SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


Climb every mountain: 2016 Ford Everest 3.2 TDCi XLT

Almost “all new”

Posted: 8 February 2016

The cheat sheet

Price: R607 900
Engine: 3198 cc, inline five-cylinder, TDCi
Power: 147 kW at 3000 rpm
Torque: 470 nm between 1750 and 2500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 11.2 seconds
Maximum speed: Unspecified, but about 170 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 10.4 l/100 km
Tank: 80 litres
Payload: 750 kg
GVM/ GCM: 3100 / 5900 kg
Maximum towing mass (braked): 3000 kg
Ground clearance: 225 mm
Approach / departure / breakover angles: 29.4 / 25.0 / 21.5 degrees
Maximum wading depth: 800 mm
Warranty: 4 years / 120 000 km; with 3 years roadside assistance
Service plan: 5 years / 100 000 km; at 20 000 km intervals

Almost the first thing a car writer learns is to delete every occurrence of the word “all” when used together with “new” in motor companies’ press kits. Every slightly revived, refreshed, rejuvenated or mildly facelifted car is described, with wonder and awe, as “all new.” Readers don’t believe it either, so we remove the offending wordlet before losing all credibility.

It comes as something of a shock, then, when we experience a product that is at least somewhat new in almost every way. Take the latest Ford Everest:
The whole front end – grille, bonnet, headlamps, lower air intake, fog lights and front skid plate has changed. Side panels, windows and running boards are different, as is every detail of the rear end. That spare wheel in its protective cover, on the back door, is history too. You won’t recognise much about the interior either. Seats are still covered in leather but that’s about it.

The engine is different; the old three-litre four made way for a stronger 3.2-litre five-cylinder from Ranger. Well, not quite; the Everest version develops the same numbers as the pickup engine but its torque peaks at 1750 rpm rather than 1500. People carriers and beasts of burden have different needs. A similar comment applies to its ladder frame chassis that’s built for carrying people rather than cargo.

New Everest is 168 mm shorter, 72 mm wider and 11 mm taller than the old one, on a wheelbase that’s 10 millimetres shorter. The new car’s ground clearance increased by 17 mm but approach, departure and rampover angles are slightly less. Then they changed the suspension. The torsion arm coupling the front wishbones made way for coils and anti-roll bar, while the old leaf springs and stabiliser were swapped out for coils and Watts linkages to secure the live rear end.

The new car has bigger wheels; 18- or 20-inch depending on trim level, rather than the previous models’ 16-inchers. Four airbags made way for seven; dual zone automatic climate control replaced the old single channel air conditioner; the four-or-six-speaker radio and CD unit bowed out to ten-speaker SYNC®2 with touch screen, and a shipload of new electronics moved in.

Then they dropped in a bigger fuel tank and electric power steering, doubled the service intervals and cut half a metre off its turning circle. Brakes are now discs all ‘round with ESP added to the existing ABS and EBD. But these are the mid-teens so we need hill holder, descent control, roll over mitigation, trailer sway control, emergency brake warning and adaptive load control.

Cruise control, previously the preserve of the top model, is now fitted across the board and you can no longer specify either 4x2 or manual transmission – both models are awd with six-speed automatics. It’s still the body-on-chassis design favoured by many serious off-roaders and it still seats seven, but it’s probably safe to let Ford have its way and call it “all new.”

Our test car was the lower-spec’ XLT that sells for R56 000 less than its Limited stablemate. Also upholstered in leather, the seats are manually adjustable with only the driver enjoying control of height and lumbar support. Wheels are 18” alloys and it forgoes a few trim items and toys. Think lane keeping with departure warning and driver alert; blind spot monitoring with cross traffic alarm; a 230-volt inverter; one of the visor mirrors; adaptive cruise control with heads-up, collision mitigation and distance alert; powered liftgate; front parking sensors; parallel park assist, and automated Xenon headlamps with washers, automatic levelling and high beam control.

Did we miss those things? Not really, but to each his or her own.

What did we enjoy? We liked its big, lazy power and torque that kept on pulling, its off-road competence, the way it loafed along at 2000 rpm at 120 km/h in top gear, lots of storage for fiddly bits and the feeling of spaciousness. The rotary selector with its four programs: auto for everyday driving; snow/mud/grass for slippery conditions; sand for loose surfaces, and rock that’s used in conjunction with 4Lo for rough going, is almost over the top, but modern off-roaders like having their thinking done for them.

Finally an electrically powered rear differential lock provides the final escape tool for those really awkward situations. There is even a cute little graphic to show incline, tilt and how torque is being distributed. The third row of chairs is usable by shorter adults although it helps if they’re still reasonably fit and flexible. The second row is much more comfortable with greater user space, air conditioner repeater vents including two in the ceiling, and a low central hump meaning that middle seat passengers are less compromised than usual.

We were less happy with the transmission being slow to kick down when urgent action was needed, although it behaved well enough under relaxed circumstances. The loading deck is rather high, at about 82 centimetres, although the 1060 x 1080 mm cargo space (rearmost seats down) is neat and usable with a light and four securing rings. The 17” steel spare is slung under the body. The hatch door features a single, right-handed pull down handle. While easy enough to lift, closing could be a struggle for users short on upper body strength.

Being of similar style and execution, Everest falls naturally into a comparison box with Toyota Fortuner and Chevrolet Trailblazer. It looks more expensive, but its engine and drive train are newer and more sophisticated. It’s also way ahead in the electronics and toys department, so there is really no contest. And it actually is almost all new.

Test unit from FMCSA press fleet

We drove the 2.0 BiTurbo 4x4 Limited in 2019

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
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