The Ford Explorer ST adds an optional Sinister Package for 2027.
It's already available to order and comes with amber daytime running lights.
The ST accounted for almost 22 percent of all Explorer sales during the 2025 model year.

The sixth-generation Explorer has been on the market since early 2019 and is showing its age. Ahead of a full redesign possibly arriving later this decade, Ford keeps refreshing the current SUV. For 2027 the ST trim gains the optional Sinister Package, which applies an almost total blackout treatment exactly as the name implies.

The 2027 Explorer ST with this kit sits on 21-inch gloss-black wheels fitted with all-season tires. ST badges now carry a darkened outline, while amber daytime running lights introduce a touch of color. The Blue Oval emblem lights up at the front as a new 2027 feature. Red brake calipers supply contrast against the glossy black wheels.

Nothing changes under the hood. The Explorer ST keeps the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 that produces 385 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. Power reaches the rear wheels or an optional all-wheel-drive system through a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Photo by: Ford

Ford reports the ST continues to grow in popularity with buyers. Since its 2020 debut it has represented roughly 16 percent of total Explorer volume. In the 2025 model year more than one in five customers selected the ST, equal to nearly 22 percent of orders.

Ford is reviving the Explorer ST Experience for 2026 and 2027 model-year owners. The program begins this fall with a one-day professional driving instruction session that helps participants sharpen their skills in a controlled setting.

Orders are now open for the 2027 Explorer ST with the Sinister Package, which adds a $1,695 charge. Buyers may select any color from the standard palette.

Motor1's Take: Even as it ages, the Explorer stays a strong seller. It was America's top three-row SUV last year with demand climbing 14.7 percent to 222,706 units. Ford therefore sees little need to rush a replacement for the current generation.

The 2025 model year received a thorough facelift that has helped sustain strong interest in the Explorer.

The Explorer name covers two very different vehicles. In Europe it refers to a fully electric SUV built on the Volkswagen ID.4 platform.