It’s now or Everest

Ford Asean Markets president Yukontorn “Vickie” Wisadkosin, Ford Philippines managing director PK “Uma” Umashankar and Ryan Lorenzo, marketing director, Ford Philippines.

The heavy monsoon rains and bumper-to-bumper traffic last August 9 would have literally been a downer on any happy event. But in Ford Philippines’ case, these adverse conditions might have served as the ideal scenario for the launch of the new Everest mid-size SUV.

As Ford Philippines managing director PK “Uma” Umashankar stated in his first interview with Inquirer Motoring, the 4th generation of the Everest line “is more than capable of managing any type of road and weather conditions in the Philippines, be it off-road, on-road, urban and rural. And even more so in traffic gridlock. The new Ford Everest is a most refined and technologically savvy SUV inside and out.”

Ford Philippines was confident enough to set up a test drive course within the Megatent open grounds that presented a number of simulated road conditions, slaloms, and obstacles that would test the new Everest’s ride and handling capabilities. Add to that the heavy rains that didn’t let up the whole morning, and the guests—motoring media, Ford dealers and business partners—who participated in the test drives really saw and felt what the new Everest could do in an almost-real-world drive.

A class-leading water wading depth of 800mm

The new Everest boasts of a new powertrain in its Bi-Turbo Diesel Engine and 10-speed automatic transmission, and a class-leading water wading depth of 800mm.

Umashankar, who looked visibly enthusiastic with his first vehicle launch in the Philippines, said that with the new Everest’s 4WD Terrain Management System, maximum traction and stability would enable drivers to stay in control whether driving on sand, mud, grass, or rock, ensuring full capability both on and off-road.

Umashankar said that since the Everest was launched 16 years ago, 65,000 such models have been sold in the Philippines. The Everest was launched in 2003, at a time when the demand for SUVs was still on the rise. The Everest redefined the SUV segment with its bold design, advanced technology, and stunning off-road and on-road capabilities. “Given its track record in the Philippines, we are confident that the new Ford Everest will give Filipino customers a ride, no less than extraordinary, building on its position as one of the smartest and safest SUVs in its class,” added Umashankar.

Ford Asean Markets president Yukontorn “Vickie” Wisadkosin told the audience that “since the launch of the all-new Everest 4 years ago, Ford has sold more than 82,000 Everest vehicles in the Asean region with a market share bordering from 6.2 percent in 2015, to 10.2 percent as of June 2019.”

Umashankar added: “The new Everest comes with the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), a unique feature that helps deliver cabin quietness while you’re waiting in the traffic as you get to home, to work, to any destination.” Engine and transmission noise are also significantly reduced, thanks to an engineering focus on quiet operation and advanced sound insulation.

8.0-inch full color touchscreen

“Most importantly, the Everest is packed with safety features. It has seven airbags, and has Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Vehicle Detection emergency braking. Not only does it detect vehicles, it also detects pedestrians,” explained Umashankar.

The new Everest features Ford’s Pre-Collision Assist which uses Inter-Urban Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Vehicle Detection, a first-in-class feature that detects pedestrians and vehicles, and alerts you with an audible and visual warning to bring the Everest to a complete stop to help mitigate rear-end collisions and road-traffic collisions with pedestrians.

Next-generation powertrain

The new Ford Everest is powered by the new-generation 2.0L Bi-Turbo diesel and 2.0L Turbo diesel engines. With the advanced 10-speed automatic transmission that offers improved fuel efficiency and better acceleration, the 2.0L Bi-Turbo diesel engine delivers 213PS and 500Nm of torque, while the 2.0L Turbo engine delivers 180PS and 420Nm of torque. The new 2.0L diesel engines and 10-speed automatic raise the bar when it comes to vehicle refinement.

Along with the new powertrain, customers can enjoy lower service maintenance costs with a once-a-year scheduled service interval instead of twice a year, paving the way to a better ownership experience.

The new Everest continues to pioneer the mid-size SUV segment as a highly advanced technology-led SUV, with segment-leading driver-assist technologies (DATs) that make it ideal for city driving while remaining a force to be reckoned with off road. These include:

•Adaptive Cruise Control

•Lane Keeping System

•Forward Collision Warning System

•Driver Alert System

•Auto High Beam Control

•BLIS – Blind Spot Information System comes equipped with Cross Traffic Alert

•Rear View Camera and Parking Sensors

Smart keyless entry and push-button start are now standard across the new Everest range, offering customers quicker engine starts, improved convenience, and ease of entry and exit from the vehicle.

The new Everest provides more convenience with the hands-free liftgate, a feature that automatically opens and closes the liftgate. If the driver’s hands are full, a simple kicking motion of the foot under the rear bumper will open and close the liftgate.

The new Ford Everest is powered by a 2.0L Bi-Turbo diesel engine that can handle all the challenges

Parking is also easier with the Active Park Assist feature that helps drivers find parallel parking spaces and steers the vehicle to a parking slot, with the driver’s hands off the steering wheel. The driver just needs to control the gears, accelerator, and brake.

SYNC 3 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility now provides onboard connectivity in the new Everest, an 8.0-inch full color touchscreen and reversing camera. On top of standard built-in navigation, SYNC 3 is compatible with the use of Waze and Google Maps, proving useful when venturing beyond mobile coverage areas.

The new Everest is available in two variants at launch and comes in six colors, including the new Diffused Silver, as well as Absolute Black, Aluminum Metallic, Arctic White, Meteor Gray, and Sunset Red. The Everest 2.0L Bi-Turbo Titanium+ 4×4 AT retails at P2,299,000, while the Everest 2.0L Turbo Titanium 4×2 AT goes for P1,995,000. The new Everest is available in Ford dealerships in Metro Manila starting August 10 and within the month, in Ford dealerships in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.