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Blue Oval bo gged? Based on these stationary shots, the new Ford Everest looks like it’s bogged down in grass. But its 4x4 ability—particularly when it comes to its low-range setup—can get it virtually out of any off-road situation.

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WHEN one thinks of the Ford Everest nowadays, it’s of a midsize diesel SUV that’s more of an afterthought in a highly competitive segment. But in an effort to make its bestseller get much of midsize SUV sales, Ford recently launched a new iteration—along with passenger-friendly features—to make buyers veer to the Blue Oval. Is the overall kit a step up north? 

The exterior isn’t exactly all-new; to this writer it’s more of a step up to its direct predecessor’s bodyshell. The smiling front fascia and big mouth upper and lower grilles boldly stress what’s to come when you examine the SUV’s flanks and cabin. The anthracite gray rims lend a bit of sportiness to the unit, making it look like it’s rolling on 19-inchers or 20-inchers. The sportiness also heads to the faux cooling vents near the chromed side mirrors. The rearmost door spare tire cover has a bolder “mountain” silhouette, and it’s larger, too.

Inside is where the biggest changes reside. The gauge cluster now totes red gauge backlighting and needles, like that on the new Ford Ranger. The black/tan interior colorway is a tasteful approach, but the wood trim is out of place with the rest of the appointments. The audio entertainment is DVD-, Bluetooth-, MP3 CD- and external MP3 player-ready, with a head unit with a seven-inch touch screen (plus two seven-inch monitors behind the front seat headrests). The head unit also has a satnav system similar to that in the Mitsubishi Galant SE, with accurate (and updated) maps of Metro Manila and nearby provinces. One problem—when the head unit is playing music from an external MP3 player, it has an annoying tendency to skip tracks instead of playing the next song. It also has a tendency to toggle back to the currently played track should the user stop shuffling through a particular playlist.

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That loo ks familiar… The Everest’s cabin is similar to that of its Ford Ranger platform twin, right down to the gauge cluster, the steering wheel and the dashboard. The only difference is that the Everest’s dashboard doesn’t have wood trim that’s out of place with the rest of the interior.

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The Everest has oodles of torque and power—as seen in its top speed (176 kph) and 0-100 kph time (12.36 seconds). In fact, it’s all too willing to move forward from rest; there’s lots of wheel spin when launching it hard, especially at 2,000 rpm onwards. You enter the powerband at a notch below 2,000 rpm (with partial boost at a notch past 2,750 rpm) helped a lot by a five-speed a/t that’s willing to downshift at one-half to three-fourths throttle. The Everest’s high angles of departure and approach are much appreciated off road, and the power delivery (even at the four-wheel low-range gearing setup) is strong enough to get you even out of deep muddy ruts. However, the tires shod on the unit aren’t exactly meant for off-roading.

Ride comfort is similar to that of its Ranger pickup twin, displaying a bouncy ride feel enough to make third-row occupants dizzy. The rear end rebound (read up-down movement) is somewhat high—especially when going through humps. Brake grip is a bit wanting, but grabs when you need it. The ABS wakes up early, too, which is a good thing because it’s never easy trying to slow down 2,024 kg of curb weight (with drum brakes for the rear wheels). The side mirrors have limited vision, only up to one-and-a-half lanes of lateral sight on either side.

Most of the new Everest’s driving dynamics may be the same, but the interior amenities and exterior look instantly betters the “wow” factor of its bestseller—a forward improvement, given that the local market is looks-driven and kit-driven.