In this article:
Interior, space, comfort, and convenience
While my colleagues had the opportunity to drive the new Ford Rangers and Everests up in Gauteng, (read Chad's Everest launch report here), it took a while before I managed to get my hands on an Everest (in flagship Platinum guise) down here in the Western Cape, and I thought, What better way to put it to the test than embarking on a mini-family road trip with two grumpy teenagers? So I booked the four of us a weekend's accommodation at the Soaring Eagles Guest Lodge and Day Spa and made the kids pack the car.
Related: Everything you need to know about the Ford Everest
Styling
Some people may find the Everest's new styling to be a little brash, but I like the square angles and the elongated brushed chrome trim that appears to separate the grille in two. The rear LED light signature looks neat and soothes my affinity for perfectly balanced symmetry, while the side steps and roof rails add some off-road essence, but it's not just cosmetic; this Everest doesn't wince at off-road trails. Looks wise, it has that wholesome American football-team-captain vibe going for it. It's a sexy car, and soccer moms (and dads) would want to be seen in it.
Related: Sean's 2023 Ford Everest Wildtrak Review
My youngest child, a 14-year-old boy, loves the fact that it's a huge, brawny-looking SUV, and my daughter, a 16-year-old diva in the making, is all about the glamour, comfort and luxury, so in those departments, the Everest was already scoring high points.
Interior, space, comfort, and convenience
The first thing I noticed when stepping inside the Everest was that this SUV is no longer playing in the mid-range field with the Fortuner, and of course, Ford already claimed this when the Everest was released, but did I believe them? Not until now.
I should mention that there is a new Fortuner on the way, and it will be interesting to see how Toyota will counter this aggressive onslaught from Ford, as this interior is very suave and sophisticated.
Let's start with the seats; they're smooth leather, but the bits behind your back and below your thighs are perforated because they can be heated or cooled, and this is even available on the second row. Yet again, full marks from the peanut gallery because they can also plug in their smartphones and have a choice between a USB-A or USB-C port, and my youngest would have been able to charge his laptop on the 3-pin 400W inverter had he been allowed to bring it with him on the trip. (Will the Everest be good for new drivers? Find out here.)
But it's not just the comfort features; the way the seats are constructed and the leather used are just plain classy. The kids were also pleased to have their own controls for the rear climate control so they wouldn't have to bug the adults up front, and the (standard) dual panoramic sunroof adds even more of that wow factor.
How roomy is the Everest? Find out here
The second row's seatback can also recline, and access to the rearmost seats (where my son sat, because why share a bench with your older sister if you don't need to?) is easy, but not ideal for adult-sized passengers, as is the case with most SUVs of this ilk, but at least the second row slides forwards or backwards, depending on your space requirements. The boot is then left with about 260 litres' worth of space with the third row in use, but if you fold those down (by pressing a button), there's almost 900 litres of room for your camping gear or oompah band instruments. Flatten the rest of the seats, and 1,818 litres remain.
Then there's the general, practical, no-nonsense dashboard layout with a bit of a Scandinavian spin to it, i.e., there's nothing superfluous, and it has a smidge of backlighting and elegant wooden inlays. The honeycomb design of the air-conditioning vents doesn't really go with the rest, but that's just my opinion. It blows air cooler than the arctic, and I don't have to dive into menus on the mammoth touchscreen for that to happen, which is always a win in my books.
As for the above-mentioned 12.4-inch infotainment system, SYNC4 has it all, and the graphics are crystal clear, with surround-view cameras using the screen as its display, and you would need those too because the Everest is not small. And in front of the driver's eyes, there's the 12-inch digital instrument cluster that displays what you want to see and know, in order of personal importance. In my case, I always want to keep an eye on fuel consumption, but we'll get to that part lower down in this review.
The drive and performance
Using the FordPass App, I started the Everest remotely (from my phone) to get some of that arctic breeze blowing into the cabin and to impress the kids. According to the app, the tank was still reasonably full for our trip into the depths of the Overberg.
The first scenic part of the road from Hermanus to Stanford was a newly built and repaired road, reasonably busy and quite straight, so I just stuck to Eco mode and adhered to the speed limit, but every so often I would momentarily "give it horns" to overtake slower traffic. As they say, there's no replacement for displacement, and the 3.0-litre V6 doesn't hesitate when you demand power and speed from it. The enhanced auto 'box slices imperceptibly through its 10 gears, sending power to the wheel where its needed most in 4A (4WD auto mode).
