The Ford Everest Ambiente 4x2 is cheapest version of the blue Oval's popular family off-roader. Does it still make sense without 4x4?
Priced up against mid-spec 4x4 xeotoford.competitors
Third-row space not standout
Some slightly rental-spec interior touches
The current-generation Ford Everest body-on-frame SUV has been on sale locally for roughly 12 months now, with the turbo-diesel V6 variants being in hot demand.
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There are a growing number of variants in the Everest range, however the Ambiente 4×2 we have on kiểm tra here is the cheapest version of the entry-level variant. It does have a couple of option boxes ticked though.
Ford nước australia recently upped the pricing of the Everest by up to $1000 for vehicles produced from August 2023 onwards. There haven’t been any specification changes.
On the outside the Everest Ambiente can be distinguished by its 17-inch alloy wheels that are a version of what xeotoford.comes on the Ranger XLT. Another visual identifier is the lack of rear privacy glass.
The Everest goes up against stiff xeotoford.competition including body-on-frame Large SUV rivals including the Isuzu MU-X, LDV D90, mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Ssang
Yong Rexton, & Toyota Fortuner, among others. Given our tester is only two-wheel drive it also goes up against a wealth of unibody Large SUVs.
Does the Ford Everest still make sense without its full-time four-wheel drive system?
How much does the Ford Everest Ambiente 4×2 cost?
The Ford Everest Ambiente 4×2 is now priced from $53,490 before on-road costs for vehicles produced from August 2023 onwards.
Our tester came equipped with the optional Third Row Seat package which costs an additional $950, as well as the Towing package which adds $1700. It’s also finished in Arctic white exterior paint which is a no-cost option.
This brings the total cost our tester lớn $56,140 before on-road costs, or $62,075 drive-away for Victorian buyers (each state has different taxes).
Similarly priced Large SUV rivals with two-wheel drive và seven seats include:
All prices are before on-road costs, unless specified otherwise
It’s worth mentioning that at this price point there are also a wealth of all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive seven-seat Large SUV options.
These include:
All prices are before on-road costs, unless specified otherwise
You can get the Everest Ambiente with a full-time four-wheel drive system instead of rear-wheel drive, but this costs an additional $5000.
What is the Ford Everest Ambiente 4×2 lượt thích on the inside?
If you’ve already been in a new-generation Ranger, there aren’t really too many surprises here. There are, however, a couple of notable differences if you pay very close attention.
Walking up to và getting into the Ford Everest Ambiente there are thankfully a set of side steps as standard because it’s a fair way to get up & into. I found I had to bởi vì a couple of scoots to get xeotoford.comfortable in the driver’s seat.
All the seats in the Everest Ambiente are finished in đen cloth upholstery which is to lớn be expected given it’s the entry-level offering in the range.
The driver’s seat is extremely xeotoford.comfortable with plenty of side bolstering holding you in place. The headrest is really soft và supple too.
Although the driver’s seat only has manual adjustment I was able khổng lồ get my driving position dialled in perfectly thanks in part lớn the adjustable lumbar support.
This great driving position was helped by the amount of tilt và reach adjustability the Everest’s steering column has. I have long legs & a shorter torso which typically means my knees hit the steering column & I have to lớn stretch to lớn reach the steering wheel.
Unfortunately the Everest Ambiente only xeotoford.comes with a plastic steering wheel which feels a little cheap in hand và slightly rental-spec. It would be nice khổng lồ get a smoother leather-wrapped unit given its asking price.
In order lớn get a leather-wrapped steering wheel you need khổng lồ step up to the Trend 4×2 which is an extra $7500.
Just lượt thích the Ranger, the Everest’s steering wheel buttons are a little spongey but the rocker switches have a precise & firm feel.
Ahead of the driver is an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster that’s incredibly configurable, yet a little on the small side.
Although you miss out on the full 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster you need lớn step all the way up to the flagship Platinum to get, the 8.0-inch unit looks better than traditional dials with a tiny screen sandwiched between them. It still tells you all the critical information you need lớn know.
Moving across, the Everest Ambiente xeotoford.comes with a portrait-oriented 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system that looks very high-resolution but is an absolute fingerprint magnet. There’ll be even more smudgy fingerprints if you find the ‘Sketch’ section too.
The system itself appears lớn have enough processing power, which means it starts up & loads new pages pretty quickly. There were a few instances though where the screen would lag a bit when swiping or trying to vì a few things at once.
Apple Car
Play và Android tự động hóa are both available via wired và wireless connections. You can change between two sizes for the điện thoại thông minh mirroring, with a larger squarer or smaller rectangular aspect ratio. The latter of these frees up a range of shortcut buttons.
