When the 2025 Ford Explorer made its debut, there were plenty of new features to get excited about, most of them related to tech. Behind the (surprise, surprise) bigger screens, the new Ford Digital Experience software lets gamers connect to the screen with a Bluetooth controller and play games (while the SUV is parked, we hope it goes without saying). Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are both built into the infotainment system, bringing their voice command prowess along with them. And because self-driving technology is as buzzy as it’s ever been, the addition of Ford BlueCruise, the Blue Oval’s hands-free highway driving feature, is certainly going to be a draw for plenty of drivers.
If you’re hoping to find a 2025 Ford Explorer for sale that can handle some off-road action, you’re going to be disappointed, at least for now. The Timberline trim that was part of the lineup for the 2024 model is nowhere to be seen, leaving behind only trims that are meant for paved roads. At a time when off-road trims are getting increasingly popular, this seems like a strange omission. In fact, it’s all but certain that this gap is only a temporary situation that Ford will soon rectify with a refreshed off-road Explorer.
But don’t expect to see a “Timberline” badge gracing the Explorer’s exterior again. It’s much more likely that an upcoming trim will bear the name Tremor. While Tremor trims used to be exclusively for Ford’s pickup trucks, that’s not the case anymore. Move one size up in Ford’s SUV lineup, and you’ll find the Expedition, which received a new Tremor trim replacing the Timberline’s slot in its lineup for its 2025 model year refresh. While the future of the Explorer hasn’t been officially announced at the time of writing, the Expedition’s off-road variant and a few other clues give us something to work with as we speculate what’s coming next for this midsize SUV.
2025 Ford Expedition Tremor
Turning to the Expedition’s Tremor trim is probably our best bet for predicting what the Explorer Tremor will provide. That’s easy enough to figure out. The highlights for the 2025 Expedition Tremor include a high-output V6 engine that provides more power than the base powertrain, a locking rear differential, an off-road-tuned suspension, skid plates, Trail Control, bold orange accents, and 33-inch all-terrain tires. Now we can see how that compares to the outgoing Timberline.
The highlights for the 2024 Expedition Timberline include a high-output V6 engine that provides more power than the base powertrain, protective skid plates, a locking rear differential, an off-road-tuned suspension, Trail Control, bold orange accents, and 32-inch all-terrain tires. Huh, now that does seem familiar. Other than an extra inch on the tires, is the Tremor really that different from the Timberline?
The simple answer is: not really. But, of course, there’s a bit more complexity under the surface. For one thing, 2025 is a refresh year for the Expedition, just like it is for the Explorer. That means that simply by virtue of being a post-refresh trim, the Tremor has a number of features that weren’t present on the Timberline, including tech features and exterior design touches. But looking at the equipment that makes the trim more off-road ready compared to the Expeditions around it, the Timberline and Tremor certainly have more similarities than differences.
2024 Explorer Timberline
Since the 2024 Tremor and 2025 Timberline are so similar for the Expedition, it only makes sense to take a look at the Explorer’s 2024 Timberline trim. The highlights of that trim include additional ground clearance compared to the base Explorer, steel underbody skid plates to protect vital components, an off-road light kit for navigating trails at night, a limited-slip rear axle, and off-road front struts and rear shocks for a smoother ride over bumpy ground. That’s already a fairly well-rounded lineup of off-road features, and it would make perfect sense for them to carry over to the Tremor.
Additions & Upgrades We’d Like to See
Just because the Expedition Tremor isn’t terribly different from the Expedition Timberline doesn’t mean that things will be exactly the same for the Explorer. Certainly, it would be nice to see some more features added to the midsize SUV’s off-road trim. Ford doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel to make this happen—it could make the Tremor a significant improvement over the Timberline just by cribbing features that are already included on the Expedition Tremor. While it makes sense that the larger and more powerful full-size SUV has had a more comprehensive off-road package in the past, that doesn’t have to be the case forever. Having a smaller vehicle makes you more nimble on trails with tight turns and ubiquitous obstacles, so it would actually be nice to see an off-road Explorer that’s on the same level.
Since more power is both practical and fun for off-roading, we would love to see an upcoming Explorer Tremor feature an engine upgrade. Instead of the base I-4, grab the V6 from the Explorer ST and stick that baby under the hood. This alone would make the Tremor a big improvement over the old Timberline, which was powered by the base I-4 for the 2024 model year, giving it only 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque to work. The V6 would instead provide 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, making a huge difference in all kinds of off-road situations.
In addition, we’d also like to see some improvements to the tech that comes in handy off-road. Instead of the auxiliary lights on the Timberline, let’s see Ford’s zone lighting system, which lets you concentrate light into specific zones using the touchscreen, so you can light up a campsite at night without blasting light at your neighbors. Trail Control is also a great feature that we’d love to see on an Explorer Tremor. This is basically a cruise control designed to work at low speeds, so you can focus solely on steering when dealing with particularly tricky stretches of terrain that require your full attention.
And hey, not everything has to be practical, right? Let’s see some more of those bold orange exterior accents and interior contrast features that scream “off-road” to your fellow drivers. Not only do these styling touches have some cool factor, but they give potential buyers an idea of what kind of model they’re looking at while browsing.
Waiting Game
We might not have to wait too long to see what the Explorer Tremor actually brings to the table. People have already spotted a model that they think is the upcoming trim being tested, though, of course, some of the identifying features in the front and back were covered up to keep things secret. However, whether it will be a mid-year addition for 2025 or part of the 2026 model year lineup remains to be seen. We imagine that Ford will want to get an off-road trim back on the menu for Explorer drivers as soon as they possibly can, but long-time automotive enthusiasts know that new models are often plagued by Murphy’s Law and setbacks to announced dates are always to be expected.
Hopefully, the switch from Timberline to Tremor will be more than just a name change. It would be great to see some off-road features from other Ford models make their way over to the Explorer. But for now, we’ll just have to wait and see.
