FORD EVEREST

03

Lack of steering-wheel reach adjustment; centre-row seat headroom

Model Engine Max power Max torque Transmission Weight 0-100km/h Economy Price On sale Ford Everest Titanium 3198cc in-line 5cyl; dohc, 20v, TD 143kW @ 3000rpm 470Nm @ 1750-2500rpm 6-speed automatic 2495kg n/a 8.5L/100km $76,990 October

PLUS & MINUS On- and off-road ride and comfort; cabin refinement; clever tech

Ford Everest

Climbing Everest puts the Blue Oval in new Territory

EVEREST is the culmination of a long gestation period developing a wagon off the Ford Ranger’s T6 platform. It also resolves Ford Australia’s short-term need for a seven-seat SUV once the Territory ceases to exist at the end of next year.

Priced from $55k, it is not expected to be the only vehicle to fill this role as it’s light truck-based as opposed to the car-derived Territory. Ford’s US-made Edge SUV is expected to complete a two-pronged Territory replacement strategy.

Everest should therefore not be considered a direct replacement for the Australian-made Territory. It can’t deliver the on-road dynamics and passenger-car comfort of the Falcon-based SUV. What it does bring is true off-road capability, durability and a 3000kg towing capacity.

Ford has done a commendable job engineering refinement and functionality into a wagon that started as an LCV.

Everest gets a multi-link, coil-sprung rear suspension in lieu of the Ranger’s leaf springs. This set-up incorporates a Watts link for lateral location of the live axle to improve on-road characteristics, a system used successfully on Falcons for many years. While by no means a modern design in terms of passenger cars, it provides a good compromise between what’s needed on and off the road. It better controls the rear end than a leaf-spring design.

On our drive in rural Thailand, the seven-seat wagon sits relatively flat and is composed over twisting roads with poor surfaces, so it should work well on our likewise crook roads in Australia. It exhibits much less roll and pitch than the rival Prado.

The electric-assisted steering is light at low speeds where you want to it be and firms up as speed rises, although it doesn’t give the same connected feel of hydraulic assistance.

Everest’s separate chassis helps isolate the body from road NVH, even on the lowprofile 20-inch tyres that will be standard on the top-spec Titanium models.

The interior is clever, practical and functional. The centre and rear rows fold flat to offer a cavernous cargo area. In Titanium spec, the third-row seats individually fold electrically at the touch of a button located at the rear door opening.

Notably absent are keyless entry/start and reach adjustment for the steering column, which may inconvenience taller drivers.

Cabin refinement is aided by Active Noise Cancellation that, like similar technology in highend headphones, transmits an opposing ‘sound’ to the cabin to cancel out ambient noise. This includes the sound of the diesel

engine, where the low-frequency growl has been targeted. FIRST OVERSEAS DRIVE The 3.2-litre turbo-diesel is strong enough for the hefty wagon, aided by a positiveshifting six-speed automatic. There are no shift paddles, but the transmission can be manually operated using the floor shifter. The full-time 4WD system is aided by a clever Multi Terrain Selector that offers four driving modes designed to make it easier for novice off-road drivers to manage different conditions. Low-range gearing, a locking rear differential, hill descent control, and an 800mm wading depth add to Everest’s off-road capabilities, although we weren’t able to put them to the test on this drive. The drive did show us that the Everest will be a smart choice for family buyers looking for a 4WD wagon with a good mix of on-road refinement, performance and all-terrain ability. MATT RAUDONIKIS

01

AIRHEAD

Head room in the back seats is limited by the sculptured roof lining that houses ducting for the rear air vents.

0302

WHEELCHOICES STANDARD4X4

Top-spec Titanium models will ride on 20-inch wheels. Midspec Trend gets 18s and the base model more comfortable 17s.

All Australian-spec Everests will be 4WD, for now at least. 2WD is available for other markets and isn’t being ruled out for us down the track.

Oilrefinery

THEfive-cylinder 3.2-litreturbo-diesel willbetheonlyengine willbetheonlyengine offeredinAustralia and,althoughcarried over from Ranger, it has been refined with new fuel injectors operating at higher pressure to reduce diesel-clatter. It has also been tuned to meet Euro 6 emission standards, as required to meet passengervehicle standards, and consequently produces 4kW less than in the LCV Ranger, though maximum torque is unchanged.

OR TRY THESE...

Toyota Prado VX $73,990

PRADO continues to buck the trend toward soft-road SUVs by outselling its Kluger stablemate, even though it is less refined and more truck-like. The Everest could be the first real challenger to the Prado’s throne.

02

Isuzu MU-X LS-T $53,500

OLD-school, simple, functional and affordable, the often-overlooked Isuzu MU-X is a quiet achiever in this segment and is the smart choice for those who can’t afford a Toyota Prado.