Ford Everest
Published by The team in News the
18/02/2022 at 05:00
It is not officially imported into France and yet, some privileged people make it their company vehicle: the Ford Everest is indeed in the service of the French army. Yet I was able to do 2000 terminals at the wheel while escaping the chores of potatoes, waking up to the bugle, the bed in the square and the b*te in shoe polish. Too strong, yet another automotive blog exclusive!
We're not going to disrespect them (let's not forget that humanity is divided into two parts: those who have a loaded gun and those who dig - those to whom this allusion would touch one without moving the other go refresh your memory with a good little viewing of The good, the bad and the ugly ).
And suddenly, they have loaded guns: it is our brave soldiers who, however, pathetically distinguished themselves during a pathetic session of drifting in a gloomy refugee camp near Calais. If you haven't seen it, a video is online: piloted by a decidedly uninspired Patimbert, the Ford Everest ended up tanked after a few maneuvers of dubious sensuality and what is certain is that the next Ken Block does not officiate under the tricolor flags. And what is certain, too, is that the Ford Everest deserves better: I know it, I have done 2000 terminals behind the wheel.
A detail before going further: our soldiers drive an Arquus VT4, which is in fact only a civilian Ford Everest produced in Thailand, before finding themselves transformed by Arquus (an offshoot of what was formerly Renault Truck Défense, which then absorbed Panhard Défense and ACMAT) in the suburbs of Saint-Nazaire. Expect to come across them regularly: 4380 “Everest” VT4s should be patrolling our territory. Take care of yourself ! Rest…
hakuna matata
I left the rangers and the regulation uniform in the closet. In front of me, the yellow grasses of the savannah contrast with the red of the African soil. I turn the Terrain Management System dial to Sand . No, I am not embedded in Barkhane, but simply on vacation in one of the other countries where Everest is produced: South Africa. Everest is indeed as widespread as it is popular in many countries: Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, Southern Africa and some West African countries such as Senegal.
The scorching sun irradiates the horizon. Not far away, herds of antelope are wondering if they should dare to cross in front of my proud grille (answer: yes, Everest has a pedestrian recognition and emergency braking system). Modern? Yes, by the way, with a finger full of confidence, I press the voice recognition button and, modestly mimicking the great Hubert Auriol who told us about his African adventures based on "TDSPP" (straight on the track main), I launch an authoritative “Qhubeka! which, in Zulu, means “straight ahead” and which allows me to continue exploring the savannah.
Because, yes, the Everest has a voice recognition system that works in ten languages and even in Zulu, it's the latest chic. Obviously, for the harmony to work between you and him, you will have to master the three Zulu consonants that “click” with the tongue (the q, the x, the c), but after that, you will have a monkey side scholar, you will be invited to many dinners and you can eat for free. The investment is worth it.
Besides, let those who consider Everest as a rustic machine dedicated to the Third World swallow their hats. In fact, it is very modern: the ergonomics are well studied, the clear and legible instrumentation identical to that of the Ranger and above all, the Everest has Ford's Sync3 infotainment. We therefore like its Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, and also the fact that it can have the 4×4 TracksforAfrica app (with maps in 20 countries), perfect for finding the little lodge lost in the depths of the savannah, from where you can use the parking assistant to better watch hippos bathing at sunset. Similarly, to get there and better withstand the hours of driving through wide open spaces, we appreciate the adaptive cruise control with emergency braking,
From an industrial point of view: we shorten the wheelbase a little, we stick on a station wagon cell and roll my chicken. At Ford, the wheelbase of the Ranger (3220 mm) is reduced to 2850, suddenly, without the large dumpster, the length is shorter (sic) and is more practical for urban use (5.35 m for the Ranger, 4.89 m for Everest, which does not prevent it from offering 7 places). At 1.83 m high and 1.86 m wide, the rest of the dimensions are logically identical. Small difference however: the Ranger can tow 3500 kilos, but Everest will be limited to 3100, which is already not bad…
Same thing under the hood: in South Africa, the pair can receive a multitude of Diesel:
- The 2.0 l single turbo (180 hp, 420 Nm, 7.1 l/100 of standardized consumption)
- The 2.0 l twin turbo (213 hp, 500 Nm, 7.6 l/100), our test version
- The 2.2 l single turbo (160 hp, 385 Nm, 7.3 l/100)
- And the melodious 5-cylinder 3.2 turbo-diesel (200 hp, 470 Nm, 8.2 l/100).
