Ford has just unveiled their latest SUV, called the Everest, which is not going to be available in North America. The Ford Everest, unlike the Explorer, is a body-on-frame design and is based on a stretched chassis of the Ford Ranger pickup truck, which is also not available in North America.
The Ford Everest is meant to be taken off-road while still having civilized manners on paved roads. The Everest comes with Ford’s Terrain Management System, active transfer case with Torque on Demand, and of course AWD. The SUV will also be offered in RWD models in some markets. The Everest comes with 9” of ground clearance and can wade through over 30” of water, and comes with 29 degree approach and 25 degree departure angles.
Powering the Ford Everest are two diesel engines and a gasoline engine. The diesel engines include a 3.2 liter 5-cylinder Duratorq engine and a 2.2 liter 4-cylinder Duratorq TDCi engine. The gasoline engine is a turbocharged 2.0 liter EcoBoost; Ford didn’t provide output figures on any of the engines.
Stylistically, the Everest looks a lot like the new Dodge Durango at the front and does remind me of a Toyota SUV (non-North American model) from the sides. The Everest isn’t a bad looking vehicle and kind of looks like everything else on the road these days.
The interior is pretty clean looking with a simple layout. The center stack consists of some buttons and knobs for the climate and entertainment system and there is a large touchscreen at the top. I’m not sure if these vehicles will be offered with MyFord Touch syste.
The 2015 Ford Everest will go on sale in Asia and Australia in 2015 and at a later date in Africa.
