Developed alongside the upcoming state-of-the-art two-cabin Ranger and its radical Raptor brethren, the third-generation Everest arrives in South Africa on a mission to completely revamp - and bigger fish to fry…

With global demand for vehicles like SUVs showing little sign of slowing down, it's no surprise that most auto brands are still particularly keen on demonstrating their respective strengths in the segment. this light car. Still popular in markets like Asia, Australia and South Africa, the rise of so-called bakkie SUVs stems from our longstanding relationship with the sturdy double-cab services on which each of these packages is based. on - with our inherent thirst for adventure.

Launched in South Africa in 2009, the first-generation Everest showed Ford's intention to usurp the dominant Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Fortuner in terms of sales. Building on the Ranger co-developed by Mazda, this relatively basic first set of Everest will find more than 4,500 homes in South Africa. Perhaps it is relevant to Ford Everest price…

Ford's adoption of the T6 platform in 2011 will mark a major step forward in the power, refinement and comfort of all products built on this architecture, including the next-generation Everest. The second came out in 2015. A real threat now to the Hilux-based Fortuner's monthly sales dominance, the Everest, from 2016, will be assembled at the American brand's Silverton plant outside of Pretoria.

With more than 22,000 sales in South Africa of Ford's first "all-new" Everest, the new third-generation model rises above its all-new Ranger and Raptor brothers. Bigger in every respect than the car it replaces, the big news is that Ford believes the evolutionary step taken with the new car is, once again, important enough to warrant a re-focus on viewing its rivals. who it is in the market.

New dimension

The 50mm extended wheelbase over the second-generation Everest is achieved only through the front wheel's forward offset in the new package. The corresponding expansion of the car's wheel groove widths, front and rear, gives the car a completely wider stance than before but is designed to accommodate the six-cylinder engine.

Offering more head and shoulder space than before, while the Everest's two rear seats can still fold flat to the floor when not needed, the new car offers an additional 39 liters of rear luggage space: 60:

The second row splits into 40 over the outgoing pattern. While the third row is always more suitable for children or smaller adults, the addition of roof vents in this area is welcome.

Featuring American-inspired boxy lines, the new Everest's significantly more imposing appearance is fitted to both models available at launch with standard LED headlights and taillights, as well as clamps Beautiful letter C. “LED daytime running lights.

High-end specification

Lighting technology aside, Ford South Africa's determination to raise the bar for the Everest package in our market is evidenced by the fact that both derivatives available at launch have High-end and truly standard specifications are present. Building on the success of the previous-generation Everest Sport introduced in 2021, the new Sport model features black alloy wheels and matching trim elements, including the grille and mirrors. side mirrors and dashboard. While more off-road-focused 18-inch alloy wheels are fitted as an option across the range, the Sport gets 20-inch wheels fitted with Goodyear 255/55 R22 rubber as standard. A new flagship Platinum derivative introduces standard 21-inch alloy wheels and various chrome details, including the brand's new wagon-shaped grille design.

Highlights of Everest's modern interior include targeted upgrades to all touchpoints and overall perceived quality, as well as the incorporation of a new 12-inch portrait-style infotainment display. Offering pride of place in the dashboard, this sharp display incorporates Ford's latest SYNC 4 software for enhanced functionality and convenience, including wireless smartphone mirroring technology. wire. This display also has standard sat navigation and a 360-degree camera system in the top Platinum trim.

In addition, standard in the cabin of the top model are high-quality leather seats with heating for the front and second row seats, a 12.4-inch digital instrument display (8-inch in Sport version), adaptive climate control and the latest full package. Ford's active safety technologies.

While the Sport model inherits the same 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel found in the outgoing range, the big news about the new Everest package is the inclusion in the high-end model's 3.0-V6 turbodiesel engine. power 184 kW and torque 600 Nm. Both gearboxes are combined with the familiar 10-speed automatic transmission.

Not quite offering the kind of nasty straight-line performance compared to the four-cylinder option that the numbers suggest, this new V6 unit impresses with its overall refinement and full forward thrust. confidently, admirably copes with the current Platinum model of 2.5 - tons of total volume.

Interestingly, there's no option to include steering wheel-mounted paddles in the new Everest package, the benefit being the ability to predict deceleration before leveling or turning on the road. Instead, you rely solely on the intuitive operation of the gearbox to get a "best of ten" forward gear. Over different launch distances, we consumed an average of 10.4 liters per 100 km.

On the road

While the new Everest is immediately more luxurious - and more expensive - than the old model, its new sense of presence also means that the car will feel more secure on the road. Street. 

That said, while the car's overall wider legroom and updated suspension setup provide admirable support for its respectable mass, you're still aware that the weight translates to Move around its midpoint while steering to make a quick turn.

Unsurprisingly, the new Everest package feels more American than ever, prioritizing road comfort and flightability over dynamism or driver engagement. And isn't that what a family SUV has to offer?

Summary

While it's worth noting that Ford South Africa deliberately delayed the planning and introduction of an entry-level Everest that will continue the battle for monthly sales with the current Fortuner package, the position of the apple move bolder to target sales The Toyota Prado doesn't seem so ambitious once you realize how the Everest has made a huge leap forward in comfort and refinement over the older model. 

Where the first Everest felt so distinctly based on its later Ranger brother, the second generation sought to introduce a higher level of comfort, versatility and overall refinement than the bakkie with which it shares the platform. With the new car, Ford planned from the start to include as much separation as possible between the Ranger and a great new SUV that shares the same platform as a bakkie.