Ford Everest, an SUV at its peak
When looking for an SUV, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the large variety found on the market today.
While some excel in terms of off-road capabilities, others provide a lot more creature comforts but are there ones that combine both in a balanced package? I grabbed the keys to the Ford Everest in Limited guise to find out.
Styling
The current Everest has been around for a few years now; receiving updates throughout its life-cycle and in my opinion, still looks good. Upfront is a new grille which is complemented by the new lower bumper. Ford has also opted for two-layer glossy metallic paint on its accents and darker contrasting paint on the split-spoke 20-inch wheels to further enhance the machine cut surfaces. I quite enjoy the exterior look as from afar it is still subtle and modern looking but as soon as you get up close it quickly conveys a rugged and intimidating message.
Luxury
Upon entering the cabin, you are greeted by lovely dark perforated leather on the seats and equally dark roof lining. The dark tones are contrasted by bright stitching on the seats, door panels, steering wheel and gear selector and accentuate the chrome additions around the air vents and dials situated on the facia. A detail I liked a lot was the painted trim and infotainment surround which for me added to the premium look and feel of the interior.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg, the Everest come standard with a variety of creature comforts like keyless entry and start, Semi-Automatic Parallel Park Assist which with the use of the parking sensors will tell you if your car will fit in the space you are planning to park in and then utilize the electric power-assisted steering and guide the vehicle in while the driver only needs to operate the gears, accelerator and brake. Safety features like the Adaptive Cruise Control featuring Forward Collision Alert now also recognize pedestrians and not just cars. The Limited also features Lane Keeping Aid, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Information System, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and even Auto High Beam Control.
The Everest’s facia is now adorned with an 8.0-inch touchscreen installed with Ford’s SYNC 3 infotainment system with navigation as standard. The system has two USB ports and Bluetooth connectivity and also on offer are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which made for connecting my phone and accessing my music library a breeze.
Under the bonnet
The Everest Limited comes fitted with a 2.0-litre Bi-turbo diesel motor, mated to a smooth ten-speed automatic gearbox which sends the power to all four wheels via the four-wheel-drive system. The four-cylinder engine is capable of 157 kW and 500 N.m of torque and during the test-period performed really well tackling off-road tracks while the ten-speed gearbox did not show any struggles. Once on the highway and up to speed, the transmission will just settle down and cruise along returning an impressive fuel consumption of 8L/100km over our combined cycle.
Verdict
Manufacturers have been trying to create products with greater off-road capabilities while retaining focus on standard creature comforts and while some needs to improve on or the other areas; I believe the Everest Limited is already there. The Everest Limited offers a compliant ride and tech-filled interior in combination with a chassis and powertrain that encourages you to conquer every mountain on your journey. If you are looking for a vehicle that you can commute to work with during the week and challenge your friends on the off-road routes over the weekend then the Everest Limited is certainly an option to consider.
Price
Ford Everest 2.0 Bi-Turbo 4WD Limited – R 776 500
