For a long time NZ4WD has touted the Ranger Sport as ‘best of breed’. Tough looks, even tougher drivetrain, comfy cab. A true all-rounder. So, is the same true of Ranger’s sibling the Everest?
A blacked-out grille, skid-plates and side-steps give Everest Sport a bold on-road presence and a tough athletic look in the dirt. Black ‘Everest’ lettering on the hood stands against the body colour in a signature statement.
A set of 20” high gloss black alloy wheels add to Sport’s rugged look. Our white Sport was shod in the industry’s ‘go-to’ highway tyre, Goodyear’s Wrangler Territory HT but there are more and more all-terrain treads becoming available in this size all the time. Look at this as an enjoyable aspect of owning a late model SUV, not a distress purchase when the highway treads wear out.
Inside, an updated instrument panel increases the sense of space and width in the cabin. There’s a digital instrument cluster and the same portrait-format 12-inch centre LCD touchscreen as in the rest of the range, running Ford’s very capable Sync4 operating system. The contemporary interior continues the Sport’s blacked-out theme. Brushed metal finishes provide striking interior contrasts. Heavily bolstered front seats in Ebony leather feature unique ‘Sport’ badging and are certainly built for comfort; the driver’s is ten-way power adjustable; the front passenger’s is eight-way adjustable. Both front seats have heating and cooling. The Sport, like other Everests, is standard with three rows of seating.
Now, it’s no secret that NZ4WD has a bit of a thing for the big engine in the range. The Wildtrak and Platinum both run the mighty 184kW/600Nm V6 and ten-speed transmission that makes everything easy from boat ramps to bush tracks to mud bogs.
Does the four-cylinder turbodiesel (biturbo) do what buyers expect? Yes, of course it does. It has class-leading torque and power, amplified through that ten-speed auto. It emits less carbon than the V6 too. What’s not to like?
For those wanting more power and torque, the range has it, simply by stepping up to that Wildtrak and the turbodiesel V6.
