WITH THE PRODUCTION OF
Australia’s own Falcon ended, Ford
promised us that our choice of cars
will actually increase, as platforms
designed for global markets begin
to appear in showrooms.
Once such platform is the T6.
Designed at Ford R&D in Victoria, it
forms the backbone of the Ranger
uteandEverestfamilySUV.
Thesecarsareessentially
identical from the front doors
forward(stylingcueslikethegrille
aside), reflecting a general trend
toward “platforms” rather than
individual unique models.
In Australia, the Ranger and
Everest both get Ford’s 3.2 litre
5-cylinder Duratorq diesel, which
is good for 147kW and a useful 440
Nm of torque. The base Ranger
is available in rear-wheel drive,
while the XLT, Wildtrak and Everest
models get 4WD.
By consolidating multiple
cars onto one platform, Ford is
able to pack in a considerable of
technology that, just a decade ago,
was strictly the domain of high-end
European marques.
There’s an electronic stability
system that includes trailer-
sway control, hill launch assist,
hill descent control and rollover
“mitigation”. There’s also a locking
rear differential, activated by a
button in the cabin, and adaptive
load traction control.The Wildtrak and higher end
Everests get a selector for different
terrain types too, including sand,
mudandsnow,orrock.
Four-wheel-drive low range
is activated by shifting to neutral
(inautomaticmodels),pressinga
button, and shifting back to drive.
No hub locking, no fuss.
While the Ranger XLT and below
keep the no-nonsense work ute
aesthetic going with basic noise
shielding and spartan interior, the
Wildtrack and Everest Titanium arealmost luxurious. Leather seats,
lots of parking sensor and adaptive
cruise options, the cabins are
car-like and pleasant at highway
speeds. Active noise cancellation
via speakers mutes the diesel
rattle, and is especially noticeable
when tackling a steep incline.
The Everest is larger than the
average family SUV, sitting up more
toward the LandCruiser end of the
spectrum,somaynotsuitcityfolk.
But for everyone living in a regional
area, it’s hard to argue that its no-
nonsense go-anywhere capability
doesn’tmakeitanobviouschoice
over anything smaller.Our test drive saw us in an
Everest Titanium out between
Young and Cowra NSW, where
exceptional flooding had closed
some roads, damaged others, and
l e f t d ozen s o f c au s e w ay s un d er a
few centimetres of water.
In a Falcon, our ability to go
where we wanted, when we wanted
would have been at least a source
of constant stress, if not actually
impossible. But with an 800mm
wading depth on the Everest,
nothing was a problem.
Australians living in country
areas also know the tyranny of a
bad driveway. On some properties,
these can stretch for hundreds of
metres, if not kilometres, and are
the terror of sumps and mufflers
across the land. Again, the Everest
switches from comfortable
highway cruiser to rubble-crawler
without any change of settings.
(Much steeper though, and we
w o ul d have n e e d e d t o en ga g e 4W D
Low and lock the rear diff.)
That you can now get a capable
SUV for the equivalent of a mid-
priced luxury sedan just shows how
platform-based development can
pay off, for drivers and Ford alike.
Of course, we’ll always miss the
Falcon. But a trip to Fraser Island
sh o ul d h el p u s g e t o ver i t.by Anthony FordhamSpeedlab
AUSSIE R&D CREATES
TOUGH SIBLINGS
Ford Ranger XLT
Drive: 4WD
Engine: 3.2L 5-cyl diesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 147kW, 440Nm
Economy: 9.4L/100km
claimed (10 tested)
Price: $52,
URL: http://www.ford.com.auFord Everest Titanium
Drive: 4WD
Engine: 3.2L 5-cyl diesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 147kW, 440Nm
Economy: 9.4L/100km
claimed (11 tested)
Price: $76,
URL: http://www.ford.com.au14 POPULAR SCIENCE