elements work together to make ownership feel less complicated and more convenient. Instead of adjusting your life around a vehicle, the Explorer is built to adapt to your lifestyle.
MSRP: $38,465[a]
Horsepower: 400
Passengers: 7
Cargo Space: 85.8 cu.ft.
Performance, Capability, and Efficiency
The Explorer lineup gives you choices in how power shows up in your day-to-day driving.
Engines & Towing: Power and Capability for Every Adventure
The 2026 lineup, except for the ST trim, comes standard with the 2.3L EcoBoost that delivers up to 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. The powertrain is equipped with auto-stop/start technology to improve the Explorer's overall efficiency. On the performance side, the Explorer ST trim is equipped with a 3.0 L EcoBoost V6 that delivers up to 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, the kind of output you feel when merging quickly or climbing grades with passengers and gear. Capability is not just about engines; it's also about what the vehicle is designed to pull and haul. The Explorer is rated to tow up to 5,000 lb, and the standard Class III Trailer Tow package across the entire lineup makes that capability possible. For typical buyers, that is enough to bring a small camper, utility trailers, and recreational gear setups, especially when you want one SUV to cover both weekday life and weekend plans.
Tremor Off-Road Trim: Ready for Tough Terrain
If you want the Explorer to lean into rougher terrain, Ford makes it possible with a new 2026 trim called Tremor. This off-road warrior is equipped with Intelligent 4WD for superior traction on challenging terrain and an increased ride height for a total of 8.7 inches of ground clearance. To protect the underbody, the Tremor is equipped with front and rear deflector plates and rides on 18-inch all-terrain wheels with off-road auxiliary lights to see the dirt path clearly ahead. Clearing obstacles is no problem with an enhanced approach angle of 24.1 degrees and a departure angle of 23.7 degrees, which can help when you are cresting uneven terrain or dealing with steeper entries and exits.
Selectable Drive Modes: Smarter Handling for Every Condition
Drive modes take the guesswork out of driving by automatically adjusting for whatever road conditions are ahead, so the vehicle behaves the way you'd expect without extra effort from you. Across the entire lineup, the Explorer comes with six selectable drive modes, including Normal, Eco, Sport, Tow/Haul, Slippery, and Trail. If you choose the Intelligent 4WD, you get an additional Hill Descent Control drive mode. That gives drivers an easy way to adapt the vehicle's behavior to conditions like wet roads, towing days, or unpaved routes without needing to be an expert.
Fuel Efficiency: Real-World Economy Meets Everyday Capability
Efficiency also matters in this segment, and the Explorer is nothing short of fulfilling real driver needs. The standard 2.3L EcoBoost engine with rear-wheel drive has a combined fuel economy of 24 MPG, 20 MPG in the city, and 29 MPG on the highway. Even opting for the 4WD only slightly changes those numbers to a combined fuel economy of 23 MPG, 20 MPG in the city, and 27 MPG on the highway. For shoppers, these numbers translate into real-world use, knowing they can travel farther and have fewer gas stops. Overall, the Explorer strikes a smart balance between capability and efficiency, delivering fuel economy figures that make a noticeable difference in everyday driving. The 2026 Explorer reassures shoppers that they're getting a vehicle designed for real life—one that goes farther between fill-ups without compromising performance or versatility.
Everyday Cabin Value
A three-row SUV ultimately proves its value in everyday life—how well the cabin functions on school runs, errands, and road trips, not just how it feels on a quick test drive.
Interior Space & Comfort: Flexible Seating and Room for Everyone
The Explorer has a maximum seating capacity of seven, while an available second-row captain's chairs reduces the occupant count to six. The benefit is flexibility: the captain's chairs can make third row access easier, while a bench can be a better fit for larger families. Cargo figures cut through the hype, showing whether "road-trip ready" is a practical reality or just a nice idea. The Explorer boasts 16.3 cu.ft. behind the third row, 46 cu.ft. behind the second row, and up to 85.8 cu.ft. when all rear seats are folded flat, in plain terms, that means you can keep the third row up for smaller everyday loads, fold it for larger grocery and sports equipment, or fold everything down when you need to move bulky items. Space is also about comfort, not just storage. You can expect 40.7 inches of headroom in the first row with 43 inches of legroom. In the second row, you have 40.5 inches of headroom and 37.5 inches of legroom. Even in the third row, there is still plenty of room for passengers, with 38.9 inches of headroom and 31.8 inches of legroom. Measurements help set expectations for how adults and kids will fit across all three rows, especially in the third row, where leg room is often the deciding factor for most drivers.
