Ford is expanding its off-road brand with another rugged SUV: Enter the Explorer Tremor.
Over the past 35 years, few SUVs in America have been as iconic (or popular) as the Ford Explorer. Now in its sixth generation, the Blue Oval still moves more than 200,000 units each year, with sales jumping 15% last year alone. It’s changed a fair bit over the years, spending its last couple generations as a unibody, three-row family hauler, but what it’s been missing — especially as the rugged adventure machine segment continues to grow — is an off-road model. Until now, that is, with the 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor.
You’ll recognize the name if you’ve followed Ford’s truck lineup over the past several years. Be it on the F-150, the (last-gen) Ranger or even the small Maverick, that badge is meant to sell a more dirt-ready image than the rest of that model’s range. For Explorer, Ford’s engineers went above and beyond the old Timberline model in creating a truer off-roader than we’ve seen from the nameplate in awhile. After all, when you think about “Explorer”, this is more in line with that ambition than a street-focused performance model, right? (Don’t worry, if you do prefer a more road-focused hot SUV, the Explorer ST isn’t going anywhere.)
What makes the Tremor special?
The 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor gets an extra inch in ride height over the rest of the lineup, as well as a Torsen limited-slip rear differential at the rear to handle trickier situations. Now, at the end of the day, is that going to get you the same level of off-road capability as a Bronco, which you can get with proper selectable lockers? No, but at least the extra clearance and LSD help get you farther off the trail than you’d otherwise get. To bring that point home, Ford invited Tommy and me out to Death Valley in California to see what the Tremor can really do.
Beyond the mechanical changes, including some bright orange recovery points, snazzy 18-inch wheels and off-road lights mounted in the grille, the 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor also gets a set of Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 3s to help it bite into the dirt and rock on the trails of one of America’s most inhospitable locations. At least, that’s the case during the summer…in late January, the weather was absolutely perfect at 58 degrees and sunny. Side note: The views are also spectacular, so if you’ve been thinking of visiting the Southwest, this is just about the ideal time to do so.
Ford’s most off-road-worthy Explorer isn’t as expensive as you might think*
When you’re actually out on the trail, there are a couple other details you’ll notice set the Explorer Tremor apart from the other Explorers. This model gets reshaped front and bumper designs to aid approach and departure angles, which definitely come in handy when Tommy pointed the Tremor at the rocky ascents and off-kilter obstacles we encountered out on the trail. To be clear, this model’s 8.7 inches of ground clearance is still something you’ll want to think about before going too far into the bush with your three-row family hauler. That said, these cars still brought us and about a dozen other folks over some trickier terrain that tested what a 198.8-inch long SUV that seats six can handle.
One cool part of the Explorer Tremor lineup is how Ford lets you configure the model. That’s because you can get it with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, which puts out 300 horsepower down to the wheels. If you go that route, your base Tremor comes in at about $50,655. That may still smack a bit expensive, but given how much three-row SUVs cost these days, that’s not too, too bad. It is worth noting, however, that a $51K-ish price tag is about the same as a Bronco Badlands with a 2.3-liter engine, so if you’re going for off-roading above all else, that may still be your better option.
If you want to take things up a notch, though, you can get the 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor with the same engine as the ST. Opting for the 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 bumps the power up to 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, while you still naturally get all-wheel drive and a 10-speed automatic transmission. Fair warning, however: The V6 option will force you to get the $11,850 Tremor Ultimate Package, which adds in a host of features like a panoramic fixed glass roof, a 14-speaker B&O sound system, creature comforts like power mirrors and memory seats as well as a power-folding third row, and Ford’s BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving suite.
Ticking the bigger engine box and picking a cooler paint color like Vapor Blue Metallic or Marsh Gray bumps the price up pretty significantly, to $62,505. All things being equal, though, that is still a little bit less than an equivalently optioned Explorer ST, so choosing one version over the other mainly comes down to preference (the ST with the same features comes in at $65,435).
So…is the 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor a good buy for the more adventurous family?
Right off the bat, both Tommy and I agree the torque from the twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 is remarkably useful when you do head off the beaten track. It is more expensive and you will pay a fuel economy penalty to get it, so we wouldn’t say it’s mandatory…but it is nice if you can spare the cash.
The 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor is a more capable rig all around than the rest of the lineup, so it is obviously the one to get if your family vacations involve a healthy amount of backcountry, well, exploration. The lack of low-range transfer case and relatively average ground clearance — about the same as your average Subaru — are both compromises, though the Tremor strikes a good balance between off-road capability without seriously hampering families where it’ll likely spend most of its time…on the road. I’ll have more detailed impressions on how the Tremor performs on-road coming up shortly, so stay tuned to TFLcar.com for that (including more on BlueCruise 1.5, the latest version of Ford’s semi-autonomous driving system).
If you’re looking for a true, dyed in the wool off-roader, then you are still better off going for a Bronco, as you’d probably expect. Nevertheless, the 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor is going to do more than you’d ever realistically expect to do with your entire family onboard, and it will have little issue getting to your next camping/adventure destination, as long as it doesn’t involve traversing the Rubicon.
Tommy has a thorough walkaround on the new Explorer Tremor as well as his detailed take off-road in Death Valley, both of which you can check out below.