It should be noted that the 2.0, more modern and cleaner (they are Euro6d), automatically receive the new 10-speed automatic gearbox and that the 2.0 and 2.2 l single turbo versions exist in 2WD. Finally, note that the 2.0 biturbo at BVA 10 is also found in France, on the Ranger. There, you have become unbeatable on the Ford Everest, congratulations!
A last word on the engine: with their Arquus VT4, the Everest of our pandores has the "old" 2.2 Diesel engine of 160 hp: we will thus note that the State allows itself emission levels that it prohibits to its own citizens, with a lot of Crit'Air vignettes and ZFE...
Well, to roll, how is it?
We quickly forget the "utility" roots of the machine because the 2.0 Diesel bi-turbo has the merit of not being too present, once it is at temperature and even more at stabilized speed. And then inside, between the leather seats, the up-to-date infotainment, the cutting-edge technology and the automatic gearbox, we are pampered! The 10 speeds shift smoothly, to the point that you quickly forget to count them, leaving the electronic management to optimize resources and especially the 500 Nm of the engine. If the gearbox is soft, it can however be a little abrupt when going up a gear then, when the horizon clears, and a herd of elephants has just passed, and you then press a little more on the accelerator and, in this case, the gearbox can anticipate this power demand and drop down one or two gears again. But overall, everything is calibrated to work best with a cast ride. On the large South African spaces, we hold a small 130 meter (the national ones are limited to 120, at less than 2000 rpm, in silence). And when exiting the toll, the 213 horsepower can take its 2387 kilos to 100 km/h in less than 10 seconds (9.7, in real life), which puts it on the "dynamic" side of the force, the famous 10-second bar separating lagging vehicles from advancing ones. As for top speed, it is electronically limited to 180 km/h; I heard that the Arquus AT4 were electronically limited to 135 km/h. Boo… less than 2000 rpm, in silence). And when exiting the toll, the 213 horsepower can take its 2387 kilos to 100 km/h in less than 10 seconds (9.7, in real life), which puts it on the "dynamic" side of the force, the famous 10-second bar separating lagging vehicles from advancing ones. As for top speed, it is electronically limited to 180 km/h; I heard that the Arquus AT4 were electronically limited to 135 km/h. Boo… less than 2000 rpm, in silence). And when exiting the toll, the 213 horsepower can take its 2387 kilos to 100 km/h in less than 10 seconds (9.7, in real life), which puts it on the "dynamic" side of the force, the famous 10-second bar separating lagging vehicles from advancing ones. As for top speed, it is electronically limited to 180 km/h; I heard that the Arquus AT4 were electronically limited to 135 km/h. Boo… I heard that the Arquus AT4 were electronically limited to 135 km/h. Boo… I heard that the Arquus AT4 were electronically limited to 135 km/h. Boo…
Despite the excellent seats, we can find the comfort a bit firm on small urban irregularities despite the independent suspension, before, again, doing his Daktari by setting off to explore the savannah and discovering an excellent damping capacity, as sturdy as progressive, which allows you to fly over the gravel and the bleeding on the big dirt tracks. There, it absorbs really well, without flinching, to the point that you put the gas back on, at the risk of having to cut in half a giraffe that is a little too adventurous. In short, easy on a daily basis with its gentle steering and its BVA10 which is just as easy, spacious, quiet on the road, endowed with great resources with its 500 Nm, the Everest is also very capable off-road. If necessary, there is a differential lock as standard.
And yet, we don't have it in France. Despite a real consumption of 10 l/100 (against the 7.6 officially promised), our assassin malus would be happy to assassinate it with its 201 grams of CO 2 . However, with a starting price of 558,600 Rand (roughly: €32,600 at entry level) and 883,500 Rand in our fully equipped top-of-the-range version (roughly: €51,570), it would be competitive. What do you think: Everest, the SUV to which we are not entitled, but which promises to land the Moon?