Get the best of both worlds
EVEREST WILDTRAK: MEANT FOR ON AND OFF-ROAD Ford’s new offering is not a nightmare at the pumps either.
Regardless of its market focus or pricing, the arrival of any vehicle for the festive season comes with its fair share of uncertainties as to how it would stack up over a month’s usage.
In the case of the Ford Everest Wildtrak, our major concern was how much diesel the 3.0-litre unit would burn through.
As the request for the stepdown 2.0-litre bi-turbo Sport didn’t materialise, the thought of the Wildtrak running away with its minder’s wallet over December had “Januaworry” alarms ringing loudly.
After all, its normal fuel consumption can be in the region of 12 litres per 100 kilometres.
Together with a 2 475 kilogram mass, permanent all-wheel-drive, seven-seats and the punch of the aptly named Lion engine, with its 184kW/600Nm, road trips to the Eastern Cape and Western Cape heralded what hinted at being a black festive season and tricky approach to the new year.
However, the pre-conceived doubts soon fizzled out.
The first Everest Wildtrak surprised, not only from a tech and practicality aspect, but also by how its oil-burning bent-six didn’t take the expected chomp out of the Christmas cake with each refuel.
Essentially the mid-tier model, between the top-spec Platinum and Sport, 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.
Besides its powerplant, the
Wildtrak also gets the bigger 12inch SYNC 4A infotainment system and the 12.4-inch instrument cluster.
A dual-pane panoramic sunroof, black roofliner, tyre pressure monitor, ambient lighting, adaptive cruise control and a drive mode selector with six settings: Slippery, Eco, Normal, Tow/ Haul, Mud and Ruts and Sand, are also part of the Wildtrak’s spec list, along with its customary orange stitchwork on the seats, dashboard, doors, steering wheel and stubby e-shifter lever.
The seats, which are finished in partial leather and feature Wildtrak-embroidered front backs, came in the for the biggest praise, as Johannesburg disappeared in the rear-view mirror.
The chairs come with electric adjustability for driver and passenger and besides being superbly comfortable, offer more than enough support, regardless of the preferred position behind the wheel.
The infotainment system is still not as easy to scroll through or fathom as the old eight-inch SYNC 3 system. However, it become easier to get hold of as the days at the coast turned into weeks.
Along with the convenience of 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 impressive, as did storage by way of the dual gloveboxes and the central storage compartment, whose lid doubles up as a front armrest.
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 themselves suitable for small children only.
Dropping the third-row seats, space increases to 898-litres, while dropping the middle as well frees up a total of 1 818-litres.
This proved invaluable, as days after arriving in Despatch, it was off to Hartenbos, which required the third and second rows to be dropped in order to transport a pair of rolled-up mattresses.
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 is designed to iron out bumps and imperfections without jolting those inside – refinement is as good, as no amount of excessive wind or road noise filtered into the cabin
What’s more, the engine is just as quiet, though with a slightly heavier-than-normal foot, it burbles into life with a throaty soundtrack and noticeably more poke as all four wheels grip and the full 184kW/600Nm is 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.
By far the biggest grip that thwarted the Wildtrak was the 20-inch alloy wheels.
Aesthetically pleasing, the road biased rubber prevented attempts at experiencing the offroad Terrain Management System in anger.
An alternative on all Everest models is the fitting of 18-inch wheels, wrapped in better profile all-terrain rubber at no additional cost.
The standout of the Everest Wildtrak was how the Lion V6 proved to be anything but a diesel guzzler.
By the completion of its stay, after 4 324km, the trip computer displayed an eventual consumption of 9.1l/100km. It fell as low as 8.3l/100km at one point – and with excessive use of the climate control, adaptive cruise control and in 2H as opposed to the 4A setting offered by the all-wheel-drive system.
While its offset of 3 112 units sold in its first full year of sales in 2023 poses little threat to the Toyota Fortuner’s 10 385 (even though Ford cites the Land Cruiser Prado as its main target), the Ford Everest remains a capable and, it has to be said, more tech filled alternative, despite its admittedly higher price tag.
In the case of the Wildtrak, though, the balance of niceties, access to the V6 and promise of off-road prowess makes for an irresistible combination that goes some to way to warrant the still pricey R1.w million asking price.