Worlds Apart, Bound by Badge

Ranger vs Everest XLT: Local Workhorse, a Thai-built SUV with Luxury Leaning

- Charl Bosch

The Citizen's time with our long-term Ford Ranger XLT is fast coming to an end after what will be six months and, at the time of writing, 7409km. Having very much been a "me, myself and I" tenure, the recent arrival of one of its siblings presented a good opportunity to miss for a different type of comparison as opposed to a typical road test or update.

Comparatively, matching our Ranger XLT against the Everest XLT isn't a direct apples-for-apples assessment.

Whereas the Ranger uses the single turbo version of Ford's 2.0-litre Panther diesel engine, the Everest has the bi-turbo unit that makes 154kW/500Nm versus 125kW/405Nm.

As is, however, well known, the previous Everest did offer a single turbo version of the original Panther unit, which was ultimately decided against when the wraps came off the now present third generation three years ago.

Going further, the Ranger has a six-speed automatic gearbox while the Everest comes equipped with the 10-speed automatic co-developed between the Blue Oval and General Motors.

Although available with four-wheel drive, the engine's amount of twist in "our" Ranger goes to the rear wheels only whereas the opposite applies to the Everest, which can be had with two-wheel drive as a credit over the four-wheel drive test unit.

Similar is that while the Everest seats seven and the Ranger five, both ride on the T6.1 platform also used by the North American Ranger and the Bronco.