Ford Everest Timberline shapes as Raptor-like SUV hero

It has only just made its global debut, but it seems Ford Australia is already laying the ground work for an expansion of its new-generation 2022 Ford Everest line-up in the form of a rugged off-road flagship that could be called the Timberline.

Uncovered by carsales today, the trademark application was filed with IP Australia on February 25 – just four days before the March 1 reveal of the new Ranger-based SUV, which from launch will be available in three different guises.

For those of you scratching your head as to where the Timberline nameplate stems from, it’s the title bestowed upon the most capable versions of North America’s bigger Ford Explorer and Expedition, which scores a heap of capability-boosting goodies like bespoke off-road shock absorbers, increased ground clearance, Ford Trail Control suite, heavy-duty skid plates, improved approach angle and tougher styling cues.

If some of these touches sound familiar, it’s because most of them can be found on the outgoing Ford Ranger FX4 Max, as well as the original Ford Ranger Raptor it’s derived from.

The Blue Oval has already waxed lyrical about how it wanted to enhance the capabilities and versatility of the new Everest, but taking a quick look at both the outgoing and incoming Ranger line-ups, there’s plenty of potential for a more rugged variant to join the line-up – possibly even a few.

With the second-gen Ford Ranger Raptor being elevated to super-ute status, there will be a glaring specification, capability and inevitable pricing hole within the Ranger line-up until the next ‘Raptor-lite’ variant(s) surfaces – most likely in the form of a Ford Ranger Tremor.

Armed with a new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6, the tough new sub-Raptor Ranger variant will almost certainly boast upgraded front and possibly even rear shock absorbers courtesy of Fox given the forthcoming flagship has switched across to more advanced adaptive units.

Given Ford’s clear commitment to being a segment trend-setter as opposed to a follower, it’s entirely reasonable to expect a similar recipe is being cooked up for the new Everest, providing 4x4-buyers around the world with a genuine flagship 4x4 SUV without having to drop six figures on something like a 300 Series Toyota LandCruiser GR Sport.

While high-end and hero utes like the Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior, Toyota HiLux Rugged X and Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain are all the rage at the moment, there’s no clear off-road hero within the ute-based segment.

Not even the venerable but still talented Toyota Prado – long deemed the Everest’s biggest rival and yard stick – has a dedicated off-road flagship, unlike its bigger LandCruiser cousin.

The new turbo-diesel V6 already gives the Everest a leg-up on its key rivals, and so a dedicated off-road flagship would add insult to injury, leaving key players like Toyota, Isuzu and Mitsubishi to play catch-up.

We’ve already seen Ford toy with the idea of a more adventure-focused variant in the form of the special-edition Ford Everest Base Camp, which came fitted as standard with a nudge bar, LED light bar, genuine Ford snorkel, roof-mounted carry bars, Pioneer Platform, Sunseeker awning, genuine tow bar and plenty of rugged cosmetic touches to suit.

Officially however, Ford Australia is staying tight-lipped both on the prospects of a harder-core Everest and the Trendline trademark, telling carsales it had no news to share and that nameplate patent applications were a “normal course of business” and “aren’t necessarily an indication of new branding, badging or product plans”.

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