2027 Bennington 26 M Swingback

Matte black over metallic silver. This new 2027 Bennington 26 M Swingback, stock #5017, looks considerably more expensive than it is, and that is rather the point of the M Series.

M is Bennington's core line, and what it does well is deliver most of the flagship experience at a materially lower price. You still get handcrafted upholstery with detailed stitching, dual reclining captain's chairs, luxury woven vinyl flooring, a wireless phone charger and USB ports, RGB accent lighting, illuminated cupholders, and generous under-seat and in-floor storage. What you give up is largely the fiberglass cladding of the QX boats, and if you are not chasing that specific finish, the M is the better value in the range by a comfortable margin.

The MSB designation is Midship Swingback. The convertible Swingback lounge shifts from forward-facing seating to an aft-facing chaise in a moment, so the boat reconfigures between the cruise out and the afternoon at anchor without anyone moving furniture. Rated capacity is eighteen people on a 28-foot 3-inch deck, which is a lot of seating for this class.

Underneath sits the SPS+ performance package: three full-length 25-inch tubes with lifting strakes on the center tube, performance foils on the outer tubes, solid round keels, and an under-deck wave shield. SPS+ is designed for higher-horsepower applications and delivers handling close to the top-tier ESP setup in a lighter, more affordable package. Behind a Yamaha 300 on a 4,243 lb hull, it plants and turns properly rather than pushing wide.

The helm has a Bennington VIVID UX touchscreen with GPS, sonar, and depthsounder capability plus digital Yamaha monitoring and hydraulic steering. Audio is a JL Audio Bluetooth system. Outside there is a bimini, an extended aft swim platform with boarding ladder, a stainless ski tow bar, docking lights, and LED courtesy lighting.

Why this is the right boat: for the family that wants a new, well-equipped, genuinely quick tritoon that seats eighteen and does not require a flagship budget, the 26 MSB with a 300 and SPS+ is the sensible sweet spot in the whole Bennington range.

It is new and on the floor at Kelly's Port, 3545 Osage Beach Pkwy. in Osage Beach, family owned on the Lake of the Ozarks since 1977. Storage, slips, gas dock, and same-day service are all here. Call 573.348.3888 to see stock #5017.