Wildtrak(ing) Ford Everest lays all on the line to reach summit

Regardless of its market focus or pricing, the arrival of any vehicle for the festive season comes with its fair share of uncertainties as how it would stack up over a month’s usage.

Deja vu at its finest

With the Ford Everest Wildtrak this writer was privy to, the uncertainty laid not with what to expect, but how to express it once the festivities ended and reality returned.

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This being due to an unusual occurrence of having sampled the once New Zealand-market only destined model at the official launch last year, and then having it on test a few months later.

The prospect of spending more than a month with the most accessible V6 model in the Everest range presented something of a dilemma; write a unique piece from scratch about the already known fundamentals, or simply “borrow” the findings of the road test with a few sentence alterations here and there.

The worry

As is often the case, opting for the latter would amount to little as the longer than usual tenure often turns any original findings, or opinions, on its head.

This applied to the Wildtrak, whose arrival not only caused a few chuckles as the Luxe Yellow example happened to be the exact same one dropped-off for testing, but also concerns for how much diesel the 3.0-litre unit would burn through.

As the hopes for the step-down 2.0-litre bi-turbo Sport didn’t materialise, the thought of the Wildtrak running away with its minder’s wallet over December and into January had Januaworry alarms ringing loudly after its fuel consumption failed to get past 12.0 L/ 100 km during testing

Together with a 2 475 kg mass, permanent all-wheel-drive, seven-seats and the punch of the very aptly named Lion engine, plus road trips to the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, a black festive season and tricky approach to the new year loomed large.

However, the pre-conceived doubts fizzled-out as the first-ever Everest Wildtrak surprised not only from a tech and practicality aspect, but also how its oil-burning bent-six didn’t take the expected chomp out of my budget with each refuel.

In fact, some of the digits that showed at the pumps required a second glance for being a lot lower than expected.

Off on a wild trek

Essentially the mid-tier model between the top-spec Platinum and Sport, which could be argued amounts to nothing but an XLT with an appearance package, the Wildtrak not only “opens-up” the V6 range, but like its Ranger sibling, is meant to be an off-road focused model complete with its own exterior traits.

While set to lose its status later this year when the seemingly certain Everest Wildtrak X becomes a reality, the Wildtrak, sans its colour, made an impact right from start.

An addition, which at the time of its unveiling had resulted in speculation flaring-up again as to whether a Raptor variant would finally be introduced, the Wildtrak’s styling wasn’t the only talking point that took prevalence as it started its holiday in this writer’s hometown of Despatch, and then along the Garden Route to Hartenbos.

Besides its powerplant, the Wildtrak also gets the bigger 12-inch SYNC 4A infotainment system and the 12.4-inch instrument cluster whereas the entry-level XLT and Sport are both fitted with the smaller 10.1-inch and eight-inch displays.

A dual-pane panoramic sunroof, black roofliner, tyre pressure monitor, ambient lighting, Adaptive Cruise Control and the Terrain Management system with six modes; Slippery, Eco, Normal, Tow/Haul, Mud & Ruts and Sand, are also part of the Wildtrak’s spec list, along with its customary’s orange stitch work on the seats, dashboard, doors, steering wheel and stubby e-shifter lever.

Comfy and full of tech

The seats in question, which are finished in partial leather and feature Wildtrak embroidered front backs, came in for the biggest praise as Johannesburg disappeared in the rear-view mirror.

Although without the heating function of the Platinum, the chairs still have electric adjustability for driver and passenger, and besides being superbly comfortable, offer more than enough support regardless of the preferred position behind the wheel.

While much has been said of the Ranger and Everest’s interior regarding technology, build quality of the Thai-built latter came in for some criticism.

Having been driven by a number of colleagues since having it on test, close to 10 000 km had been put on LF 05 SZ GP’s odometer, which had resulted in a few rattles coming from the dashboard and the front section of the glass roof.

While the quality of the materials remained soft but with an element of rugged hardness as a result of Everest still being a bakkie-based SUV, the unwanted noise did come as an oddity given nothing of the same kind had been noted on any of the Rangers assembled at the Silverton plant until now.

Throughout the Wildtrak’s stay, the portrait-style infotainment system, compared to a television set inserted into the dash by some onlookers, remained a talking point too.

Resplendent with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the system is still not as easy to scroll through or fathom as the old Everest’s eight-inch SYNC 3 system. However, it became easier to get hold of as the days at the coast turned into weeks.

