Ford Everest Ambiente 2022 Review

In the tightly-fought ute-becomes-SUV segment, the new 2022 Ford Everest is a significant presence among competitors such as the Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Fortuner.

Spanning in price from $52,990 plus on-road costs for the base rear-drive five-seat 2.0-litre Ambiente to a towering $77,690 plus ORCs for the top-spec 4x4 seven-seat V6-powered Platinum, the Ford Everest is considered the crème de la crème of ute-based SUVs.

From the $53K entry point, the Ambiente rises to $57,990 plus ORCs with four-wheel drive.

The third row requires a further $950 outlay (all other Everest model grades have seven seats as standard), while metallic paint adds $675, a tow pack (tow bar, wiring harness and integrated brake controller) costs $1700 and bigger 18-inch alloy wheels (up from 17s) with more capable all-terrain tyres are an extra $1100.

Our seven-seat Ambiente 4x4 reviewed here doesn’t leave much change out of $60,000 – before on-road costs are added – which takes it above similarly configured MU-X, Pajero Sport and Fortuner models.

That’s not a new thing for Ford, which has generally positioned its utes and their SUV offspring above like-minded class combatants.

But is it rock-solid value, especially now that an MY23 price increase is looming…?

Ambiente ambience may not run to leather trim, fancy stitching and power-adjusted front seats, but the peripherals are thoughtfully selected to ensure there’s no lack of facility or convenience for those on board the entry-level 2022 Ford Everest.

There’s inbuilt sat-nav on a decent 9.0-inch portrait-style colour screen – Platinum models get a bigger 12.4-inch display – plus two-zone climate control, an auto-dipping rear-view mirror and auto-folding side mirrors, eight-speaker DAB+ audio and an electronic parking brake.

All Ambiente models also get black side steps and roof rails, while 4WD versions come with a relatively meaningful steel underbody protection pack.

The 18-inch alloy wheel option is recommended by Ford if you’re planning to head off-road. Many hardcore off-roaders will likely stick with the standard-issue 17-inch alloys and the better choice of serious rubber they afford. The Everest gets an underslung steel spare wheel.

The Ford Everest’s warranty is industry standard at five years/unlimited kilometres, with service intervals set at 12 months/15,000km.

Servicing prices are capped at $329 for the first four general services over four years or 60,000km, whichever comes first.

Roadside assist and auto club membership applies for up to seven years provided the vehicle is maintained according to the scheduled servicing program.

As with the latest-generation Ford Ranger ute, the Australian design and engineering team has not held back on gifting the new 2022 Ford Everest with plenty of safety tech to help prevent accidents and mitigate the outcome if one happens.

Advanced driver assist safety systems include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – working at low speeds only, but in both forward and reverse – as well as lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control (with stop-and-go), active traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, driver attention detection and a rear-view camera.

It also goes further with road edge detection, post-impact braking to maintain some control after an accident, evasive steer assist and intersection assist.

With nine airbags – front, side, knee, full-length curtain, front centre – also catering for post-crash protection, plus the brimming array of active safety technology, the 2022 Ford Everest has achieved a full five-star ANCAP rating.

In-cabin technology reaches a new high in the 2022 Ford Everest with wireless operation for Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and mobile phone charging backing up familiar functions such as tyre pressure monitoring and voice activation that’s part of Ford’s SYNC 4A system.

The latter includes a modem that allows mobile phone connection via the FordPass app to remotely activate functions such as a vehicle status check or engine start-up.

There’s also a perimeter interior alarm with a motion sensor.

The Everest Ambiente also comes with 12-volt power outlets for all passengers, plus one in the rear cargo area, and three USB ports – for front seat occupants only at this level.

It’s the smallest-capacity engine among its peer group, but the familiar long-stroke 154kW/500Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder biturbo diesel does a sterling job in the 2022 Ford Everest Ambiente.

At 2367kg in this seven-seat 4x4 specification, the Everest Ambiente is heavier than its main opposition and gives the engine something of a job to do.

But with a competitive overall power-to-weight ratio, a strong wave of torque and the assistance of the 10-speed automatic gearbox, it all comes together nicely.

Close to 2.4 tonnes with just 2.0 litres of engine to motivate, it admittedly sounds like a big ask, but the four-cylinder diesel in the 2022 Ford Everest Ambiente not only produces more power and torque than the bulk of its competition, it’s also the most fuel-efficient.

