BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE NEW FORD EVEREST

FORD’S 2022 EVEREST 4X4 WAGON GOES ON SALE THIS MONTH AND WE SCORED A SNEAK SPIN IN THE V6 DIESEL-POWERED PLATINUM MODEL IN THE LEAD-UP

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

HOT on the heels of the 2022 Ford Ranger ute launch, the Ford Everest wagon version will be dropping in showrooms around August. As Ford Australia did with the next-gen Ranger ute, it invited a select group of media for a preview of the new wagon months before it was revealed to the public.

First up was a visit to the Ford Design Studio in Broadmeadows (Vic) where we got our first look at the 2022 Everest. Those details were revealed in March along with the powertrain specification.

After the design reveal it was a trip to the Ford Proving Ground at You Yangs for our first stint behind the wheel of the new model. The ride for the day was a pre-production prototype, so it was still camouflaged and in some areas incomplete. It was a high-spec Platinum model as distinguished by its raised roof rails and ludicrous 21-inch diameter alloy wheels which only the top model gets as standard. The Everest Platinum is set to start at $77,690+ORC.

More importantly, the prototype was powered by the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine, 10-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive system, which is basically what has just debuted in the Ranger ute.