2027 Ford Explorer ST Sinister Package Leans Into the Dark Side
Exclusive amber daytime running lights and a full blackout treatment highlight the Sinister updates.
Since its 2025 redesign, the Ford Explorer has become one of our favorite three-row mainstream midsize SUVs. We especially dig its optional 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6, which comes standard with the Explorer ST trim; it’s an engine that helps deliver impressive performance for a family hauler starting under $60,000. Now, Ford is leaning into creating a meaner attitude for the 2027 Explorer ST through its new Sinister package.
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What makes the Sinister so, uh, sinister? Primarily, a set of 21-inch gloss-black aluminum wheels wrapped by 275/45R21 all-season tires. In addition, the ST badging gets the blackout treatment, swapping its usual chrome outline for gloss black, and exclusive amber daytime running lights have been fitted in place of the standard white units used on other Explorers.
Although the package doesn’t do anything to improve the Explorer ST’s performance, it already has plenty of muscle thanks to that twin-turbo six packing 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque paired with a 10-speed automatic sending power to the rear wheels or to all four with optional AWD. In that latter configuration, a 2025 Explorer ST we tested ran from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and through the quarter mile in 13.8 seconds at just over 100 mph.
As an added bonus, Ford is also bringing back its Explorer ST Experience. The one-day professional driving program will be offered as a complimentary perk for 2026 and 2027 Explorer ST owners. The traveling high-performance driving school is set to begin touring the U.S. this fall.
Ford will announce pricing for the 2027 Explorer ST Sinister package later in 2026, ahead of its arrival in dealerships. Expect it to add around $2,000 to the price of a standard Explorer ST.
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Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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