Official figures give the seven-seat 4x4 Everest a combined consumption of 7.2L/100km, which comfortably aces the Isuzu MU-X (8.3L/100km) and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (8.0L/100km). It’s also a little better than the Toyota Fortuner (7.6L/100km).

This was pretty much confirmed in our review car which averaged 9.5L/100km over a week of driving in a variety of conditions with varying passenger loads.

All this is helped by the fact that, although it’s comparatively heavy, the development team ensured the second-gen Everest is basically no weightier than the outgoing model.

Four-cylinder diesels really don’t come much quieter, smoother or more unobtrusive than this.

Complementing an already hushed cabin, the biturbo 2.0-litre in the 2022 Ford Everest Ambiente is so well muffled it could almost pass for a petrol engine.

And with 10 gearbox ratios to choose from, it’s not about to drop you into a power-deprived hole when overtaking a vehicle, ascending a long freeway gradient or hauling a boat or caravan.

The Everest’s across-the-board 3.5-tonne towing capacity rates equally with the Isuzu MU-X and is better than either the Toyota Fortuner or Mitsubishi Pajero Sport which are both rated at 3.1 tonnes.

A new Tow/Haul mode optimises transmission operation when carrying loads or pulling a trailer by juggling the shift regime accordingly, while the rear camera is positioned to give the driver a clear view of the tow ball to take the guesswork out of the hooking-up process.

The electric power steering is nicely weighted and, for a large 4WD wagon, reasonably fast and not subject to the wheel twirling that’s still needed in some of its competitors. It requires 3.4 turns to go from lock to lock, but you don’t feel you’re about to tie your arms in knots as you negotiate a roundabout or execute a relatively tight turn.

The presence of always-ready, on-demand 4WD via the rotating knob on the centre console adds to the Everest’s sense of on-road security too, without telegraphing any cues that it’s running in something other than regular two-wheel drive.

Being a legitimate dual-range off-roader, the 4x4 Everest also offers four drive modes available across the spectrum of operating conditions – Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul and Slippery, all of which are self-explanatory.

It has a low-range transfer case and locking rear differential, too.

The new-generation 2022 Ford Everest out-sizes the previous model – and its competitors – in every way. It’s longer, wider and taller than anything else in its peer group and has the longest wheelbase by far. There’s little wonder that it looks and feels big inside.

The Ambiente’s fabric-trimmed seats might not look all that flash but there’s comfortable support and plenty of room for legs, shoulders and – providing you’re not sitting in the third row – your head.

And even if you are relegated back there, access is helped by the 60/40-split folding centre-row seating’s ability to slide further forward than previously.

This leaves enough space to clamber through what undeniably remains as an awkward gap with a limited degree of grace.

And, with some allowances, adequate adult space can be arranged with the help of the sliding centre-row seats. Roof vents provide airflow to both second- and third-row passengers.

Luggage room, opening with a minimum all-seats-up 250 litres and expanding to a maximum all-seats-folded 1823 litres, is competitive. It’s not as capacious as the Isuzu MU-X (311-2138L), but has a decisive edge over the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (131-1488L) and the Toyota Fortuner (200-1080L).

What’s more, the second and third rows fold flat without leaving inconvenient lumps, bumps or big gaps.

For carrying paraphernalia and supplementing the Everest’s twin glove boxes, there’s a mid-size centre cubby with a fold-up padded arm rest, bottle holders in the doors and cup holders in the dash, centre console, second-row centre arm rest and the third-row side panels.

Workhorse ute-based SUVs have changed a lot in the 40 years since the original Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4-Runner dabbled in the halfway house between reworked off-road-capable workhorse utes and full-size 4WD wagons.

From being barely civilised ute derivatives, the genre has evolved to the point where their origins have either disappeared or, with growing refinement, simply don’t matter anymore.

The Ford Everest is refined enough today that its urban characteristics are practically inseparable from many similar-size, urban-centric SUVs.

In this case, that more civilised nature is backed up by true-blue off-road capabilities.

The second-generation 2022 Ford Everest Ambiente proves that owners can have their cake and eat it too.

2022 Ford Everest Ambiente 4x4 2.0 Bi-Turbo at a glance:
Price: $57,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel
Output: 154kW/500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 190g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)