Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
5 min of reading 
0 comments 
Rare Gift Delivered at the Vatican Unites Luxury SUV, Hybrid Powertrain Outside the Civil Catalog, and Visual References to Chicago and St. Peter’s Basilica in an Exclusive Project Created by Ford for Pope Leo XIV with Symbolic Focus and Restricted Use.
Pope Leo XIV received on February 28, at the Vatican, a 2026 Ford Explorer Platinum developed as a unique piece by the American automaker.
The SUV was personally delivered by Ford CEO Jim Farley and his wife, Lia, as a private gift to the pontiff, intended for use within Vatican territory.
Although based on the Explorer Platinum, the vehicle deviates from the regular catalog of the 2026 line by combining the body of a civilian luxury version with a hybrid mechanical set that is not offered as a standard option in the model sold to the public.
-
Fiat Strada Turbo addresses the lack of power in the 1.3 versions with an engine of up to 130 hp, CVT transmission, and Sport mode, but evaluation reveals that the best-selling pickup truck in Brazil could still offer better braking, a larger screen, and more comfort for rear passengers.
-
Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder arrives with a 115 hp 1.5 hybrid engine, e-Drive transmission, and a declared fuel consumption of 27.97 km/l, more economical than Corolla Cross, Creta, T-Cross, and Compass in Brazil; the affordable SUV showcases a compact, modern, and economical Toyota that Brazilians can only find at dealerships in India.
-
Price of the cheapest electric car in Brazil drops from R$ 142,000 to R$ 65,000 after a 54% depreciation in just three years; Renault Kwid E-Tech offers up to 298 km of urban range and has become a surprise in the used car market.
-
Few people know, but using only the “D” gear in an automatic transmission on hills can accelerate transmission wear and increase risks on downhill slopes — are you driving the wrong way without realizing it?
The customization was also conducted with prior approval from the Vatican, according to reports published by Ford itself and international outlets.
Pope’s Ford Explorer Includes References to Chicago and the Vatican
Ford transformed the SUV into a project of strong symbolic value by linking, in the same car, references to the pontiff’s hometown and the center of the Catholic Church.
The personalized plates display “DA POPE” and “LEO XIV”, while the finishing includes graphical elements associated with the Chicago flag and the religious leader’s journey to Rome.
Inside, the seats received tags inspired by the Chicago flag, and the center console features embroidery of the city’s urban skyline.
The door sills were engraved with images of Chicago’s skyline and the St. Peter’s Basilica, in a composition created to represent the connection between Leo XIV’s American origins and his current role in the Vatican.
In addition to these details, the vehicle was equipped with features specific to European routines, including an antenna compatible with the local broadcasting system.
The black body, combined with darkened finishes and chrome touches, reinforces the proposal of a discreet SUV on the outside but strongly personalized in the cabin.
Hybrid 318 hp V6 Engine Came from the Police Interceptor Family
Under the hood, the Explorer delivered to the pope uses a 3.3 V6 hybrid engine with 318 horsepower and 322 lb-ft of torque, a configuration associated by Ford with the Police Interceptor Utility, a utility developed for police use in the United States.
In other words, the mechanical base of the papal unit does not correspond to the conventional offering of the 2026 Explorer Platinum available in the brand’s configurator.
This distinction helps explain why the model caught attention beyond religious news.
In the 2026 Explorer line presented on Ford’s official site, the Platinum appears with 2.3 EcoBoost powertrain as standard and does not include, in the public offering consulted, this 3.3-liter hybrid V6 version.
The electrified set of 318 hp, in turn, remains linked to the company’s police division.
Delivery at the Vatican Involved a Brief Ride with Jim Farley
According to Jim Farley, Leo XIV observed the details created for the vehicle and approved the personalized elements.
In a statement reproduced by international press and Ford’s institutional channel, the executive stated that the pope “noticed and appreciated” the tributes applied to the Explorer and that they even took a brief ride in the SUV after the delivery.
Farley also remarked that the choice of the Explorer was directly related to the pontiff’s origins and to the automaker’s industrial history in Chicago.
According to him, it seemed appropriate to offer the first pope born in the United States an SUV produced at Ford’s factory in the city, operation that the company describes as active for more than a century.
Secret Project Mobilized Ford Employees in Chicago
The construction of the vehicle mobilized dozens of Ford employees, many of whom were only informed that they were working on a car destined for a “VIP”.
The identity of the recipient was kept confidential during production, and part of the team only discovered later that they had participated in assembling a car intended for the pope.
Reports gathered by the press indicate that the project had a strong internal impact, especially among Catholic employees or those connected to the Chicago area.
Team members sent handwritten letters, a photograph of the factory team, and other personal gifts to the pontiff, in a gesture that enhanced the symbolic character of the delivery beyond corporate action.
Exclusive SUV Does Not Replace the Official Papamobile
The Explorer made by Ford was not presented as a substitute for the papamobile for public appearances, traditionally associated with vehicles prepared for high-exposure events and, in many cases, special safety solutions.
International coverage treated the SUV as a more personal or restricted-use car for the daily life of the Vatican, without the ceremonial role played by models used in celebrations and movements before the faithful.
In this context, the gift gains weight not so much for inaugurating a new phase of the papal fleet but more for condensing, in a single vehicle, the combination of local identity, institutional gesture, and custom engineering.
Ford united the platform of a luxury SUV, a hybrid powertrain outside the standard civil offering, and a series of visual references to Chicago and St. Peter’s Basilica to create a vehicle without a direct equivalent in the brand’s range.
-
1 person reacted to this.