Ford Everest Platinum 2022 Review

The first Ford Everest was a trusty seven-seat 4x4 wagon that proved ideal for Aussie families and the Outback, but failed to put much of a dent in the runaway success of the evergreen Toyota Prado.

The all-new 2022 Ford Everest aims to change all that with a second-generation model that was also designed, engineered and developed in Australia, but improves on the original formula by every tangible measure.

The new Everest shares the front two-thirds of its T6.2 ladder frame with the new Ford Ranger ute, as well as its 50mm wider tracks and 50mm further forward front axle position, but rides on a shorter wheelbase.

So while the ute and wagon share double wishbones and coils up front, the Everest ditches the Ranger’s rear leaf springs for coils and a Watts link, but retains its live rear axle and broader new footprint.

The electric power steering is tuned specifically for the Everest, the four-wheel disc brakes are upgraded, and wrapped around the longer wheelbase and wider tracks is a body that’s longer and taller but no wider than before, although smarter packaging has liberated more passenger and cargo space.

The boxier new Ford Everest shares no sheet-metal or glass with its predecessor and shares only its front door panels, bonnet and fenders with the Ranger.

Ground clearance is slightly down, but the breakover angle remains the same and both approach and departure angles are slightly improved. The turning circle has grown from 11.7m to 11.8m and its wading depth remains 800mm.

Yet the new Everest’s significant technical advances are best exemplified by the top-shelf, road-focused Platinum variant tested here, which moves dramatically upmarket from the old Titanium it replaces and is powered exclusively by a lusty diesel V6 – but priced close to $84,000 once it’s on the road.

The four-grade 2022 Ford Everest line-up starts at $52,990 plus on-road costs – about $3000 more than before – for the rear-wheel drive Ambiente, which like the $60,290 Trend comes with an uprated 2.0-litre biturbo diesel and is available with 4WD for an extra $5000, while the $69,090 Sport is V6/4WD-only like the Platinum ($77,690 plus ORCs).

That makes the new Everest flagship $6000 pricier than the Ranger Wildtrak V6 ($70,190) when fitted with the $1500 Premium Pack, almost all the goodies in which come standard here, but the new 4x4 wagon brings more than an extra pair of seats and a coil-sprung rear-end compared to the equivalent ute.

As per Ranger, all Everests come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging (standard only on Ranger Sport, Wildtrak and Raptor), digital radio, sat-nav, traffic updates, voice control, embedded modem, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, power-folding wing mirrors, full LED exterior lighting, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and an electric park brake.

The Platinum also scores the Trend’s rear privacy glass, puddle lamps, leather steering wheel, floor mats and an upper glove box instead of the open parcel shelf in the Ambiente (and all Rangers but the Wildtrak and Raptor), plus Sand and Mud/Ruts off-road drive modes – in addition to Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul and Slippery – and an off-road screen mode. The Ranger Raptor, meanwhile, adds Sport, Baja and Rock Crawl modes.

Also standard is the Everest Sport’s hands-free power tailgate, ventilated front seats, 10-way power adjustment and memory function for the driver’s seat and eight-way power adjustment for the front passenger, while the Platinum adds zone and ambient lighting, 360-degree camera and active (hands and feet off) park assist as seen in the Ranger.

Other exclusive extras for the Platinum (and unavailable in the Ranger) include a dual-pane powered panoramic glass roof with retractable sun blind, satin silver exterior and interior trim accents, unique quilted leather seat trim for all seven seats, power-folding third row, a heated steering wheel and heated second row seating, and a premium B&O sound system with 12 speakers.

That’s up from 10 in the Everest Sport (and the Ranger Raptor and, optionally, Wildtrak) and eight in all other Everests; most Rangers get six speakers and the base XL just four.

All Everests also get dual front recovery hooks (standard only from Ranger XLT level), but even at this level a tow pack including electronic brake controller costs $1700 extra.

