2026 Ford Explorer Tremor Is an Adventure-Ready SUV for Families
The 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor arrives as an adventure-ready SUV with off-road hardware.
The Tremor-spec Explorer features a lifted ride height, all-terrain tires with unique 18-inch wheels, and a limited-slip rear diff.
The off-road-ready Explorer offers either a 300-hp turbo four or a 400-hp twin-turbo V-6, but Ford hasn't yet announced pricing.
In Ford's world, the Tremor models are like a Diet Raptor. While the Raptors have hardware that helps them race over uneven terrain and withstand the abuse of hard obstacles, the Tremor treatment also provides added underbody protection and off-road-enhancing equipment, just to a lesser degree. Basically, you can launch a Bronco Raptor off a sand dune or drive through up to 37 inches of water, but you wouldn't want to do the same thing with the new 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor. Instead, you can take your family or friends on adventures that would otherwise be inadvisable with the regular version of the three-row mid-size SUV.
The Most Rugged Explorer
The Tremor isn't the first time Ford has offered an extra-rugged Explorer. The outgoing Timberline trim previously held that title. However, it wasn't offered for the 2025 model year, which is when the Explorer received a substantial makeover, including a redesigned dashboard as well as new and improved tech. Still, much of the off-road-focused equipment that came standard on the Timberline has been adopted by the Tremor.
View Exterior Photos
Ford
The list of upgrades includes underbody skid plates, a retuned suspension with Tremor-specific springs and anti-roll bars, and a one-inch higher ride height that increases the approach and departure angles, making it easier to climb up and over things. Every Explorer Tremor also rolls on knobby Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires mounted on unique 18-inch wheels, which include a distinctive orange pocket that helps easily identify the valve stem when it's time to air down or air up the tires. That orange color—which Ford calls "electric spice"—also appears on the front tow hooks and on the element that bisects the front grille and houses a pair of LED lights.
Under the hood, the Tremor-grade Explorer comes standard with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, which makes 300 horsepower. A Torsen limited-slip rear differential also helps the standard all-wheel-drive system muster more traction when needed. For those who want a little extra mustard when they hit the gas pedal, the Tremor is available with the same engine that powers the sporty Explorer ST. The twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 produces a stout 400 horses and 415 pound-feet of torque.
View Interior Photos
Ford
Inside, the Tremor has the same 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system found in every other 2026 Explorer. Of course, the Tremor alone has flashy orange contrast stitching, handsome trim on the dash and doors, and its name in the front seatbacks. While a 360-degree camera system comes standard, you'll have to pay extra for the massaging front seats and 14-speaker B&O stereo. Ford's Blue Cruise hands-free drive mode is also available, with version 1.5 introducing automatic lane-change functionality.
Ford says the 2026 Explorer Tremor is now available to order, although it won't reach dealerships until sometime later this year. We also haven't yet received word on how much the adventure-ready Explorer will cost. We'd wager its starting price will be somewhere around $52K, but we'll have to wait a while to know for sure.
Eric Stafford
Managing Editor, News
Eric Stafford's automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual '97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a '90 Honda CRX Si. Read full bio
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ford Motor Company (F)'s Earnings 'Could Evaporate' Rapidly, Warns Jim Cramer
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is one of the . Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has become somewhat of a regular feature on Cramer's morning show due to the auto industry's exposure to trade tensions and tariffs. Over the course of this year, he has maintained that the firm can experience business disruption from tariffs. However, Cramer also believes that when compared to GM, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is in a better position to navigate supply chain uncertainties. His recent remarks about the firm saw Cramer wonder if its EV investments could be at risk from the Trump administration and outlined that the firm's CEO should be worried about trade tensions. Here are Cramer's latest comments about Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F): 'Well look there could be big shutdowns of assembly lines if they don't get all they need. A close-up of an auto assembly line, revealing the complexity of the manufacturing process. In a previous appearance, Cramer commented on Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)'s stock and the trade environment: 'Right well first if you wanna try to make money make off, you're a trader, it's General Motors, which had the most problems. . .four billion dollar shifts production from Mexico. So that's a clear ramp to 53 I think. Ford's got it too, they were the two that were held back.' While we acknowledge the potential of F as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
Car and Driver
2 hours ago
- Car and Driver
Cars' Forward Blind Zones Are Worse Now Than 25 Years Ago: Study
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has developed a new way to measure a driver's outward visibility from a vehicle. DOT researchers used the method to examine the change in what a driver can see out of multiple generations of popular vehicles produced over the past 25 years. The results show that, for the selected vehicles (Chevrolet Suburban, Ford F-150, Honda Accord and CR-V, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Toyota Camry), the outward view has decreased. When we review a new vehicle, we pay close attention to how easy or difficult it is to see out of, and that information makes it into everything from road tests to comparisons to our buyer's guide. But even our exhaustive test regimen doesn't spit out a quantifiable value for outward visibility. