For the fifth-generation, Ford added a Tremor trim to the 2025 Ford Expedition. And added a bunch of snazzy tech and convenience. But the Blue Oval brand left much of the powertrain and platform alone. Good enough?

Ford recently revealed the fifth-generation, 2025 Ford Expedition. The large SUV that the blue oval first introduced in the late 90s gets a thoroughly modern treatment with plenty of tech and convenience splattered throughout. Ford kept much of the platform and powertrain much the same, carrying over large swaths of equipment over from the outgoing model. With, one, pretty major, off-road friendly exception.

MEET THE LATEST TREMOR

Following suit of the success Ford Super Duty and F-150 Tremors, Ford added the sub-brand nameplate to the Expedition line-up. And like the trucks, it gets legitimate hardware to back up the title.

The Expedition Tremor gets standard four-wheel drive, an almost two-inch lift for 10.6-inches of ground clearance, a different suspension tune, what ford calls underbody protection for the front-axle, transfer case, and fuel tank (I assume that means skid plates), and 33-inch General Grabber tires.

Those Grabber tires are mounted on 18-inch wheels for the Tremor, the smallest size offered on the Expedition. You can get up to a 24-inch wheel, if you go for the Platinum trim Expedition, standard for that trim are 20s, and the King Ranch gets 22s. The only other Trims Ford revealed at this time is the Active, it also runs on 18s.

LOOKING INSIDE

Much of what’s new for the Expedition comes inside. To start, accessing the inside, the cargo area, Ford took a similar approach to what BMW offers on the X5 and split the tailgate. While ¾ of it raises up like before, a platform similar to a pick-up truck tailgate descends to the floor. Ford says that it will hold up to 500 lbs. worth of stuff

If that stuff includes any night activities, Ford installed what they call four zones of exterior lighting, to give a lit space around the tailgate and other parts of the SUV in the dark. And Ford added a system called “open-on-approach.” If you possess the feyfob, approach the tailgate and wait a few seconds, it opens automatically—no kicking required. This is similar to what Hyundai and Genesis offers.

Once the tailgate is open, Ford offers a fold down middle in the third row, making it easy to carry six people and things like skis. The Expedition holds up to eight people otherwise.

Second row passengers get a new way to entertain themselves on longer trips, as Ford offers a simple way to hold smartphones or tablets called the digital device holder. Simple. Clever.

FORD DIGITAL EXPERIENCE

Of course, it’s not a new generation of any vehicle without new screens. While Ford install anything quite as large as Lincoln with the 48-inch screen in the 2024 Nautilus, the Expedition gets a 24-inch screen mounted just beneath the base of the windshield. It’s called the Ford Digital Experience.

A comparatively modestly sized, but still otherwise large 13.2-inch center display sits in the more traditional place. With the screens you get wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto as well as Alexa built-in, and the quickly becoming ubiquitous Google Maps, Google Play, and Google Assistant.

Finally, the lower center console slides back eight inches to reveal an additional space.

POWER

For the powertrain, Ford continues to offer the turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 and 10-speed automatic transmission. In most trims, it puts out 400 horsepower and 480 lb.-ft of torque. However, the Tremor trim gets a high-output version of the same engine to produce 440 HP and 510 lb.-ft of torque. That engine is also optionally available on the Platinum trim. That combination will continue to send power to either the rear, or all-four-wheels.

You also still get a four-wheel independent suspension, control arms up front and a multilink system in back.

And, yes, Ford still offers both the Expedition and the long wheelbase Expedition MAX, with the latter riding on a nine-inch longer wheelbase and stretching 11.8-inches longer from nose the tail than the standard Expedition.

Of course, this new generation SUV will tow quite a bit. 7000 lbs. without any kind of load leveling system and 9600 lbs with one.

CONCLUSION

As previously mentioned, Ford only announced the Active, King Ranch, Platinum, and Tremor trims, which will be available to order starting on the 24 of October 2024. We do not yet know the cost of the Expedition. However, I expect it to start somewhere in the $60,000s, as the 2024 Expedition starts in the high $50,000s.

Finally, even if you do order one, do not expect the Expedition to arrive at dealers until the spring of 2025.