A long-distance camping trip down Tasmania’s east coast provides fresh insights into Ford’s new-generation Everest 4x4 off-road SUV
- How much does the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 cost?
- What equipment comes with the Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
- How safe is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
- What technology does the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 feature?
- What powers the Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
- How fuel efficient is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
- What is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 like to drive?
- How good is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 off-road?
- What is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 like inside?
- Should I buy a Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
Loading up the 2023 Ford Everest Trend and setting off on a 2000km tour down Tasmania’s east coast has provided fresh insights into the Blue Oval brand’s second-generation, Australian-developed large 4×4 SUV. We’ve kept the third row in the floor and headed for beachside locations, testing the long-distance touring capabilities of the new Everest, its performance on dirt roads and off-road tracks, and its practicalities for camping.
How much does the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 cost?
Already into its first series update (MY23.5) and with slightly higher pricing since launch only six months ago, the 2023 Ford Everest Trend 4×4 is nestled in among the seven variants that make up the reshuffled range.
The Trend 4×4 is currently priced from $65,590 plus on-road costs and is only available with the 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, which is no bad thing – even though this former flagship powertrain has been cast into the shadows by the new 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel.
You can forego the 4×4 driveline in the Trend for RWD only, saving $5000 but losing the full-time four-wheel drive system and related items like Mud/Ruts and Sand selectable drive modes, off-road screen display, hill descent control, a locking rear diff, low-range transfer case and steel underbody protection.
With MY23.5, Ford Australia has created a RWD Bi-Turbo variant for the higher-spec Sport, which starts at $62,790 plus ORCs, however there’s no 2.0-litre 4WD option here, only a shift into the 4×4-only 3.0 V6 in both Sport and Platinum (from $69,590 and $77,530 respectively, which is really getting exxy once you factor in on-road costs, major options and accessories).
At the other end of the scale, the more affordable five-seat Ambiente has the same Bi-Turbo RWD/4WD combo as the Trend, from $53,290 plus ORCs (again, with 4WD adding $5K).
What equipment comes with the Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
The standard-issue 2023 Ford Everest Trend 4×4 is nicely positioned, if you ask me, saving plenty of cash if you’re prepared to live without the excellent, but still to be proven new V6 application, and extra bling and other niceties reserved for Sport and Platinum.
Here’s a taste of what you do get with Trend: 18-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, a power tailgate, auto-folding heated exterior mirrors, puddle lamps and, just as you’ll find on the lower-spec Ambiente, the head-turning C-clamp LED daytime running lamps, LED headlights, front fog lights, LED tail-lights, side steps, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, a couple of front tow hooks and an alarm.
And, boy, what an alarm it proved to be on our Tassie holiday, creating havoc on several occasions by sounding off unexpectedly and sapping our confidence whenever leaving the vehicle unattended.
If it was simply a response from the cabin’s motion sensors to all the camping gear we had piled up inside the Everest when in transit, then okay, I’ll admit to some sloppy packing.
But the sensitivity of the sensors raises questions, as even after we’d emptied the SUV of most items at our campsite, the alarm still triggered a couple of times. God only knows how many times it let rip when we were out of earshot…
I soon found that turning the interior motion sensors off in the alarm sub-menu via the vehicle settings page in the central touch-screen display system would keep the vehicle quiet. And, of course, this was a process that needed repeating every time we wanted to bank on the sounds of silence.
You don’t get a bull bar fitted standard on the Everest, but if you live anywhere in Tasmania, or like me, live in a rural location on the mainland, it would be high on our list of priorities. We had plenty of close encounters with the prolific local wildlife on tour, especially cute little wallabies that graze on the side of shoulder-less 110km/h highways.
Inside the seven-seater cabin of the Trend there’s leather-accented upholstery, an eight-way powered driver’s seat, leather-clad steering wheel, electronic park brake, an extra floor mat (for the front passenger) and a second upper glove box (rather than an open shelf).
This builds on the spec from a rung below that also includes keyless entry/start, dual-zone climate control, auto-dipping rear-view mirror and four-way manual-adjust seats for the front passenger.
Our Everest was fitted with a variety of options including prestige paint ($700), all-terrain tyres ($500) and a Premium Seat Pack ($900) that adds heating and ventilation for both front seats, plus 10-way power adjustment for the driver (with three-position memory) and eight-way power adjustment for the front passenger. That includes electric lumbar on both counts.
