Before you open your wallet
What does the book say?
Fuel Diesel Engine 2,198 ℓ Cylinders 4 Power 115 kW @ 3 700 r.p.m. Torque 382 Nm @ 1 500-2 500 r.p.m. Gearbox 6-speed (manual) Drive chain Rear wheel, or fourwheel with diff lock on the rear wheels, and trailer sway control. 2 268 kg 2 900 kg 5 900 kg Tare GVM GCM Carrying capacity 750 kg Wading depth Not available. Towing ability for an overrunbraked towed item Ford allows up to 3 000 kg. Dimensions 4 892 mm (l); 1 860 mm (w); 1 837 mm (h) Wheelbase 2 850 mm Track width Not available. Ground clearance 225 mm Fuel tank 80 ℓ Price (new) R537 900 Price (secondhand) From R469 949 for a 2017 model with 6 000 km on the clock.
Fast facts
The tow bar The tow bar is optional and removable. It costs R4 000, but doesn’t include the ball. It’s certified for a tow weight of 3 t and a nose weight of 300 kg. Suspension Independent coil springs in front as well as rear coil springs with Watt links. The Everest has a soft suspension and the tail dropped by about 3 cm with the 140 kg nose weight of the Xplorer on the ball.
What does the scale say?
2 600 kg with a full tank of fuel, a driver behind the wheel, and the caravan’s nose on the tow bar. The combination was
3 900 kg, which is a good 2 t below the allowed GVM. Interior There’s an upright hand-size space above the driver’s head (for a six-foot person), and the same for the two occupants on the back seats next to the doors. You’re also spoilt with all the leg room – two flat hands – but the person in the middle only has two fingers above his or her head. Speed The odometer’s 100 km/h is 5 km/h faster than the GPS’s reading. Fuel consumption You can trust the Everest’s computer, because its calculations correlates with ours. Its 12,8 ℓ/100 km (7,8 km/ℓ) is very close to the measured 13 ℓ/100 km (7,7 km/ℓ). Finishes Predominantly dark grey and black, and the dashboard gives the impression of solid, durable plastic. Extras Besides the tow bar, amongst other things metallic paint at R1 200, front mud guards at R270, and an airbag at the driver’s knees at R1 250. Other models XLS 2.2 R459 900; XLS 2.2 automatic R477 900; XLT 2.2 R489 900; XLT 2.2 automatic R509 900; XLT 3.2 automatic R569 900; XLT 3.2 4x4 automatic R639 900; Limited 3.2 4x4 automatic R699 900 go! Drive & Camp says Besides all the space in the Everest, the boot is a bonus. It’s one of the biggest we’ve ever seen in a utility vehicle. (That’s if you don’t use the two seats in the back.)