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has a new method to look at what drivers can't look at, and the results of a DOT study using the method suggest that things have gotten worse over the past quarter-century. The IIHS came up with an easier way to repeatably measure and compare what a driver can see in a 180-degree forward-facing view out of a vehicle. The method involves a special portable camera rig that captures a driver's view. That image is then processed to determine what percentage of the road in a specified radius is visible, and what's blocked by the vehicle's A-pillars, hood, and side-view mirrors. The result is an aerial view of where the driver's vision is obstructed—the blind zone—as well as a percentage of the surrounding area that's visible. Previously, this task required either access to engineering drawings or a specially prepared area in which to take measurements. Researchers can also use lasers for this, but, according to the IIHS, that method doesn't capture zones blocked by side-view mirrors or the wide bases of a vehicle's A-pillars. For the study, researchers with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Volpe Center used the IIHS method to examine every generation of some popular vehicles sold between 1997 and 2023. The models chosen were the Chevrolet Suburban, the Ford F-150, the Honda Accord, the Honda CR-V, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the Toyota Camry. The analysis measured how much of a 10-meter radius is visible to a driver; this distance was chosen because that's approximately how much space a driver needs to react and stop when traveling at 10 mph. The study also measured visibility between 10 and 20 meters from the vehicle. The biggest model-specific difference was observed with the Honda CR-V. In a 1997 model, the researchers measured 68 percent visibility, while the 2022 came in at just 28 percent. In a 2000 Suburban, the study measured 56 percent visible area within the 10-meter radius, but in a 2023 model it was down to 28 percent. The study concluded that higher hoods on newer versions of both models had the biggest impact on outward visibility. The F-150 started out with low visibility (43% for a 1997 model) and also declined (36% for the 2015 version). The two sedans in the study saw the least regression: A 2003 Accord was measured at 65 percent visibility, with the 2023 close behind at 60 percent, and the Camry went from 61 percent for the 2007 model to 57 percent for a 2023. Results for visibility between 10 and 20 meters were mixed, with some improving and others decreasing over subsequent generations. The study also notes that, during the same time period, pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on U.S. roads increased dramatically—37 and 42 percent, respectively. While this is not conclusive evidence across the industry, the results from these representative vehicles suggest an overall decline in outward frontal visibility. The study also notes that, during the same time period, pedestrian and bicyclist deaths on U.S. roads increased dramatically—37 and 42 percent, respectively. There's likely at least some causation with that correlation, even when you consider the addition of features such as automated emergency braking that are meant to intervene and prevent such collisions. Anecdotally, it's pretty clear that it has gotten harder to see out of new vehicles over the years. We're now at a point where technology like digital rearview cameras is augmenting—or, in the case of the rear-window-less Polestar 4, replacing—what a driver can see from the helm. This, along with features such as blind-spot monitoring, seems to have emboldened designers to further shrink the glass on a vehicle and worry less about what parts of the body obstruct the outward view. While we welcome this new measurement technique developed by the IIHS, it's interesting to note that some of the group's own ratings may also play into this reduction in forward view. Enlarging A-pillars, along with increased use of high-strength steel, is one way automakers improve a vehicle's crash performance, especially in rollover testing. Those changes, of course, have the negative downstream effect of obstructing a driver's vision. The Volpe Center researchers conclude that this new measurement method shows promise, and they believe the trend of worsening outward visibility warrants further study. David Gluckman Contributing Editor Ever since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he's driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he's back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David's not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs.
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Do electric vehicles do well in hot weather? How high temps could affect your EV and how to ensure better performance
Will high summer temperatures affect how electric vehicle owners drive? Summer has just begun and it's already shaping up to be a scorcher. Several states are reaching record high temperatures. There were over four million electric vehicles on American roads in 2024, with EVs accounting for 1.4% of all vehicles, according to Experian Automotive. Some companies like General Motors are selling more electric vehicles than ever before. So, are millions of American electric vehicle owners going to have issues charging and driving their EVs this summer? How does extreme heat affect electric vehicle performance? Most major automakers including Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, and more have rolled out electric vehicle nameplates. Though the United States' EV adoption process may be sluggish compared to other countries, electric vehicles have become ubiquitous in some of the largest cities in America like Los Angeles and San Francisco. One of the greatest challenges that electric vehicle owners face is performance issues related to extreme temperatures. Most popular electric vehicles transfer power to wheels using lithium-ion batteries and electric motors. These batteries are extremely sensitive to very high and low temperatures. High temperatures can cause a loss of driving range, battery degradation, and slower charging times, according to Car and Driver. Ultimately, driving an electric vehicle in extreme heat is taxing on the vehicle's battery. Additionally the constant operation of an EV's air conditioning system can further deplete driving range. Drivers who only plan on traveling for short distances in extreme temperatures may not need to be concerned. On the other hand, drivers relying on an EV's full driving range in optimal conditions may encounter frustrating performance issues. How car brands are working to combat electric vehicle performance issues Many automakers have developed thermal management systems for modern electric vehicles. These systems use liquid or air cooling methods to cool lithium-ion batteries. If these thermal management systems are ineffective an electric vehicle could be rendered immobile (or worse) due to the battery overheating. Some electric vehicles have even caught on fire while charging due to overheating lithium-ion batteries. These events aren't exclusive to summer or extreme temperatures, but heat can exacerbate battery issues for EVs prone to overheating. Luckily for American drivers, while weather-related performance issues are tedious, there are plenty of measures owners can take to avoid major issues. Ways to prevent electric vehicle performance issues in extreme heat There's no surefire way to prevent an electric vehicle from overheating in extreme temperatures, but there are steps drivers can take to keep their EVs cooler and ensure better performance. Owning an electric vehicle in extreme heat isn't always convenient. That said, there are workarounds that drivers can resort to if battery depletion or overheating is a concern.
