Bucket Seat: Ford Everest Wildtrak

The Ford Everest now in its 3rd generation see's for the first time having a Wildtrak derivative. The Ford Everest Wildtrak offers a range of features that enhance its styling, interior, infotainment, safety, technology, comfort, and practicality. These extras make it a more premium and capable SUV, than the entry level Everest. Having driven the range topping Platinum model, I was keen to get behind the wheel of this mid level variant from the brand to see how much it differed in terms of performance and ride quality as both, the Wildtrak and Platinum come powered with the same 3.0L V6 power train. Having spent a week with it, doing the daily routes I had the chance to take it away for the weekend on some light country side exploring to get a better feel of what the car had to offer and here are my thoughts on how it handled itself. 

DESIGN

The design of the Everest is brilliant in my opinion, sticking true to its American routes, the massive frame its built on gives the car the presence it commands whether it be on the road or in the wild, this particular model, the Wildtrak offers some unique design characteristics that make it stand out from the other models in the stable, starting with the styling: 20-inch ‘Asphalt Matt Black’ alloy wheels keep the massive body up complimented by black wheel arch flares, black window trim, and Wildtrak badging and branding in black around the car. The dark colours contrasted well with the body colour of Arctic White which the one I had came in. The front of the car is really menacing with the wide grilled that integrates into the C-Clamp headlamps that follow the cars lines that lead to the cabin. The car is very box like in statue and the straight lines keep that theme going till the back. I'm a big fan of the rear light design which runs across the tailgate and has the Everest name badge in the center. My one grip would have to be the tow bar, it's a fixed one that can be removed manually and I understand the reasoning for it as it has a higher towing capacity but I would have really liked an automatic option which stows it away, especially for this and the Platinum models. Not only would help with the looks but also helps with parking it. On the interior, we have a full Ebony leather upholstery with Cyber Orange stitching, panoramic sunroof, , interior ambient lighting, which cannot change colour, unless I have no idea how to find the setting, but pretty much stock standard Everest interior. 

PERFORMANCE

As mentioned before, the Everest Wildtrak is powered by the same  3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel engine that is found in its Ranger sibling and the range topping Platinum models, this motor delivers a Power and Torque ratio of 184 kW of power and 600 Nm of torque which is coupled to a 10-speed automatic transmission. With the various driving modes available on the Everest, namely Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud & Ruts, and Sand which is all controlled via a jog shuttle dial in the center consol, it makes going from tar roads to gravel quite simple by flicking it in the appropriate setting and the car does everything for you. Ford claimed fuel consumption is 8.5 L/100km which could be achieved on long distance travels but realistically my range was hovering around the 10.6L mark which seemed fair for a big engine like this. As mentioned, that ugly tow bar is there for a reason giving the Everest a towing capacity of 3 500 kg braked, which is a lot more than some of its rivals. The driving dynamics of the Ford Everest Wildtrak with it's V6 is a gutsy unit, consistently delivering sustained power and torque at low and high speeds. It’s torquey and plenty of its 600Nm is available across a broad rev range. The 10-speed auto transmission has had the previous-gen’s thrashiness between ratios smoothed out – and if you want to take over duties yourself you can do so via the 'e-Shifter' in this 4WD wagon. The suspension set-up – with coil springs at every corner – helps to produce smooth, composed ride and handling although can feel a bit bumpy or bouncy at times.  Off-road, the Everest has a long wheelbase making its undercarriage vulnerable to scraping rocks, tree stumps or exposed tree roots, especially during more technical 4WDing sections.

COMFORT

The cabin of the Everest is narrow but tall and second-row and the seating is a bit squeezy for three adults, especially in terms of hip and shoulder room for larger blokes, but it’d be fine with slighter adults and even gangly teens. The cabin is very quiet, with nothing much intruding in terms of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness), other than low-level wind-rush around the wing mirrors. The noise of the turbo diesel engine does come through every now and then when harsh accelleration is present but that is easily drowned out by the 8-speaker premium sound system. Like the Ranger the Everest focal point of the cabin is the  12-inch touchscreen that controls Ford’s powerful SYNC 4A infotainment system. This is the command center of the car and has wireless connectivity to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. While in the mobile apps, it is easy to access the Ford menu with shortcuts located to the top right side corner making it easy for the driver to toggle should they wish to change some vehicle settings. The dual zone climate control can be controlled via physical knobs or via the screen as well. The Wildtrak came with heated seats but not cooling like the Platinum. The car is equipped with advanced technology, including keyless entry and start, a raft of media ports around the cabin for charging your various devices and power outlets for coolers or pumps. The seats are comfortable, with faux-leather which covers the steering wheel as well. The digital dash is an 8-inch screen which can display various information via the multi-function steering, which the digital speedometer is cool, I would have like the option for it to display the old analog style speedo. The seven seats make the Everest Wildtrak extremely useful as a people mover, and incredibly spacious when the back seats are folded down which I had it for most of my time on the weekend as away as it was only the 3 of us.  The Wildtrak has a 360-degree surround view camera, which is crucial for safe parking of this hulk. It’s an optional fitment but a very handy one if you ask me. 