It also came with the Touring Pack ($2300) which includes zone lighting, black stand-off roof rails, 360-degree camera and items from the Towing Pack (which is otherwise $1700): tow bar, integrated trailer brake controller and trailer coverage for the blind spot monitoring system.
How safe is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
There might have been some hiccups along the way, but our long stint in the 2023 Ford Everest Trend 4×4 also left me feeling delighted at how well the Australian engineering team has managed to create a deeply reassuring assistive driving environment with the active safety systems.
More like a parent’s guiding hand than a schoolteacher’s cane, the lane guidance systems allow a generous and realistic range of movement before providing just the right amount of feedback and response through the steering to keep the vehicle on its intended course.
I’ll readily admit the driver attention alert came in handy, while other standard systems such as blind spot monitoring, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights and auto high beam perform as you’d expect, which is notable because the opposite is often true with some rival brands.
What’s more, the traffic sign recognition system is world-class, the best I’ve encountered yet, with incredibly accurate readings of changing speed limits – not only with typical roadside posts and overhead gantries but in school zones and even roadworks, where the Everest’s camera will pick up low-mounted, bent and mud-splattered temporary signs and relay them to the instrument panel.
That’s not to say you’ll never turn the lane assist systems off (which is done easily via the steering wheel switchgear) when wanting uninterrupted control of the steering, but it does the intended job on wearying long-haul drives and in heavy traffic on multi-lane arterial roads where high concentration levels are needed.
The active cruise control system will also respond to road signs and adjust the speed accordingly, not just respond to traffic ahead like many other ACCs.
The reversing camera projects a beautifully clear image onto the centre touch-screen, and some of the goodies in the optional Touring Pack – namely the 360-degree camera and zone lighting – were particularly welcome when manoeuvring in tight off-road situations (and car parks) and at the campsite at night.
The Everest has a five-star ANCAP safety rating and also comes fitted with nine airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pre-collision assist and intersection assist, post-impact braking, front and rear parking sensors and a swathe of other advanced and more familiar electronic aids.
One glaring omission is tyre pressure monitoring, which is only found on the top-spec Platinum.
What technology does the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 feature?
As a close relation of the Ranger ute, the 2023 Ford Everest stands as a modern-era packhorse that’s brimming with cutting-edge tech but is still required to fulfil its role as a harder-core 4×4 off-roader.
Beyond the safety and some useful towing-related tech that features across the range (most of it standard), the Everest Trend on test here is particularly appealing as the most affordable model with the headline 12.0-inch centre touch-screen.
It’s copped some flak from colleagues for not being angled toward the driver, but the large portrait-mounted display is still relatively user-friendly and presents a vast array of information as required.
Those with only basic needs such as me are amply catered for with the native sat-nav and smartphone mirroring in play, supported by lower tabs that shortcut to favourite radio stations etc and sub-menus you’ve previously accessed – such as the owner’s manual (that dreaded alarm…)
Lower climate controls on the screen are superfluous given hard buttons and nice, tactile rotary dials are provided further down as well – not just for the air-con but quick-access volume and power on/off functions too.
The driver is presented with a highly appealing 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, which sets another benchmark in class with its clever use of colour, sharp graphics, large digital readouts and simple adjustment via the steering wheel switchgear.
The vertical tacho is naff, but the only item that really failed to impress was the digital fuel gauge, which has giant increments that make it difficult to accurately assess what’s left in the tank and forces you to keep a watchful eye on the smaller distance-to-empty (DTE) display.
While we’re on that subject, let’s relate a few other negative issues we encountered with the Everest on the tech/electronics front.
There were several times, at different locations, when a large warning sign on the centre screen proclaimed “Fuel Stations Unreachable” and urged us to “find a station or risk running out of fuel” – an ultimatum that was misguided, with the DTE showing 310km (for example) and us knowing we could find a servo in about 20km if required.
When on the road, my iPhone occasionally stopped recharging – both via the wireless charging pad and with a cord away from the pad – because, according to Apple, it was overheating (something I’ve not seen before or since).
When camping, the electric tailgate failed to operate on a few occasions.