Note that a tow bar comes standard with Ranger XLT, Sport, Wildtrak and Raptor, while the EBC is a $900 option for Ranger XLT and Sport, and includes the 360-degree camera and exterior zone lighting. Unlike any Everest, the Ranger can also be had with auxiliary switches integrated into the roof.

Like all 4x4 Everests, the 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission is operated by a stubby electronic gear shifter (as per premium Rangers), but in line with its less adventurous urban-focused role in the range, the Platinum has plastic instead of steel underbody protection.

However, that can be remedied by swapping the big 21-inch wheels for black 18s (as per Ranger Wildtrak) with all-terrain tyres as a no-cost option.

Metallic paint, which is everything except white, costs $675 extra. As per Ranger, service intervals are 15,000km/12 months and the first four services for the V6 each cost $329. Ford’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty and enticing aftersales ownership provisions also apply.

The safety and multimedia credentials of the 2022 Ford Everest Platinum are equally impressive.

Inside, the new Everest takes a massive leap up in terms of size, space, design and material quality, and the tech highlights are a big portrait-style 12.0-inch central infotainment touch-screen with SYNC 4A1 operating system – making for a clear, concise, quick and highly intuitive interface – plus a classy new 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster that’s shared with the Ranger Raptor and finally brings a full-time tacho.

There are 12V power outlets, cup holders and roof-mounted air vents for all three rows, plus a second air-conditioning compressor towards the rear of the car to ensure cool air flow for all seven occupants (seven seats are standard in all but the entry-level Ambiente five-seater, which get rear air vents on the back of the centre console), and USB-A and -C ports for the front and centre occupants – but not the third row.

Out the back, the cargo area grows in two-seat, five- and seven-seat modes, from a minimum of 259 litres behind the rear seats (more than double the Prado at 120L) to a maximum of 1823 litres behind the front seats, which is just 10L short of the Prado – despite the fitment of a full-size spare underneath.

There’s a bit more room in the third row, which is among the class leaders for amenity – although knee-room, legroom and shoulder-room remains tight for full-size adults – and access is made easier by the second-row electric-fold function and well-placed grab handles and foot steps.

On the safety front, all of the expected active and passive systems are present and correct (except perhaps a head-up display), while the autonomous emergency braking system includes reverse (unlike Ranger) and vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian detection, the blind spot monitor includes trailer coverage and there are nine airbags – up from seven – including full-length side curtains and a centre airbag between the front seats to prevent head clashes.

There’s also lane keeping with road edge detection, pre-collision assist with intersection functionality, adaptive cruise control with lane centring and evasive steering assist. All models get front and rear parking sensors and auto headlights.

There are three child seat anchor points across the second row, while seven-seat models also get two additional anchor points in the third row, for five in total – up from just two in Ranger.

And like the ute, Ford’s newest SUV will be available with a host of factory-backed ARB accessories, including a second battery and, soon, a longer-range fuel tank, bringing the standard 80-litre tank closer in capacity to the 150-litre tank available for the Toyota Prado, although it won’t be as big as the Ranger’s optional 140L maximum.

Like the new Ford Ranger, the 2022 Ford Everest wagon is both wider and has a longer wheelbase than before, and its boxier proportions are punctuated by an almost identical new front-end with Matrix LED headlights with bold ‘C-clamp’ DRL graphics.

But among a host of other stuff, the top-spec Everest swaps the Sport’s black front-end elements for chromed highlights including bold Platinum lettering across the bonnet, which may not be to everyone’s tastes.

All 4x4 models continue with a locking rear diff, low-range transfer case and off-road drive modes, and standard across the range is a 10-speed auto operated by a compact new shifter with side-mounted manual shift buttons, which we never really got the hang of.

But the big news is the huge uplift in towing capacity from 3100 to 3500kg for all Everests, matching most 4x4 utes and the big Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, and bettering almost everything else in its class – including the Prado – but not the Isuzu MU-X.

That said, the Platinum has the highest kerb weight of almost 2.5 tonnes and the lowest payload of 658kg. And despite the healthy 6250kg GCM, if you’re towing at maximum capacity you’re only left with only 258kg for occupants and cargo, which is nevertheless more than many off-road SUVs.

