Driving amazed in one freak of an SUV

RUGGED LOOK Curves at just the right angles to exude that stable, roomy ambiance.

Photos by Tessa R. Salazar

The Japanese can dominate the sedan and its subsegments anytime in this country. But when it comes to the true-blue sport utility vehicles (SUVs), hands-down, thumbs up, and hats off to them Americans. They sure know how to make their four-wheeled brutes achingly beautiful to look at, and as soft as pillows to ride in.

And now frighteningly powerful yet fuel efficient.

We are talking about, in particular, the beast maker that comes in the Blue Oval emblem. Ford, the symbol of American vehicle craftsmanship, has been considered the first truly mainstream carmaker to take a serious look at the SUV market when, according to auto expert Giles Chapman, it entered this category in 1965 after earmarking the category as one that had huge growth potential.

Revolutionized

Fifty years since, Ford has revolutionized the very definition of the SUV. The “sport” aspect has been “married” with the everyday usability by the family—hence the rugged design has been retained somewhat, but the ride comfort plus the seating capacities have been enhanced to be able to accommodate up to seven warm bodies.

As far as performance is concerned, the over-the-top power needed for the off-roads has found an unlikely pair with fuel efficiency and economy, the type that rivals that of many small-engine sedans. Now that’s freaky.

This is the new Ford Everest that has been making us scratch our heads in disbelief. And for the entire week that an entry-level Everest, the Ambiente automatic transmission variant, was in our possession, this SUV, inside and out, never ceased to amaze us.

For starters, we chose the Ambiente variant for its use of nonleather seats and urethane steering wheel and gear shifter. Aside from the fact that fabric seats are always welcome, to dissipate the heat after being exposed for prolonged periods under the tropical sun (unlike leather which traps in heat), using no leather lessens the need to slaughter livestock for their skins.

Ford Philippines, led by its Asia-Pacific design and product development teams, recently told local motoring media that the all-new Everest was designed from the ground up, building on its durable and versatile reputation.

AIRCON vents aplenty

Using Ford’s global SUV expertise, the new Everest boasts of “new levels of rugged capability and comfort, perfectly combining strength, smart features and style to bring consumers a refined and technologically savvy SUV for city driving or the confidence to take on the toughest terrains.”

You’d think, with all that power emanating from under the hood and the size of the body, that the new Everest was sporting a gas-guzzling V6 or V8 gasoline engine.

But the big surprise comes with the impressively compact 2.2-liter Duratorq four-cylinder TDCi diesel engine, churning out 160 horsepower and 385 Newton-meters of torque. On highway runs, this author was able to get a fuel mileage between 16 and 19 kilometers per liter. Is that freaky, or what?

STOVE-TYPE SWITCHES Entertainment system is user-friendly.

Here are our other observations of the new Ford Everest Ambiente variant:

1. The steering must be the lightest we have handled, ever. Minimal effort is exerted to turn this midsize SUV.

2. Despite its size, the Everest handles like a compact SUV: very easy to maneuver, and the power response is immediate and adequate.

3. The suspension is remarkable. NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) is almost nonexistent.

4. The Ford Everest Ambiente could already use a backing sensor and camera as standard. It could also use the automatic power-folding side mirrors. These features, apparently, are present in the higher-level Everest variants.

5. The numerous ceiling vents for the air-conditioner adds cooling comfort, wherever the passenger may be seated. Also, rear passengers now have control of the blowers with the addition of the rear blower switch.

6. The Ambiente’s dashboard and audio entertainment controls and monitors are laid out in a no-nonsense manner. The driver can just sit and go.

7. The Everest exterior styling is clean, uncomplicated, and curves at just the right angles to exude that stable, roomy ambiance. From any angle, the Ford Everest looks solidly built.

Overall, we rate the exterior design of the Ford Everest Ambiente a 9 of 10 (for that distinctive, solid-looking, modernized Ford Everest look), the interior also gets a 9 of 10 (for the nonleather seats, no-nonsense cockpit design and placement of instrumentations and crucial info, and passenger-friendly climate controls), and the SUV performance a 9 of 10 (for the almost nonexistent NVH, light-as-feather steering, and the engine combination of power and fuel frugality).

RELAXED MANEUVERABILITY The steering is probably the lightest among locally available SUVs.

The all-The new Everest comes in five variants with the following price points: 2.2-L 4×2 Ambiente MT (P1.339 million), 2.2-L 4×2 Ambiente AT (P1.399 million), 2.2-L 4×2 Trend AT (P1.539 million),

2.2-L 4×2 Titanium AT (P1.639 million), and the top-of-the-line 3.2-L 4×4 Titanium AT (P1.899 million).

The driving experience with the new Ford Everest is made complete only when you buy from, and get your SUV serviced by, a Ford dealership you—or a longtime Ford user—trust. TVJ