Rugged luxury—that’s how I’d describe this four-wheel drive SUV that’s capable of taking you through the roughest terrain with utmost confidence and comfort. It was the perfect vehicle for taking on the steep uphill climbs, long downhill stretches, sweeping curves and twisty roads of Bataan.
Designed to deliver best-in-class experience, the Everest is best appreciated from the driver’s seat, particularly on its top-of-the-line Titanium 3.2L 4WD. The powerful 3.2L diesel engine’s maximum power output is 200 PS at 3,000 rpm while maximum torque is 470 Nm at 1,750 to 2,500 rpm. With so much power on tap, the expressway’s speed limit seemed too slow, and even with a full load of various travel gear, the mountain roads hardly strained the engine. Although we had no occasion to use the other modes on the Terrain Management System, knowing that one could easily shift on the fly to tackle difficult terrain like mud/ruts, sand, or grass/gravel was reassuring. The Hill Descent Control button did see quite a bit of use, particularly on the 7-kilometer downhill stretch from Mount Samat. Independent, double wishbone front suspensions and leafspring rear suspensions cushioned our ride while disc brakes all around delivered safe stopping power.
Riding on 20-inch alloy wheels, the Everest had a high ground clearance of 225 mm allowing us to ride high over the occasional rough patches. We only had a bit of rain and were not able to test its 800 mm of water-wading capability, but it’s good to know that we could have managed a river crossing if it was necessary.
For this top-tier variant, Ford threw in all imaginable amenities to ensure comfort, convenience, and safety. Here’s a rundown of the extras in premium package: On the outside, auto-leveling, auto-high beam auto on-off HID projector headlights; LED daytime running lights; rain-sensing wipers; power liftgate; dual panel moonroof. Inside, the both driver and front passenger seats are 8-way power adjustable while the 3rd row is power-folding. In addition to two USB ports, there is also a 230V power inverter so you can plug in your laptop while on the road.
Security features are superior with a heads-up display warning; a driver’s knee airbag in addition to the usual driver/passenger airbags, seatside airbags and curtain airbag; tire pressure monitoring; hill descent control; terrain management system; adaptive cruise control; lane keeping system; collision mitigation; and active park assist.
There are 6 trim levels for the Ford Everest, starting with the Everest Ambiente 2.2L 4×2 MT and AT at Php 1,518,000 and Php 1,578,000, respectively; the Everest Trend 2.2L 4×2 AT at Php 1,718,000; the Everest Titanium 2.2L 4×2 AT at Php 1,918,000 and its Premium Package at Php 2,058,000; and the top-of-the-line Everest Titanium 3.2L 4×4 AT Premium Package at Php 2,288,000. Three colors—cool white, jet black, and aluminum metallic—are standard. True red is offered only for the Ambiente and Trend variants, while sunset red is exclusive to the Titanium range. Other exclusive Titanium colors are meteor grey and blue reflex.