How about "re-contenting"? 2026 Explorers dropped the panoramic twin-panel roof and the 3.0L option on the Platinum. Both are back for 2027.   Order guide shows Space White as the only dropped color, but Rapid Red is gone too. New colors available are Ruby Red and Avalanche.

Other brands keep or improve the HP, heck there are Chinese models with 600+hp….but Ford goes the other way around. Navi: down to 432. Nautilus hybrid down to 285. Aviator down to 383.

The Police Interceptor Utility continues to baffle the crap out of me. Since 2020, the "base" engine has been the 3.3 V6 with hybrid. There's a credit for getting the 3.3 V6 without hybrid, and a premium to bump to the 3.0 EcoBoost. Around me, police departments universally lose to the bean counter department and order the 3.3 V6 non-hybrid. While 295hp doesn't seem like it'd be gutless, in the field it absolutely is. I begged departments not to order that engine, but they ordered them that way. Later, they complained that bicycles could outrun them. No kidding.   If Ford was going to put a proprietary engine, not available on the civilian models, into the PIU, why not drop in what we all know police want anyway, the 5.0 V8. The 10-speed transmission can take it, we know that. In the last 6 years, the number of departments I've seen "defect" to Dodge for Durango or Charger is shocking.   And then to add insult to stupidity, the non-hybrid 3.3 V6 won't be available until later, so departments will have to pick between unwanted and too expensive. The few field officers I've talked to that have the hybrids in their fleets hate those more than the non-hybrids. VERY few have even seen a 3.0, and most weren't aware that was even available.

Your search skills are lacking today!  😄    

I'll bet they did the same thing as they did to the F150 3.5EB.  Adding a particulate filter.

Can't find the thread now but it had something to do with adding a particulate filter

Has Ford made any statement why this changed a bit into the 2026 production year?

Oh I know, I'm thinking out loud with you/was trying to understand the plan you were thinking of.   That's true regarding OHAP.  I doubt it'll be the Custom.  maybe we're getting out own unique van?  I.e. not Connect, not Custom........Transit Craft?   lol     I struggle to see the appeal of something like that with the bed being so small, aside from just plain cheap.  It'd have to have some sort of midgate to be reasonable for truck usage.   I also question the sales pool for it, and more importantly I can't see it selling enough to fill an entire factory at US employee pricing if you're slotting it under maverick in the $20-30k range....

When has Ford actually replaced a platform before it was "supposed" to be replaced-the modus operandi is drive it into the ground before it is replaced.    Ford has been reactive for the past 25 years, not proactive. 

But what would it offer there over the 5.0?   I think the main reason was to have a lower cost alternative to the 7.3L for fleets and low-dollar customers in the Super Duty.  They probably found out it wasn't really adding to the bottom line.