The sixth-generation Ford Explorer has been roaming the streets since early 2019, meaning its platform is practically eligible for a middle-school diploma in car years. Yet, with a completely new model nowhere in sight until at least the end of this decade, Ford has deployed the ultimate corporate distraction technique for the 2027 model year: the Sinister package for the performance-oriented Explorer ST.
As the name implies, this $1,695 aesthetic upgrade wraps the aging family hauler in an edgy, murdered-out wardrobe. Buyers get 21-inch gloss black wheels wrapped in all-season rubber, dark-outlined ST badging, and a front-illuminated blue oval logo, a shiny new novelty for 2027. There are amber LED daytime running lights to add a minimal splash of color, alongside red brake calipers peering out from behind those dark rims like a desperate cry for sportiness. Remarkably, you aren’t even forced to choose black paint. The standard color palette remains up for grabs, meaning you can technically configure a “Sinister” Explorer in a blindingly cheerful shade.
Pop the hood, however, and the illusion of novelty vanishes. The powertrain remains entirely untouched. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 still pumps out 385 HP and 415 Nm of torque, funneled through a 10-speed automatic transmission to either the rear wheels or an optional all-wheel-drive system.
Back in 2020, it made up a modest 16% of the volume. Fast forward to the 2025 model year, and more than one out of five buyers aggressively checked the ST box, making up nearly 22% of all orders. To celebrate, Ford is resurrecting its “Explorer ST Experience” this fall, offering 2026 and 2027 buyers a one-day professional driving course in a controlled environment.
According to sales figures, Ford’s reluctance to rebuild the Explorer from scratch makes perfect business sense. Last year, the Explorer reigned supreme as the best-selling three-row SUV in America, with demand surging 14.7% to a whopping 222,706 units, proving that a clever 2025 cosmetic facelift was more than enough to blind consumers to its ancient bones.