Of course, the other big highlight here lurks under the bonnet, where a muscular V6 turbo-diesel makes the Everest unique in its class and gives the Platinum the grunt to match its classy new look.

Previously seen in the Ford F-150 and also available in the new Ranger, the new 3.0-litre Powerstroke diesel is matched to a full-time 4x4 system managed by a Borg-Warner electronically controlled on-demand two-speed electromechanical transfer case with selectable drive modes, bringing a much broader spread of capability.

As per Ranger, while the outputs of the four-cylinder Panther engine are 154kW/500Nm, the Lion V6 churns out a big 184kW of power and a class-leading 600Nm of torque.

That beefy torque peak is available from the same 1750rpm as the four-cylinder biturbo diesel, but extends to 2250rpm, giving it a wider spread of extra torque and making it feel quicker off the line, stronger in the mid-range and more responsive and tractable right across the rev range.

And you can forget any comparisons with the gruff old Puma inline five it replaces, because the new V6 is quieter, smoother and freer-revving than both the revised 2.0-litre and the discontinued 3.2-litre diesel.

Official combined fuel consumption is one point higher than the Ranger Wildtrak V6 at 8.5L/100km, which is more than the Everest 4x4 biturbo’s 7.2L/100km and the Prado’s 7.9L/100km, and we averaged 9.5L/100km on the lead-footed launch drive.

So the new Everest V6 brings more performance across the board for a small fuel consumption penalty, but it’s not the massive step up in performance that perhaps many were expecting.

That said, as we experienced with the outgoing Amarok V6, the full extent of its extra performance won’t be realised until we’ve subjected it to a full load, a heavy trailer and a long road trip with plenty of overtaking.

Indeed, the biggest revelation behind the wheel – which like the new Ranger’s is now height and reach adjustable – may well be the dramatic reduction in noise and increase in overall refinement inside the cabin of the 2022 Ford Everest Platinum.

Combined with high-quality, soft-touch materials on almost every surface and the plethora of cutting-edge, user-friendly technologies, that makes the Platinum in particular one of the most opulent Fords we’ve ever travelled in.

But ride quality, even on low-profile 21-inch rubber, also takes a big step forward – despite a reduction in body roll – and combines with sharper steering and improved body control during changes of direction to make one of the best ride/handling packages in its class even better.

The Everest’s broader footprint and well-sorted chassis also bring benefits away from the bitumen, where the big 4x4 wagon also feels more stable in bumpy corners at speed, generates less head shake over lumpy terrain and retains all of its hard-core off-road capability.

The old Everest ticked plenty of boxes in both four- and five-cylinder forms, but V6 diesel power, a bigger footprint and a modern interior with all the latest tech elevates the new 2022 Ford Ranger to a new level – especially in Platinum form.

It’s a shame there’s no USB outlets in the third row, that you have to pay extra for a tow bar and that, once you do, you’re looking at $85K-plus on the road for the range-topper.

And while we’re nit-picking, perhaps the huge new portrait touch-screen could be a little higher and angled towards the driver.

That said, there’s no doubt the Everest is now a thoroughly modern, upmarket and welcoming place to spend long periods of time in – whether it’s trekking, towing or family transporting.

Indeed, the fact we’re complaining about USBs and tow bars shows how complete the new Everest is as a package, and not just because of its new-found V6 muscle.

The original Everest impressed us enormously after several extended acquaintances including a hard-core Simpson Desert trek without skipping a beat, but the new model brings much more class, capability and performance.

The 2022 Ford Everest Platinum is a classy go-anywhere SUV by any measure and deserves to give the aged Toyota Prado a much tougher run for its money on the sales charts, but it isn’t cheap.

Now all the budget-constrained off-road enthusiasts need is a cheaper version fitted with the V6, a bigger fuel tank, 18-inch off-road tyres and blacked-out styling.

How much does the 2022 Ford Everest Platinum cost?
Price: $77,690 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel
Output: 184kW/600Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 224g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)