An undesirable trait we could also never escape at a campsite was the loud electric clicking and clunking that goes on in the engine bay for several minutes after unlocking or simply opening a door, turning on accessory mode via the push-button start, and so on.
That’s more an issue of refinement than functionality, but it’s intrusive and simply raised more questions given our heightened sensitivity over the super-sensitive alarm system.
Other tech on Everest includes an eight-speaker stereo, digital radio, live traffic updates, full wireless connectivity for Apple and Android smartphones, Bluetooth with phone/audio streaming, an embedded modem and access to a host of connected services via the FordPass Connect app.
What powers the Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
The 2023 Ford Everest Trend 4×4 is available only with an upgraded version of the ‘Panther’ 2.0-litre biturbo four-cylinder diesel engine, leaving the new ‘Lion’ 3.0-litre V6 oil-burner to higher-series Sport and Platinum 4WD models.
As smooth and quiet as ever, the upgraded small-displacement twin-turbo produces 154kW at 3750rpm and a muscular 500Nm from 1750-200rpm, combining with a 10-speed automatic transmission that shifts almost imperceptibly through the ratios.
With camping gear loaded in (well under the 715kg payload), the Everest Trend 4×4 – which tips the scales at a hefty 2385kg – managed our east-coast Tassie run with ease, never struggling on uphill climbs and making light work of all situations we encountered.
The new V6 is great, but in these trailer-free conditions, largely on country roads, the Everest Bi-Turbo continually impressed with its refinement, responsiveness and economy.
How fuel efficient is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
Our 2000km tour across eastern Victoria and down the east coast of Tasmania and back was primarily an open-road affair, save for some congestion in Melbourne and Hobart and slow going on bush tracks in national parks.
At the end of the trip, the display on the 2023 Everest Trend 4×4 was showing 8.2L/100km across an average of 56km/h and 40 hours in the saddle, which is pretty damn good considering the size and weight of the vehicle.
Ford’s official claim is 7.2L/100km, but this is wholly unrealistic, and even our low-8s was really only achievable by sticking the driving mode into ‘holiday’ (in my mind) and taking it easy among such beautiful scenery and highways often clogged with slower vehicles.
Consumption readily pushed higher in hillier terrain. Our 320km run from Devonport to the Bay of Fires near St Helens, for example, returned 9.5L/100km, thanks to the winding Weldborough Pass.
Overall, the trip brought only occasional refuelling stops to replenish the Everest’s 80-litre tank, which even at 10L/100km brings an 800km range.
We also had to keep tabs on its AdBlue consumption, which is a fluid designed to reduce emissions and needs topping up at intervals. Warning messages are displayed as you draw closer to empty.
What is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 like to drive?
You forge lasting impressions when you’re racking up the miles, spending loads of time behind the wheel and, well, living out the car for days on end.
And with the 2023 Ford Everest Trend 4×4, most of these impressions are favourable.
Above all else, the Everest Trend proved to be an extremely comfortable and refined wagon, keeping road and wind noise at bay at higher speeds and gliding over the long, awful stretch of lumpy, broken, patchwork bitumen they call the Tasman Highway (A3).
Running on the optional Goodyear all-terrain tyres, the Everest soaked up every blemish it encountered on the underfunded A3, never allowing shock to enter the cabin or becoming unsettled.
Diverting onto forestry roads with loose gravel, heavy corrugations and clusters of potholes at the base of every hill, the Everest feels right at home.
The ride remains supple, refinement high and the body composed, not forgetting this is a 2.4-tonne, 1.85m-tall vehicle that we were treating with some care with a cargo area chock-full of camping gear.
The electric steering is direct, the front and rear disc brakes sufficient in these conditions and the LED headlight performance strong, showing up vast numbers of critters on the sides of Tassie roads at night.
The air-conditioning also didn’t skip a beat when running for extended periods on hot days, and the dust sealing was excellent too.
How good is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 off-road?
The ability of the 2023 Ford Everest Trend 4×4 to reach destinations that road-oriented SUVs and other cars might find difficult is a big drawcard with the ladder-chassis large SUV, as sampled on our Tassie tour.
The campsites turned out to be easily accessible for the Everest, albeit with some soft sand and rutted tracks to negotiate at times, so its suspension travel and 229mm clearance (unladen) was never brought into question.