When we finally turned onto the Elim dirt road just before Napier, I switched to 4H. Parts of the road had recently been washed away, but despite the initial restoration efforts, sections of the road remained rugged and sandy, marked by ruts and crevices. It's here that I realised how far the Everest had progressed: Navigating through the terrain with unparalleled ease, it almost felt as if it had air suspension, effortlessly gliding over uneven surfaces, despite its large wheels. You would never guess that the Everest is a bakkie-based, i.e., a ladder-frame SUV; that's how well it handles. It's worth noting that I didn't even activate any further off-road settings like Mud/Ruts and Sand. (There are many more to choose from; check them out here.)
Towing a caravan or boat with this model would be a breeze (part of this model's standard equipment is a detachable tow hook), and you'd be able to tow an even bigger boat now because the braked tow rating in this new Everest is 3500 kg vs. the previous model's 3100 kg.
Fuel Economy
While other media members are moaning about fuel consumption from a 3.0-litre V6 diesel SUV with a kerb (ie. unladen) weight of almost 2500 kilograms, I didn't think it was all that bad. We managed about 10 to 11.3 litres per 100 km, whether we had plenty of people in the car and their luggage in the car or not; it just depends on your driving style and where you travel.
I'm never in a real hurry (except when I'm chasing daylight or have to catch a flight), so my consumption hovered around the 10.8 mark. Longer, chilled journeys on the highway will ensure that figure drops to about 10, but upper 9s or lower is a bit of a longshot.
Safety
As the flagship model, the Everest has everything in terms of advanced and semi-autonomous safety kit, and these include 6 airbags, Pre-Collision Assist, Evasive Steer Assist, Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (iACC) with Lane Centering, Reverse Brake Assist, BLIS with Trailer Coverage, Active Park Assist 2.0, and a Lane-Keeping System with Road Edge Detection. Find out more about what all this means here.
I always put the adaptive cruise control to good use in traffic, but I found that the Lane Centering / Lane Keeping System wasn't as advanced as I had hoped, and the roads where we tested this out were new with clear markings. Could it have been an issue with my specific test model? Perhaps, so that's why I recommend putting it to the test when taking this new model for a test drive.
Related: Is the Ford Everest Wildtrak a safe car?
Price
The Platinum model is the priciest in the range, but the range kicks off at R848 300.
- Ford Everest 2.0 BiTurbo XLT: R 848 300.
- Ford Everest 2.0 BiTurbo 4x4 XLT: R 913 400.
- Ford Everest 2.0 BiTurbo Sport: R 936 000.
- Ford Everest 2.0 BiTurbo 4x4 Sport: R 1 040 800.
- Ford Everest 3.0 V6 4WD Wildtrak: R 1 115 700.
- Ford Everest 3.0 V6 4WD Platinum (tested): R 1 180 000.
Competitors
It's safe to say that the new Everest blows the current Fortuner, Isuzu MU-X, and Mitsubishi Triton Sport out of the water from a tech, comfort, and ride quality perspective, but let's bear in mind that this model is the top dog in the range at R1 180 000, and its natural competitors are the Jeep Grand Cherokee (even thirstier, but capable off-road), Toyota Prado (it's biggest competitor—it's a 4x4 demon, but looking a bit dated), Kia Sorento (more like a capable soft-roader), and Hyundai Palisade (also not a rock-crawling off-road machine).
Running cost shootout: Ford Everest vs Isuzu mu-X vs. Toyota Fortuner
Verdict
I've already mentioned how I think it fares against its rivals, but after having put the Everest through the daily grind of picking up kids from school, driving them to sports events, doing grocery shopping, climbing sidewalks, and embarking on a road trip where much of the surface included corrugated and slippery surfaces, I'm happy to announce that the Everest is the best body-on-frame SUV I've driven this year.
Ford Everest vs Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
| Model | Ford Everest 3.0 V6 4WD Platinum |
|---|---|
| Engine | 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel |
| Maximum Power | 184 kW @ 3,250 rpm |
| Maximum Torque | 600 Nm @ 2,500 rpm |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic |
| Drive Type | All-Wheel-Drive |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Consumption | 8.5 l/100km (according to Ford) |
| CO2 Emissions | 224 g/km |
| Seating Capacity | 7 |
| Tyres | 275/45 R21 |
| Service Interval | 12 months or 15,000 km (4-year/120 000 km warranty, optional service plan) |
| Ground Clearance | 226 mm |
| Wading Depth | 800 mm |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 76 litres (realistic range per tank: +/- 700-750km) |
Fancy a stay at Soaring Eagles Lodge and Day Spa?
We stayed in a gorgeous two-bedroom, four-sleeper self-catering chalet with Netflix, a hot tub, and a gorgeous view for only R500 pppn, but there are specials available throughout the year where stays can be combined with spa treatments, and they accommodate larger groups too, making it ideal for girlie getaways or even corporate events. There is a fairy-tale wedding venue on site too. Check out their facebook page, but for bookings, you can go to their website, here.