Infotainment & Connectivity: Seamless Tech for Every Passenger
Technology in the Explorer is built around a large center display and a software approach designed to be seamless rather than confusing. The 13.2-inch center touchscreen is nothing short of impressive, with the Ford Digital Experience offering digital content right at your fingertips with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless connection. For drivers looking to up the run inside the cabin, they can opt for the Ford Connectivity Package, which will help keep all passengers onboard happy with Wi-Fi Hotspots for up to 10 devices, Google Voice Assistant for easy, hands-free commands, and Google Play for gaming when the Explorer is in park.
Premium Features: Comfort and Audio Upgrades That Matter
Trim content can also shape how "premium" the cabin feels without forcing you into a luxury-only price tier. On higher trims, you can expect heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, and a B&O sound system with a subwoofer for premium audio quality. If you spend a lot of time in the car, those details matter because comfort features help on cold mornings, and a stronger audio system can make long drives feel less like a commute and more like your personal rolling playlist studio.
Safety & Driver Confidence: Tech and Visibility
Driver assistance features are at their best when they reduce the workload without making you feel disconnected from your driving.
Ford BlueCruise & Co-Pilot360 Driver Assistance Technology
Available BlueCruise hands-free highway driving lets you relax and let the Explorer handle all acceleration, braking, and lane steering. The automatic lane change feature detects slower traffic, initiates a lane change, passes, and returns to the original lane all without you putting your hands on the wheel. Every day, confidence is built on how easily a vehicle handles the small but stressful moments—lane changes, crowded parking lots, and tight driveways. If you really want to up your game during these moments, the Co-Pilot360 Assist+ includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision assist, blind spot assist, and reverse brake assist. Choosing the Co-Pilot360 Assist 2.0 adds on to these features, including a 360-degree camera, intersection assist, and clear exit warning, all of which offer additional peace of mind. For many drivers, these features mean fewer moments of judging the distance and questioning themselves when parking and more confidence on and off the road.
Explorer Dimensions & Visibility: Confidence in Every Drive
Finally, size and visibility, along with tech, influence how secure a vehicle feels in the real world. With Explorer dimensions including a 119.1-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 198.7 inches, plus a width of 78.9 inches (without the mirrors), the Explorer is ready to take on the world. Pairing those physical dimensions with the available features, such as the all-around view camera and safety sensors, makes this large family SUV feel much easier to place in a lane or slide into a parking space, especially if you are stepping up from a smaller vehicle
The Jim Ellis Ford Explorer Experience
At Jim Ellis Ford, we focus on helping shoppers get more out of the 2026 Ford Explorer by turning its wide range of features and trims into clear, practical choices. Rather than leaving you to sort through options on your own, our team works to match Explorer models to real lifestyles, whether you need more passenger space, greater capability, or upgraded comfort and technology. Our goal is to connect the Explorer's versatility directly to how you drive and live each day. Our support goes beyond simply showing you the vehicle on the lot. Walk you through the differences between Explorer configurations, explain available features and packages in plain terms, and help you weigh what truly matters for your routine. We offer financing options tailored to a range of budgets, making the process straightforward and manageable. Choosing the 2026 Ford Explorer with Jim Ellis Ford means pairing a highly adaptable SUV with a dealership team invested in long-term relationships. The Explorer brings flexibility, space, and capability, and we provide the guidance and support to help you select the right version and keep it running smoothly. Together, that approach makes the Explorer easier to shop for and more rewarding to own.