Ford Australia grants Drive a quick steer behind the wheel of the incoming V6-powered Everest four-wheel-drive wagon.
- Diesel V6 improves off-road drivability
- Impressive interior layout and technology
- Improved off-road traction control
- Low-slung underbody bash plate
- There’s already a waiting list
- Diesel V6 not available in base Trend spec
Introduction
The new 2023 Ford Everest is soon to land in Australian showrooms, and Drive has been granted early access to the next-generation four-wheel-drive wagon.
It is a new development alongside the forthcoming Ranger ute, with which it shares a platform, powertrains, technology and safety credentials.
Australians love their underbonnet braggery, and the most important thing that people want to know about this new Everest is with the engine. While the range starts with a more familiar 2.0-litre sequentially turbocharged diesel engine Ford markets as ‘BiTurbo’, there will also be a new diesel V6 employed.
Because the previous 3.2-litre, five-cylinder engine has been put to pasture, the BiTurbo motor is now the entry-level powertrain for the Everest range. Outputs for this carryover engine have been slightly tweaked by Ford, now making 154kW at 3750rpm and 500Nm at 1750–2000rpm.
Of course, the larger 3.0-litre single-turbo V6 diesel offers more in both regards: 184kW at 3250rpm and 600Nm at 1750–2250rpm. For more information on this diesel V6, you’ll be well served reading this story about the history and provenance of the Ford Lion V6.
For comparison’s sake, the diesel V6 in the outgoing Volkswagen Amarok makes 190kW at a much higher 4500rpm and 580Nm at 1400–3000rpm. Come the next generation, the Amarok will switch to Ford engines as part of a model sharing plan between the two brands.
This all means when it lands, the Ford Everest will be the most powerful and torque-laden of its ute-based four-wheel-drive wagon competitors. It will also be one of the better options for towing (on paper, at least) with its 3500kg braked towing capacity.
| Pricing | 2023 Ford Everest |
| Trend 4×2 | $60,290 plus on-road costs |
| Trend 4×4 | $65,290 plus on-road costs |
| Sport V6 | $69,090 plus on-road costs |
| Titanium V6 | $77,690 plus on-road costs |
| Rivals | Mitsubishi Pajero Sport | Isuzu D-Max | Toyota Prado |
2023 Ford Ranger – the important details
Firstly, some extra baseline information about this new Everest. Like the Ranger, it uses the next evolution of Ford’s Australian-developed and highly acclaimed T6 platform, which has underpinned Ford’s four-wheel drives since 2011 in Australia.
The base ingredients are the same: live rear axle with a Watt’s linkage, ladder chassis and independent front suspension. However, the wheel track (and corresponding bodywork) has been widened by 50mm. The wheelbase has also been bumped by 50mm, with the front differential moving forward to accommodate the new mechanical package.
Why choose a Watt’s linkage? It’s a suspension design that’s nowhere near as popular as the Panhard rod you’ll see on most of the competition, but this more complex set-up does have its advantages. Mostly, it keeps the whole rear differential housing (and therefore the wheels) more evenly centered through suspension cycling, improving handling and stability.
Ford also tells us that the amount of articulation has been improved on this new-generation Everest, perhaps thanks to the increase in wheel track rather than any big changes in geometry.
The model we were driving was the top-specification Platinum model with the off-road pack fitted. Our tester swapped the 20-inch wheels for more off-road-focussed 18s, and it picked up some additional underbody protection.
You might notice that Ford has supplied us images of a camouflaged Everest with 20-inch wheels. If you watch the video, however, you’ll see the optional 18-inch wheels that we had fitted for our test drive.
For my money, this will be a popular option among Australian four-wheel-drive enthusiasts. All of the bling and tech will be appreciated on the daily commute, but having a more pragmatic wheel diameter makes a lot more sense for semi-regular four-wheel-drive jaunts.
| 2023 Ford Everest | |
| Seats | Seven |
| Length | 4940mm |
| Width | 1923mm |
| Height | 1842mm |
| Wheelbase | 2900mm |
| Payload | 726–658kg |
Off-road Driving
The driving we did was limited to only low-speed four-wheel driving because we were hard-up for time. I would have loved the opportunity to see what the V6-powered Everest was like on some longer pulls on the blacktop, with 80–120km/h performance a particularly good barometer. However, such testing will have to wait.
What we did get to do was a short off-road drive loop in low-range. There were some tricky sections, a bit of mud, and some off-camber ruts and a steep pinch we had to climb.
The 360-degree camera system – displaying through the impressively large infotainment display – is helpful off-road as well as around town. This is especially the case when you’re straight into the frying pan in a new four-wheel-drive off-road.
Although impressions of a new powertrain, platform and chassis in low-range are naturally limited, we did get some good insight in our short time behind the wheel.
And the end result is kind of obvious. Similar to the improvements that the Volkswagen saw by going from a punchy four-cylinder diesel to a brawny V6, this Everest benefits greatly from the increase in capacity and cylinders.
The 2.0-litre BiTurbo engine does a good job of hiding the fact that it’s a relatively small engine in a relatively large vehicle, with the smaller of the two sequential turbochargers firing up early in the rev range for a solid dose of torque.
However, it’s not a match for the natural surge of torque that comes from this larger single-turbo 3.0-litre V6. It feels relaxed and composed, with ample response available through the skinny pedal when you need it.
Similarly, more torque with a larger engine puts less stress on the 10-speed gearbox to get things right. We didn’t learn a whole lot about the gearbox – which Ford co-developed with General Motors – this time around during the off-road loop.
The off-road traction-control system – revamped with more driving modes available – seems to be quite good as well. Along with some on-road modes (Normal, Eco and Tow/Haul), off-road is managed by Slippery, Mud/Ruts and Sand.
However, we’ll need more time behind the wheel to know more on this front.
We could tell that the system was tuned to quickly react to changes in wheel speed, and could direct drive to the right place. Whether it’s as slick as the best in the market (Toyota and Land Rover, in my opinion), I’ll hold my opinion until I can have more time.
One smaller anecdote that I picked up on was the low-slung nature of the bash plate underneath the Everest. When compared to one without a bash plate, it looked to eat into a fair amount of ground clearance and ramp-over angle, and we could see (and hear) it scraping over some of the obstacles we drove.
Conclusions
Ford has never been shy about targeting the top-selling Toyota LandCruiser Prado, which has been a favourite family hauler and adventure mobile in Australia for decades. And while the first-generation Everest put the segment on notice, it is yet to really drill into the market share of the Toyota in a major sense.
That might change with this new model. Offering more engine capacity, power and torque in a package that is significantly newer and more advanced, might be what is needed to convert some of those rusted-on buyers away from the status-quo option. Or at least tempt them with a test drive.
| Key details | 2023 Ford Everest BiTurbo | 2023 Ford Everest V6 |
| Engine | 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel | 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel |
| Power | 154kW @ 3750rpm | 184kW @ 3250rpm |
| Torque | 500Nm @ 1750–2000rpm | 600Nm @ 1750–2250rpm |
| Drive type | Permanent all-wheel drive, active centre differential, locking rear differential | Permanent all-wheel drive, active centre differential, locking rear differential |
| Transmission | 10-speed torque converter automatic | 10-speed torque converter automatic |
| Weight | From 2274kg | To 2492kg |
| Tow rating | 3500kg braked, 750kg unbraked | 3500kg braked, 750kg unbraked |
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