We’d stick with the optional A/T tyres fitted to our test car, given their versatility, and the electronic traction controls (including Mud/Ruts and Sand driving modes) were effective when occasionally deployed.
There was no call for engaging low-range or even hill descent control, but we can see how owners heading into tougher territory would consider a suspension lift to avoid contact with the underbody or side steps, improving the angles out the factory: 30.4-degree approach, 25.3-degree departure and 22.2-degree breakover (all unladen).
What is the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 like inside?
Our comments here are based on setting up the 2023 Ford Everest Trend 4×4 for a trailer-free camping trip with two adults, so let’s start from the rear-end.
There’s a decent amount of space with the (50/50-split) third row folded and the (60/40) second-row seats left upright but moved forward as far as possible on the sliding rails.
That provides about 900 litres of cargo volume, according to Ford, but in practical terms the relatively high floor height limits the available room and, worst of all, it doesn’t leave a flat floor.
This was a constant source of irritation as our camping gear would often move around in transit as a result of the sloping floor, threatening to scratch the plastic trim or bang into the tailgate. We had to pack carefully, repack and constantly adjust, resorting to clothes and pillows to provide a buffer.
We’d suggest buyers go straight to the accessories department (whether Ford’s own or the aftermarket) for a solution, preferably a non-slip rubber mat designed so that the floor evens out.
Before we’d even loaded up, the scratches on the interior trim of our press car left by other users was an ominous sign. The floor carpet is only basic, too, readily leaving marks from heavier objects.
There’s a rubber pad preventing the right rear belt buckle from scratching the side trim when not in use, but clever protective details like this aren’t seen elsewhere.
There’s four tie-down lashing points, two 12V outlets, a little cubby hole at the left corner and a light in the cabin and on the underside of the tailgate for when it’s open. There’s no light behind the button to close the tailgate, though, making it difficult to locate at night.
Up front, the seats are very comfortable and supportive (helped by the effective electric lumbar adjustment), and while not quite form-fitting enough to cope with fast-paced mountain passes, we weren’t recording times on closed-road Targa Tasmania stages.
As well as a broad range of seat adjustability, there’s generous steering reach/rake adjustment to guarantee a good driving position for all body types. The tiller itself is nice to hold and its switchgear easily mastered, but the same can’t be said of the stubby transmission lever, which never feels natural and doesn’t invite manual gear selection.
There’s an array of USB outlets for the first and second rows, large pillar-mounted grab handles help with entry and exit, storage spots are bountiful (including a second upper glove box at Trend level), the high centre console box doubles as a comfy elbow support, drink bottles are easily contained and you’ll never open another car door the same way again after getting used to the flip lever integrated into the Everest’s arm rest.
I know Ford wants us to think this is not simply a Ranger spin-off, but the bonnet release (in the front passenger’s footwell) shows the ute, not the SUV, with the boot up.
Should I buy a Ford Everest Trend 4×4?
It would be easy to simply say, “Yeah, do it”, based on the fact the 2023 Ford Everest Trend 4×4 should be more easily obtainable than a V6 model and presents a strong case with its generous equipment list and the smooth and economical biturbo diesel.
As tested, however, our Trend 4×4 was a not-inconsiderable $69,990 plus on-road costs (or $77,416 drive-away in Victoria), and those optional creature comforts with the seating, the improved camera views and the chunky off-road tyres make it all too easy to recommend after the long-distance, national-park-hopping trip we undertook.
Before committing, I’d be doing some further number crunching, making a careful assessment of the Sport 4×4 spec and taking the V6 for a test drive. Your own requirements in terms of payload and towing, and setting up the vehicle to match your lifestyle, are also important.
Like our ferry trip across Bass Strait, the Ford Everest Trend 4×4 on tour in Tassie was calm and even soothing for the most part, but unsettling at times too.
Even so, there’s a lot to admire and the Everest is in a league of its own with its sophisticated and appealing safety and infotainment tech compared to any other three-row 4×4 off-road wagon you’d care to name at this price point.
2023 Ford Everest Trend 4×4 at a glance:
Price: $65,590 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder biturbo-diesel
Output: 154kW/500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 190/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)
Keyword: Ford Everest Trend 2023 Review