Seeking to capture a share of the market enjoyed by vehicles with badges like Z71 and TRD Pro, the Dearborn team has applied its Tremor trim to the popular Explorer for the 2026 model year. Ford had experimented with the Explorer before, though the Timberline trim was arguably more cosmetic than a truly off-road equipped package. This time, the Tremor is fortified with more significant changes to the suspension and underbody protection. Specially tuned springs and sway bars increase the vehicle's ride height by 2.54 cm, but we will wait to see the vehicle live to assess the actual durability of these upgrades.
The 18-inch wheels, specific to the Tremor, are fitted with Bridgestone Dueler A/T off-road tires and share the characteristic orange (marketed as "spice") spoke that also appears on models like the Maverick Tremor. Orange accents are distributed across the exterior of the vehicle, including tow hooks, auxiliary lights in the grille, and fog lights located in the lower part of the front bumper.
All-wheel drive is standard, equipped with a Torsen limited-slip differential on the rear axle. Under the hood, a choice of engines will be available, starting with the base 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine that develops 300 horsepower, but what you really want is the available 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that can produce 400 horsepower.
There is no information yet on pricing, but it is reasonable to assume that the Tremor will appear in the upper half of the 2026 Explorer's price range. The current model starts at $40,050 plus fees for the base rear-wheel drive Active model, and goes up to $54,770 for the ST model with two-wheel drive. It's not impossible to reach the mid-$60,000s before tax on that trim once options like all-wheel drive and various fees are added. We expect a fully equipped Tremor to be in the same price class.