VERDICT

The Ford Everest Wildtrak is a comfortable and capable SUV with a luxurious interior, advanced technology, and a smooth and powerful drive. It's a great option added to the line up for someone who is looking for a large family SUV but has a more sporty side to them instead of someone who is looking more on the luxury spectrum of the Platinum. The standard features that come with the Wildtrak along with the styling, make this car quite attractive to the young at heart who love adventure, and in my weekend away at the sea side, it caught the eye of many surfers who were keen to not only check it out but wanted to see how many mates they could fit in for a trip to Mozam. So whether you're a family looking to vacay in the berg for a week, or a troop of surfers looking for the ultimate waves, the Everest is the ideal vehicle for you and whats even better it does the daily quite well too. Yes, the size of it does take getting used to be with the help of the PDC's and cameras, you will soon master parking this thing in the tightest of spots. 

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	3.0L Turbo Diesel V8
Gear Box	10-speed automatic
Torque	600Nm
Power	184kW
Fuel Consumption	10.3L per 100km
Price	R1,180,200

 

Bucket Seat: Ford Ranger Thunder

Ford's Ranger has really been a breath of fresh air to the market which was largely dominated by Toyota's Hilux. The sales speak for themselves and the Ranger proved to be more than just "healthy competition" to the Hilux as in most months it outsold it! One of the key differentiators for Ford was the variety offered in the Ranger line-up and also making their double cabs more passenger friendly, which persuaded many who would look to an SUV, now looking at getting a bakkie instead. While at first glance, it would not seem like the most practical passenger vehicle around but I tell you what, after spending a week with it, it makes a good fighting case as you will soon learn. The new Ranger Thunder is currently a special edition Ranger and the range topping variant the Wildtrak is still available but for me, Ford have really thought out of the box to enhance the appeal for this bakkie over that of the Wildtrak. 

DESIGN

While the overall design of the Ranger remains the same, the Thunder has some great design tweaks to really make it stand out from the crowd. Ford say they made it as bold as a lightening strike in a storm and they're not wrong, with anew black mesh grille, unique multi-spoke 18" black rims and red racing detailing with accent coming through in the grille and signage on the side of the van. Other stand out design enhancements are the powder coated black roof rails, the awesome designed race sports bar with red detailing, black molded side-steps which are both functional and give the bakkie are more wider stance and lastly the 3D Thunder signage on the side and the back with red inlays. I was a bit disappointed to get a white Thunder as the launch colour is black, from the press images you can see why the Black looks so much more intimidating but when you're next to the bakkie, any colour will do it justice, that's the lengths that Ford has gone with these little elements that make this look so great. Even on the interior, the full ebony style interior has breaks with high-gloss plastics and red stitching, having that racing inspired look come through. 

PERFORMANCE

Offered in two engines, the old 3.2L TDCi or the new 2.0L Bi-Turbo engine in both 4x2 and 4x4 models, the Thunder can be customised to what you want. The model I had featured the new 2.0L Bi-Turbo engine which I prefer, its paired with a 10-Speed automatic gearbox which assist the engine in leaps and bounds, both on the road and off-road. Performance figures are actually more than the 3.2L, as this particular engine churns out 157kW and 500Nm of torque, that is 10kW more than the old Wildtrak engine. The car feels solid on the road and unlike the older 6-speed automatic gearbox, it doesn't find itself hunting for gears when faced with an obstacle. The Thunder just breezes through any situation and with the extra 4 gears, this helps a lot to lower the consumption. The four-wheel drive system also assists in this aspect on the road as well, transferring equal power to all four-wheels, easing to carry the load of this monster. 

COMFORT

Now, coming back to using a double cab bakkie as a passenger vehicle, is the Thunder a practical option? Well, the answer, as much as it bugs me a lot because I'm not the greatest fans of bakkies is yes. Ford have really ensured that all creature comforts that you would find in a normal passenger car was fitted into the Ranger Thunder. It features all-new leather seats for both front and rear passengers, it comes with red stitching to make it look bolder. The driver and front passenger get to enjoy heated seats as well as dual-zone climate control. The Ranger Thunder is equipped with an 8" TFT touch screen with Ford Sync 3 preloaded. This has Bluetooth connectivity as well as mobile applications such as Android Auto and Car Play. There is plenty of USB ports available in the front for charging or for phone connectivity. The driver instrument cluster also features two 4x2 TFT screens which alternate vehicle information as well as entertainment and navigation info, all controlled by the multi-control steering wheel which is also covered in that neat new leather and has the red stitching. On the road, the ride is pretty comfortable on the Ranger Thunder, even with the big wheels and rims, its a smooth and quiet journey while you're in the cabin. 

VERDICT

Overall I've been impressed with the Ranger Thunder, while it may look like a bakkie, it has so much going for it that makes you feel comfortable no matter what environment you're in. The loading bay is nice and spacious and has a bed divider in the loading box so you can separate your cargo and to ensure it doesn't get affected by the elements, it has a sealed roller shutter door which is lockable. The Ranger Thunder is a stylish yet practical bakkie, one which definitely has people turning heads and while there is many after market kits you can buy and add on to your Ranger now, I recommend keeping this one stock standard if you getting one. I mean it already looks so damn great, why would you want to go spoil all the hard work the men and woman at Ford have gone through to make yours looking like a freak of nature? You can't see me right now but I'm eating my humble pie, yes I am finally admitting you can use a bakkie as a passenger mode of transport but not just any bakkie, it has to be a Ranger Thunder!

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine	2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel
Gear Box	10-Speed Automatic
Torque	157Nm
Power	500Nm
Cylinders	4
Price	R830,900