Sime Darby Auto
Connexion has introduced the facelifted Ford Everest in Malaysia, with two
variants being available to the public. The first is the 2.0L Trend AWD 10AT,
which is priced from RM 228,888 on-the-road without insurance, while
range-topper is the 2.0L Bi-turbo Titanium AWD 10AT that goes for RM 258,888.
One of the big
changes here is the adoption of the newer Panther family of turbodiesel engines
in place of the previous Puma line-up that consists of 2.2 and 3.2 litre
five-cylinder Duratorq mills. On both variants, they are 2.0 litre powerplants
but with differing outputs.
For the Trend
variant, the engine comes with a single turbocharger for 180 PS and 420 Nm of
torque, which is a step up from the 2.2 litre Duratorq’s 160 PS and 385 Nm.
Meanwhile, the bi-turbo setup in the Titanium means it has 213 PS and 500 Nm at
its disposal, an improvement from the 3.2 litre Duratorq that only has 200 PS
and 470 Nm.
Regardless of
engine choice, a Getrag 10R80 10-speed automatic is the only transmission
choice and it replaces the 6R80 six-speed unit found on the outgoing model.
Ford’s Terrain Management System (TMS) and electronic locking rear differential
are also now present on both variants, with the former providing drivers with
four different modes (Road, Sand, Snow and Rock) to select from via a dial
located next to the gear lever.
As the variant
names suggest, four-wheel drive comes as standard, along with other off-road
related items like hill descent control and hill launch assist. Other features
include a water wading depth of up to 800 mm, ground clearance of 225 mm,
30-degree approach angle, 25-degree departure angle and ramp breakover angle of
21.5 degrees.
In terms of
equipment, the Trend comes with 18-inch alloy wheels (with 265/60 profile
tyres), automatic xenon headlamps with LED DRLs, LED taillights, front and rear
fog lamps, automatic wipers, rain-sensing wipers and a hands-free powered
tailgate. Visual updates that are part of the facelift include a larger,
three-slat grille in place of the previous two-slat design.
On the inside,
you’ll find a dual-zone climate control system, rear air-con vents with blower
speed control, dual four-inch TFT instrument cluster displays, keyless entry
and start, leather upholstery, leather-trimmed steering wheel, gear knob and
door trim, 10-speaker audio system, SYNC 3 with support for Android Auto and
Apple CarPlay, plus an eight-inch touchscreen.
The Titanium
naturally has a higher specification sheet, starting with 20-inch alloys (with
265/50 tyres), chrome door handles and side mirrors (with puddle lamps), as
well as a panoramic sunroof. It also comes with a 230 V/150 W AC power outlet,
ambient lighting and one-touch up/down for all power windows.
Additionally, you’ll
get eight-way powered front seats and a power-folding third row bench, which
are an upgrade from the Trend’s four-way manually adjusted front seats and
third row. However, the safety kit on both variants are almost identical, with
seven airbags (dual front, side, curtain and driver’s knee), ESC with traction
control, roll stability control and ABS with EBD.
The only difference
between the two is the Titanium comes with front and rear parking sensors (rear
only for the Trend) along with Ford’s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with
cross-traffic alert. Unlike the Everest sold in Thailand, we do miss out
autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and vehicle detection,
adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane keeping system (LKS). All variants of the
new Everest are given a five-star safety rating by ASEAN NCAP.
Once again, the
2.0L Trend AWD 10AT goes for RM 228,888 and the 2.0L Bi-turbo Titanium AWD 10AT
retails at RM 258,888. Two colours – Meteor Grey and Shadow Black – are offered
for the base variant, while the Titanium has Diffused Silver and Sunset on its
palette. Each purchase includes a three-year/100,000 km manufacturer’s
warranty.
