Twin-blown Ford Everest still able to move mountains

At this writer’s age, I need things to be simple, easy to understand and virtually impossible to misconstrue. Computers, they say, assist humankind to simplify everyday issues, but that is not the way the current world works.

A friend and I recently set what we believe to be a new Guinness World Record for Riding a Quadbike through a Tunnel of Fire. We have done this with a motorcycle in the past, after which we accumulated the relevant information, packed it up in a parcel, and couriered it to the Guinness headquarters in London.

This time, we could not do that. They now want it in electronic form, on electronic templates, via the internet, involving more red tape than buying a medium sized country. Riding through flames was easy – bridging the computer communication gap became the real test. Another example.

A videographer from The Citizen and I recently visited the factory of a car manufacturer at their invitation. Getting into their premises with a video camera was not easy. They demanded much filling in of forms, finger-printing, family tree examinations, blood tests, DNA samples, a CAT scan and an anal probe. After which it became seriously difficult.

I am too old for those kind of complications. Thus, I approached the new, upgraded Ford Everest 2.0 BiT Limited with trepidation. As Ford’s flagship sports utility vehicle, it was bound to be fitted with every type of complicated computer gadgetry this side of a space shuttle – very little of it meant to make sense to helpless geriatrics.

Starting with stuff I do understand, the test vehicle’s biggest bragging right was the fitting of Ford’s new 2.0 bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine, which employs an innovative twin turbocharger set-up to improve both low-end torque and high-end power, while reducing fuel consumption.

It produces 157 kW of power at 3 750 rpm, plus 500 Nm of torque at between 1 500 and 2 000 rpm. This hooks up with the new sophisticated 10-speed automatic transmission, which comes with a bewildering number of features. You can, if you must, lock out certain gears, engage “Sport” mode, go to full manual mode, lock the rear differential or select a terrain management system that allows modes for driving on sand, rocks or ice.

We would guess that very few Everest owners will ever require any of the above and, like we did, simply drive the vehicle, knowing that you have rear wheel drive, plus selectable all-wheel drive at your disposal. Ford have blessed the new Everest with a number of exterior visual enhancements, like a new grille, redesigned bumpers, two-layer glossy metallic paint, and 20-inch alloy wheels in 265/65/R20 tyres. Getting into the Everest is easy – its passive entry and start system means you can unlock the vehicle and start the engine without removing the key fob from your pocket or bag.

Other features making things easier on the driver include a park assist system that uses ultrasonic sensors to identify parking spaces big enough to parallel park the vehicle. Additional standard appointments include adaptive cruise control with forward collision alert, a lane keeping aid and lane departure warning, a blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, plus a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Safety items include electronic stability control, traction control, trailer sway control, hill start assist, hill descent control and a body roll mitigation system. The Everest is huge – it is 4 892 mm long, 1 860 mm wide and 1837 mm high. Thus, it is not surprising to find it is a proper seven-seater, able to house that many adults in comfort.

Items designed to keep them happy include airbags for all occupants, air-conditioning with separate controls front and rear, leather covered seats and a multitude of stowing compartments.

Now, to the stuff we know nothing about. Ford says their pioneering SYNC 3 technology offers exceptional connectivity and multimedia options, along with intuitive voice control. Thus, the Everest boasts a navigation system, linked to an integrated eight-inch touchscreen colour display, with two USB ports and Bluetooth connectivity.

The system can be operated via multi-touch gestures, such as swipe, slide, scroll and pinch-to zoom, plus voice recognition that uses voice commands. Smartphone integration is provided through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, whereby one can access Siri, make calls, return missed calls and listen to voice mail, as well as send, read and reply to text messages.

Furthermore, say Ford, similar functionality is provided with Android Auto, with the Google platform used to interact with the phone, and access apps such as Google Maps. OK, so now you know, and hopefully understand better than we could. Other standard equipment includes a radio and CD player with MP3, 10 speakers and voice control.

We drove the Everest to the Phakisa Raceway and back to Alberton, which involved little more than setting it on cruise control with the speed limiter on 130km/h, sitting back and watching the scenery pass. This is as close to autonomous vehicle travel as one can get. In the process, we managed to maintain an average fuel consumption figure of 8.7l/100 km – not bad for a vehicle of that size.

In all, the Everest is a massive mode of transport, equipped with everything that can click, bang or call Donald Trump direct. If that is what you need, you should reflect on its price, which at R776 500 is higher than those of rivals like the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, the Toyota Fortuner and the Isuzu MU-X.

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