Local production of the Ford Everest coupled to new export channels into Sub-Saharan Africa has been the catalyst for a more varied range.
Good news if you’d previously taken a liking to the American-styled SUV but couldn’t find the model that clicked with your budget and equipment needs.
The Everest’s mechanical specification has been fattened up considerably so now they are almost as diverse as the exterior paint options. Guaranteed to spread the Everest name into new corners of the market, the 8-strong model range is available with two engine choices, three specification levels, manual and automatic transmissions, as well as the option of two or four-wheel drive.
Built at Pretoria’s Silverton plant, alongside the Ranger, the Everest is born South-African tough with none of the last-minute climate and terrain provisos. Predictably Everest shares parity with the Ranger primarily through the bluff nose but everywhere else rendered into a comfier family SUV capable of seating seven adults. It’s a neatly groomed brute that mitigates many of those slightly crass bakkie-based ride tendencies.
Unpack the Everest model range and for every one box ticked, another indented sub-menu appears. Yet the task isn’t as daunting as it first seems; Ford’s latest 2.2-litre TDCi engine (118kW at 3 700r/min, linked to a torque peak of 385Nm from 1 500 to 2 500r/min) is available in XLS and XLT, a choice of manual or automatic and lastly a preference between 4×2 or 4×4. The 5-cylinder 3.2-litre petrol which was present from the beginning is now available in XLT 4×2. Read our review of that the 4×4 version here
New Everest wasn’t solely revised to cover ground in a more efficient way, instead piggybacking on the car’s launch to introduce SYNC 3 to customers. Fitted on XLT and Limited models, SYNC 3 includes a booming 10-speaker audio system with 2 USB ports as extra bits of value to the existing 8-inch touchscreen. XLS models still maintain a high level of functionality with Bluetooth and multimedia and rear parking cameras.
When the new Everest arrived it rapidly established a number of benchmarks for safety and in-car technology. Even at this point Everest still holds the edge, migrating advanced under-the-skin niceties first sampled on models like Fusion and Focus.
Not much bargaining is needed to fit blind spot indicators, adaptive cruise control, heads up display, distance alert and active park assist which just goes to show how the SUV and passenger car have finally come together from a technology standpoint.
