A top dog: Why the Ford Everest is still one of the best 7-seat SUVs

The seven-seater, midsize sport-utility vehicle (SUV) segment in the Philippines is filled with so many options from many brands that it becomes challenging to pick the best.

However, there are a few gems in the pack that do stand out thanks to their excellent lineup of features, power and pricing.

One of these is the next-generation Ford Everest, which is considered by many to be at the top of its game with its current iteration. 

Now, it raises the question, what makes it one of the best?

Imposing looks

The next-generation Ford Everest is already a behemoth of a vehicle that stands 1.8 meters tall and slightly over 1.9 meters wide.

These measurements give the car an imposing look, along with its broad front fascia, C-clamp LED headlights and LED daytime running lights.

These design elements are unmistakably Ford, especially at night when you think that the bigger Ford F-150 pickup is following you. 

Overall, the Ford SUV's design can easily stand out in a sea of traffic. 

Spacious cabin

Inside the Everest, you are greeted by a spacious cabin with plenty of soft-touch materials and a broad dashboard.

The vehicle can easily seat seven people, but the third row is still best for smaller passengers or kids.

Storage space is plentiful inside the vehicle, with plenty of cup and bottle holders around to store whatever sort of drinks you may need. 

If you choose to go for the higher-tier variants, you can also get access to power seats, which make getting into your desired driving position a breeze. In addition, a power third row can raise and fold the rear-most seats with a press of a button.

Big on power

The Ford Everest is one of the most powerful vehicles in its class, thanks to its bi-turbo diesel engine configuration.

It churns out an impressive 210 PS and 500 Nm of torque. It also has the most gears due to its 10-speed automatic transmission.

Its closest rival, the Toyota Fortuner, comes close in terms of torque as it also has 500 Nm, but is down on horsepower as it only has 205 PS from its 2.8-liter turbodiesel.

High-tech features

Regarding technology, the Ford Everest separates itself from the rest of the pack with its 12-inch portrait-style infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Ford has changed the game, as its competitors still use a traditional horizontal layout. The Blue Oval adopted a portrait-style screen to better maximize the space available on the dashboard. 

5-star ANCAP safety

Another strong point of the Ford Everest is its five-star Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rating.

Before you get up in arms about why the image above is for the next-gen Ford Ranger, we have to stress that given that Ranger and Everest share the same basic structure.

The ANCAP also awarded the seven-seater SUV with the perfect rating based on technical information provided by Ford.

For the Everest to merit a five-star safety rating, it must be equipped with Ford’s updated driver assist system, which offers enhanced pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assist that can detect unmarked road edges. 

The ANCAP also has one of the strictest crash tests in the organization’s history, making it harder to achieve a five-star rating. It now includes testing AEB performance at junctions between vehicles and passengers.

The Ranger and Everest’s new forward-facing wide-view cameras were a critical factor in helping the two cars score highly in ANCAP’s active safety testing.

Contributing to its high safety rating is its wide array of advanced driver assistance systems, which include the following:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Pre-collision assist
• Dynamic brake support
• Forward collision warning
• Lane Departure warning
• Blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert
• 360-degree camera
• Reverse brake assist
• Active park assist

There are more features to mention, but these are the ones that we chose to highlight as they will likely be used more often compared to the others on the Ford Everest’s already long and impressive spec sheet. 

Do you think the Ford Everest is still one of the best in the SUV segment?

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