The 2026 Ford Explorer Interior: Seating for Seven, Room for Everything

The 2026 Ford Explorer seats up to seven across three rows, with second-row captain’s chairs standard on most trims for real third-row access instead of an extra seat nobody wants to use. For St. Louis families juggling school runs, sports practice, and weekend trips out of town, that distinction matters. 

Here’s a full look at the 2026 Ford Explorer interior, from seating and cargo to materials and tech.

Seating & Passenger Space

Every 2026 Explorer offers three rows of seating for up to seven passengers, with 150.3 cubic feet of total passenger volume on the Active 100A, Active, and ST-Line trims. Second-row captain’s chairs are standard on most models, splitting the middle row into two individual seats with a walk-through aisle to the third row; ST-Line comes standard with a second-row bench instead, which adds back a seventh seating position. Front-row passengers get 42.9 inches of legroom and 40.7 inches of headroom, while the third row still offers a usable 31.8 inches of legroom, enough for kids and most adults on shorter trips.

Cargo Space & Versatility

Behind the third row, the Explorer offers 16.3 cubic feet of cargo space, enough for a grocery run or a few duffel bags without folding anything down. Fold the third row and that grows to roughly 46 cubic feet; fold both rear rows flat and you get up to 85.8 cubic feet total, enough for a full furniture-store run or gear for a weekend trip to the Ozarks. Select models add a PowerFold third row that folds and raises at the touch of a button, so you don’t have to climb into the back to reconfigure the cabin.

Interior Colors, Materials & Comfort

Cloth upholstery comes standard, with leather available on higher trims, including multicontour, massaging front seats on select models. Depending on trim, you can add heated and ventilated front seats, a heated second row, and a heated steering wheel for cold St. Louis mornings. The Explorer also lets you personalize the interior ambient lighting color, a small touch that makes the cabin feel more like yours every time you get in.

Cabin Technology

The Explorer’s dashboard is built around a 13.2-inch touchscreen paired with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, both running Ford’s latest software. The gauge cluster is configurable, so you can swap between a traditional speedometer view and a full-screen navigation map depending on what you actually want to see while driving. Menus are simple enough to navigate without long waits at every stoplight, which matters more than screen size once you’re actually living with the vehicle.

Interior comfort features vary by trim. Sunset Ford St. Louis has a full breakdown of what each 2026 Explorer trim includes in our 2026 Ford Explorer Trim Levels guide.

See the 2026 Explorer Interior for Yourself at Sunset Ford St. Louis

Cargo figures and cubic feet only tell you so much. The best way to know if the third row actually fits your family is to sit in it, and Sunset Ford St. Louis, on Gravois Rd, has the 2026 Explorer lineup in stock to walk through row by row.