The inclusion of the sketch pad as one of its novel features did come in for a lot more scrutiny, especially as it cannot be used on the move. Eventually, it’s fun side shone through, as did its intended use as a reminder pad when an idea for something suddenly arose.

Along with a wireless smartphone charger, type-A and type-C USB ports and separate second and third-row climate control vents, the quality of the Wildtrak’s eight-speaker sound system remained noteworthy, as did storage by way of the dual gloveboxes and the central storage compartment whose lid doubles up as a front armrest.

Space came in handy

When it comes to space, the Wildtrak is equally accomplished. With all seven-seats up, boot space is, admittedly, small at 259-litres, and the seats really suitable for small children.

Dropping the third row sees space increase to 898-litres, while doing the same with the middle frees up a total of 1 818-litres.

This proved invaluable as days after arriving in Despatch, it was off to Hartenboss, which required the third and second rows to be stored away in order to transport a pair of rolled-up mattresses that had no hope of fitting underneath the roller shutter of this writer’s father’s Ranger 3.2 Wildtrak.

With more than enough space for other items as the trek days before Christmas commenced, none making it passed the curved plastic lip at the base of the boot board called the apple catcher for obvious reasons, the jaunt along the Garden Route again showed the Wildtrak’s talent as a long distance cruiser.

In addition to its ride being supple – the suspension having been designed to iron-out bumps and imperfections without jolting those inside – refinement is equally as good, as no amount of excessive wind or road noise filtered into the cabin.

Lion roars

What’s more, the engine is just as quiet, though with a slightly heavier than normal foot, it burbles into a life with a throaty soundtrack and noticeably more poke as all four wheels grip, and the full 184kW/600Nm released.

Connected to the engine, the recalibrated General Motors co-developed 10-speed automatic gearbox remained one of the biggest revelations when compared to its early incarnation in the bi-turbo models.

Smooth and devoid of the irksome ratio skipping its forebearer exhibited, the ‘box also doesn’t shift down as erratically and went about its workings often without notice.

Similar to the sketch pad, the transmission had a party piece of its own that left many bemused but smiling; the lever moving forward on its own when left in Drive and the ignition turned-off.

Despite this and the level of refinement, the Wildtrak wasn’t entirely perfect as its virtues didn’t involve headroom for taller passenger as a result of the panoramic roof.

Off-roading? Well…

By far the biggest gripe that thwarted it was the 20-inch alloy wheels. While aesthetically pleasing, the road-biased rubber prevented attempts of wanting to experience the Terrain Management System in anger.

Although some light off-roading did take place due to Christmas festivities occurring on a farm in the Langkloof, a fairly easy gravel road with a few inclines required more caution than normal in order to prevent the sharp stones and jutting out rocks from puncturing a tyre.

While this didn’t happen – in spite of the tyre pressure monitor later sending out an alert, which turned out to be nothing but dust confusing the sensor – the tyres are simply impractical for a vehicle with off-road aspirations.

An alternative, which can be had on all Everest models, is the fitting of 18-inch wheels wrapped in a better profile all-terrain rubber at no additional cost.

On the road, the wheels exhibited the opposite side of the coin by being an asset to the Wildtrak’s ride, similar to the chunky switchgear and physical buttons that left little to complain about ergonomically.

Worried about what?

The biggest standout of the Everest Wildtrak was how the Lion V6 proved to be anything but a diesel guzzler.

Considering its mass, plus the fact it recorded a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 9.5 seconds when tested last year by colleague Mark Jones at Gerotek, its gulping down of 358.43-litres of diesel could be seen as frugal.

Heralding the point home further, the Wildtrak’s eventual consumption after 4 324 km registered 9.1 L/100 km on its trip computer – this after falling to as low as 8.3 L/100 km and with extensive use being made of the climate control and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Worth noting is that the majority of the tenure was conducted in 2H instead of the 4A setting offered by the all-wheel-drive system.

Conclusion

While its offset of 3 112 units in its first full year of sales last year poses little threat to the Toyota Fortuner’s 10 385 – though Ford views it as a rival for the Land Cruiser Prado – the Ford Everest remains a capable and, it has to be said, more tech filled alternative in spite of its admittedly higher price tag.

In the case of the Wildtrak, the balance of niceties, access to that V6 diesel and promise of better off-road performance makes for an irresistible combination that goes some way to warrant the still pricey R1 160 600 sticker price.

However, the limitations presented by the standard tyres remains a point of content and if the added grunt, styling and less toys aren’t a prerequisite, the R96 700 credit presented by the four-wheel-drive Sport makes for a proposition too hard to ignore.

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