Ford confirmed the 2027 Explorer ST Sinister package, a factory-original appearance option built on what the brand’s aftermarket community has been doing to these trucks for years. The package brings blacked-out trim, dark-accented ST badges, amber running lights, and 21-inch gloss-black wheels to the assembly line. Ford positions the Sinister as a recognition of the Explorer ST’s enthusiast following rather than a refresh of the platform itself.
The Explorer ST underneath the Sinister package carries over the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 making 385 horsepower, sport-tuned suspension, and three-row packaging that made the ST trim a volume play when it launched. Ford sold 222,706 Explorers in 2025, the highest total of any SUV in the company’s lineup, with ST models accounting for a meaningful share of that volume. The current sixth-generation Explorer launched for the 2020 model year on a rear-wheel-drive-based platform, received a midlife refresh for 2025, and is expected to reach full redesign in 2029.
The Sinister package announcement arrived as part of a community-focused rollout involving Tyler Clark, a Ford Ambassador and Explorer ST owner whose social media presence documents his own modifications to the truck. Ford framed Clark’s build choices (gloss-black wheels, blacked-out trim, dark accents) as the template for what became the Sinister aesthetic. The implication is that Ford’s design team watched what owners were already buying from the aftermarket and productized it.
That framing is both smart marketing and an admission. Ford is not leading here; the brand is following its own customers. The Explorer ST has always attracted buyers who treat the platform as a starting point rather than a finished product, and the Sinister package formalizes that relationship without adding meaningful performance hardware. No additional power, no suspension changes, no brake upgrades. The package is appearance work dressed up as homage.
Ford also announced the return of the Explorer ST Experience, a one-day professional driving school included with the purchase of a 2026 or 2027 Explorer ST. The program launches in fall 2026 and will travel to multiple U.S. cities. Ford ran a similar program when the ST trim debuted, and the revival suggests the brand sees value in teaching buyers how to use the 385 horsepower the truck already has. The Explorer ST puts sports-car power in a 4,500-pound three-row body; a day of instruction on weight transfer and braking points is not a trivial add.
The Sinister package itself will be optional on 2027 Explorer ST models. Ford has not disclosed pricing for the package or a standalone MSRP for the 2027 ST. The 2026 Explorer ST starts at $50,190 before destination, which puts it below the Dodge Durango R/T 392 at $50,995 and well under the Durango SRT Hellcat at $80,495. The Explorer ST offers more interior space than either Durango, less power than both, and better fuel economy than the V-8 alternatives. The truck has carved out a niche as the practical performance three-row, and the Sinister package leans into that without asking the buyer to sacrifice usability.
What the announcement left unaddressed: whether the Sinister package will remain optional across future model years or become a permanent trim level, how much the package will cost, and whether Ford plans additional ST variants beyond the current single powertrain. The Explorer lineup includes hybrid and plug-in hybrid options in non-ST trims, but the ST itself remains gas-only with the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. A hybrid ST would add weight and complexity; an ST Performance trim with more power would require a new engine or significant tuning work on the existing EcoBoost. Ford has done neither.
The Sinister package goes on sale later this year as a 2027 model-year option. Ford did not provide an on-sale date or production timeline.
If you have been modding your Explorer ST with gloss-black wheels and dark trim, Ford has finally caught up.
2027 Ford Explorer ST Sinister Photo Gallery
Source: Ford. Images courtesy of Ford.
