- 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.
It’s safe to say the sixth-generation Explorer is getting long in the tooth, having been introduced in early 2019. But before an all-new model arrives, possibly later this decade, Ford is still finding ways to spruce up its current SUV. For the 2027 model year, the ST version gains an optional Sinister Package. It does exactly what it says on the tin, bringing an almost completely blacked-out appearance.
The 2027 Explorer ST with the new kit rides on 21-inch gloss-black wheels wrapped in all-season tires. ST exterior badges feature a dark outline, while amber daytime running lights add a subtle splash of color. The corporate Blue Oval hasn’t gone dark either; on the contrary, it now lights up at the front as a new feature for 2027. Red brake calipers provide contrast against the glossy black wheels.
There aren’t any changes under the hood, where the Explorer ST retains the twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine. The EcoBoost V6 continues to make 385 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, routed to the rear wheels or an optional all-wheel-drive system through a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Photo by: Ford
Ford claims the ST is increasingly popular among Explorer customers. Since its arrival for the 2020 model year, it has accounted for approximately 16 percent of total volume. But during the 2025 model year, more than one in five Explorer buyers chose the ST, which represented almost 22 percent of orders.
On a related note, Ford is bringing back the Explorer ST Experience. Tailored to 2026 Explorer ST owners and those who will buy the upcoming 2027MY version, it kicks off this fall as a one-day professional driving instruction program. It’s essentially a driving school event where expert instructors teach attendees how to improve their driving techniques in a controlled environment.
Ford is already accepting orders for the 2027 Explorer ST with the Sinister Package, which commands a $1,695 premium. Customers are not restricted to ordering black paint; the usual color palette remains available.
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Source: Ford
Motor1’s Take: The Explorer may be getting up there in years, but it’s still a hugely successful product. It was America’s best-selling three-row SUV last year, when demand rose by 14.7 percent to 222,706 units. It makes sense that Ford is not in a hurry to replace the current model, given how much buyers are still drawn to the sixth generation.
The 2025 model year brought a comprehensive facelift that, judging by sales numbers, has been effective in keeping demand for the Explorer high.
The Explorer is one of those curious cases where the automaker uses the same name for two completely different vehicles. In Europe, the Ford Explorer is a fully electric SUV based on the Volkswagen ID.4.
