DARKNESS FALLS

Never mind this Everest Sport's bold, black-on-black attire, it has many attributes that leave its predecessor in the shade

- Gareth Dean

There was an almost collective sigh of relief as the Everest's tyres scrunched to a gentle halt on the sand at our evening stop just outside Blouberg. This was not because we had just negotiated an axle-munching off-road trail to get here; no, it was simply because evening was upon us and we could finally dismount and take in the sun's dramatic, fiery dip into a shimmering ocean to mark the dying end of the day.

Our photographer was certainly glad to see the back end of what was, just a couple of hours earlier, a nightmare combination of harsh summer sunlight and a lensman's least favourite colour of car to shoot. Our appraisal unit's monochromatic combination of black finishes for such features as the grille, side plates, 20-inch alloy wheels and Absolute Black paintwork lent it a slightly sinister, almost Secret Service hit-squad air. Although it is larger than its forebear in almost every direction, the new car's angular bodywork and strong horizontal elements, such as the grille bar intersecting the C-Clamp headlamps, make it look less bulky and more muscular. Photographic pain in the proverbials or not, there's no denying the Everest is a real attention-grabber, even in its current entry level Sport specification.