Ford’s Everest is a proper 4x4
The handling’s considerably sharper than the old spongy-feeling Everest. It won’t carve through curves like a Porsche Macan, but for a 2.5-ton vehicle with a solid rear axle and 225mm ground clearance this big Ford corners with acceptable precision.
Body roll isn’t too extreme, and it’s kept in check by watts-link rear suspension, and a stability program that includes curve control and roll-stability control.
In any case, mountain-pass heroics aren’t the Everest’s primary purpose. It’s about being capable on rough surfaces and here it does the job very capably.
The easy offroad course on the launch was barely enough to register on the Everest’s ability scale, but some steep descents did demonstrate the good braking ability of that high-compression diesel engine, allowing safe descents without needing to touch the brakes. With an electronically-controlled hill descent control system on top of this, the Everest is unlikely to ever end up in a dangerous runawaydownhill situation.
The generous 225mm ride height proved its worth in protecting the belly from boulders, and a fourmode terrain management system offers settings for various types of slippery turf including mud, sand and rocks.
Together with a low-range transfer case and a rear diff lock, an 800mm wading depth, and useful approach and departure angles of 29 degrees and 25 degrees respectively, the Everest is a proper 4x4.
At sea level the big diesel engine delivered an easy-cruising nature and little trace of turbo lag, with an alert-feeling auto transmission that adapts to your driving style.
The Everest hums along with relatively good refinement, assisted by active noise cancellation that plays “white noise” through the speakers to reduce unwanted mechanical sounds.
Service intervals are every 20 000km and the new Everests are sold with four-year/120 000km warranties and five-year/100 000km service plans.