New Ford Everest – Practical 7-seater 4WD SUV
Recently launched, the Ford Everest is a 7-Seater SUV that is capable of going off-road as well as serve as a very practical day-to-day vehicle. You can use it as a workhorse, because it is built tough to take all kinds of punishment, yet it is comfortable, and has lots of luxurious fittings to make your life in it enjoyable.
The Ford Everest shares the same basic platform as the Ford Ranger, and comes in two engine options, the 2.5 litre TDCi Diesel engine that is shared by the recently launched Ford Ranger, and an additional 3.0 litre TDCi Diesel engine to give it more power. If you have been riding in a Ranger, jumping into the new Everest, especially if it is the Limited edition with the 3.0 litre TDCi engine, is a step that will bring on quite a few pleasant surprises.
We took a 3.0 litre Limited Edition Everest from Ford Malaysia for a test drive, and the first surprise, although not quite unexpected, was the additional get-up-and-go when you put your foot down. With 154 bhp from the 2,953 cc DOHC common rail turbo, the new Everest scoots pretty quickly in spite of its 2,023 kg weight. With a maximum torque of 330 Nm, we actually have to ‘feather’ the throttle on acceleration to stop the vehicle from lunging forward every time it shifts up through the automatic five-speed gearbox. Driven normally, the Everest is smooth on the uptake, but you can feel that the engine is pulling effortlessly. With additional power on tap, each of the gear ratios is taller in comparison to that of the Ranger, except for third gear, which remains at 1.000:1. This means that the 3.0 litre Everest is potentially just as economical or more economical than the 2.5 litre model; unfortunately we did not have the vehicle long enough the finish off the full tank of diesel that they gave to us. After two and a half days of driving, we still had more than half a tank. It looks like we will have to take the vehicle again for a longer test drive, but based on the lightness of the throttle, and the ease with which the engine moves the body mass, I am pretty confident that the results will not disappoint.
The next pleasant surprise is the ride. It is actually much softer than that of the Ranger, and that is saying quite a lot, as the Ranger in itself is already quite comfortable. Maybe it is the additional weight, or is it the soft leather seats, but whatever it is, the ride is great. In terms of handling, the Everest is quite well behaved. It does have a little bit of roll, but will take corners well if you remember that it is a SUV and not a Lamborghini. On the straights and even at high speeds, it does give one a very reassuring kind of feeling.
If you need to carry passengers, or sometimes need to carry some goods, the Everest is a seven-seater, although I must warn you that the third row doesn’t like having tall people in it. But if it is to pick up some of your office staff to go for lunch, short rides like these should be perfectly okay. The rest of the vehicle is great in terms of space, headroom, and legroom. The third row seats are removable if you need extra space, but they can also be folded down. The middle row is actually two seats, and they both fold and ‘tumble’ forward for ease of ingress and egress for the third row occupants. Dual air-conditioning takes care of the cooling, and it works great!
In terms of safety, the Everest comes with dual and side airbags. There is a seat belt for every passenger, and the front belts come with pre-tensioners and load limiter. ABS with EBD is standard equipment.
Generally, the Everest offers, at RM172, 488.00 (On-the-road without insurance), a viable value proposition. It is a great package for one who likes to take his or her vehicle out to the boondocks, or go off-roading every once in a while, and at the same time is a practical daily use vehicle.
