WATCH: New Ford Everest takes fight to Toyota Fortuner

The next generation Ford Everest has thrown down the gauntlet to to its biggest rival the Toyota Fortuner this week.

During its global reveal, it was clear that the Blue Oval is taking the fight to its body-on-frame SUV competitors. In South Africa, the Ford Everest has struggled against the runaway leader in this segment, the Toyota Fortuner. It does hold a firm second position though as its is comfortably ahead of the other rivals, the Isuzu M-UX and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport in the monthly sales charts.

“We showed customers the Everest at several points during the design process, and their feedback was consistent: They loved the exterior with the strong and rugged design, but they also thought it was sleek and modern,” said Max Wolff, design director for China and Ford’s International Markets Group.

“They said that the Everest would give them the confidence to go off-road; it looks like a proper SUV.”

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The new Ford Everest has undergone extensive upgrades on both the outside and inside the cabin. From the front, it resembles the new Ford Ranger which is largely based on the F-150. And on the inside, a new feature is the portrait infotainment system which will be SYNC 4 enabled.

Engine-wise the new Ford Everest will feature revised versions of the 2.0-litre single and biturbo diesel engine, while the 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 mill and 2.3-litre EcoBoost powerplant will also be available in certain markets. All the new engines will mated only to automatic transmission.

The new Everest will join the bakkie pair of the Ranger and Ranger Raptor in the Blue Oval’s new line-up in the next year. There is no indication of local availability or exact specifications of any of the new models yet.

For more information on the new Ford Everest, click here.