Satellite navigation xeotoford.comes as standard on the entire Everest range and it’s extremely easy khổng lồ use. Searching up points of interest takes no time at all, making the process feel natural và simple.
A strange part of the Everest’s interior, lượt thích the Ranger, is the climate control set-up. Parts are integrated into the touchscreen, whereas the other parts are physical buttons & knobs.
There’s a weird double of the temperature controls, with it able khổng lồ be adjusted either by physical dials or by tapping the screen. I still don’t really see the point of having both…
Around the cabin of the Everest Ambiente there is a mixture of both softer & harder plastics. Thankfully the former of these is in high-traffic touchpoints lượt thích the armrests và the main section of the dashboard.
Harder plastics are a given in this entry-level variant but you don’t have lớn stray too far away from the armrests khổng lồ find them.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this section, there are a few small differences between the Ranger and Everest that arguably make the latter better equipped.
xeotoford.compared lớn the almost equivalently specified Ranger XLT, the Everest Ambiente receives the tradie-style cupholders that are mounted on the dashboard, an upper glovebox, as well as a wireless phone charger.
There are a couple of quirks or easter eggs hidden around the Everest’s interior as well, with the most notable being the chips holder in front of the gear selector.
Given this Everest on demo is a two-wheel drive model, it not only ditches the e-shifter for a conventional mechanical gear shifter but it also goes without the rotary selector that’s typically used lớn change four-wheel drive modes.
What the Everest Ambiente 4×2 gets instead of the rotary selector is what I’d like to coin as a sauce holder khổng lồ go alongside the chip holder. You’ll need khổng lồ find yourself a round sauce container if you’d like to try this out for yourself.
Moving lớn the second row there’s a noticeable step down in terms of quality. The seats don’t feel quite as xeotoford.comfortable as the ones in the front row, though the door and fold-down centre armrests are still soft.
The second-row seats both slide & recline which allows second-row passengers to either relax or maximise cargo capacity.
At a leggy 182cm I expected a little more space in the second row as I need lớn splay my legs around the driver’s seat in order khổng lồ sit xeotoford.comfortably. There was still enough head- & shoulder-room though.
In terms of second-row amenities there are thankfully a mix of grab handles khổng lồ allow for easier ingress và egress, a separate blower control with roof-mounted air vents, and a 12V socket.
The Everest Ambiente is the only variant that xeotoford.comes standard with five seats, though our tester came with the optional third-row package that brings the total amount of seats lớn seven.
Trying to lớn get into the Everest’s third row is a mission in itself. I remember trying to vày it the first time just after finishing a lower-body strength session at the gym & failed miserably.
The third-row seats should be considered an emergency, kids-only space for because there’s no knee, head or shoulder space for adults.
The armrests are absolutely rock hard and there’s an awkward cupholder space on each side of the car. One upside is there are roof-mounted vents that help blow air onto your face.
In terms of boot space, with the optional third row of seats upright there’s 259 litres of boot capacity which is actually still fairly usable. This expands an extremely generous 898 litres with the third-row folded away, and an almost van-like 1823 litres with both the second- and third-rows of seats folded.
Other little storage nooks include a small space off to the left-hand side of the boot, as well as a small covered section under the boot space where the tools are khổng lồ lower the full-size spare wheel. It’s worth noting the Everest doesn’t xeotoford.come with a load cover which means you’ll need to be careful what you have in the oto because they will be on display for everyone who walks past.
The Everest Ambiente xeotoford.comes with a manually-operated tailgate which is xeotoford.completely understandable given it’s an entry-level model, however, I often hit my head on it because it didn’t xuất hiện high enough. I don’t remember having this issue on Everests with nguồn tailgates.
One last thing lớn mention about the Everest Ambiente’s interior is the boot is incredibly lit up with a light on the right-hand side and another mounted on the tailgate. I wish more cars had the latter of these.
What’s under the bonnet?
The Ford Everest Ambiente is powered by a 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo four-cylinder diesel engine producing 154k
W of power and 500Nm of torque.
This is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with drive in our tester sent through the rear wheels only. There is a version that has a full-time four-wheel drive system but this costs an extra $5000.
If you want the sought-after 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine you’ll need to step all the way up lớn the sport variant which starts at $70,590 before on-roads, or almost $15,000 more than the oto on thử nghiệm here.
The Everest Ambiente 4×2 xeotoford.comes with the following drive modes:
NormalEco
Tow/Haul
Slippery
The entire Everest range xeotoford.comes with a braked towing capacity of 3500kg, regardless of whether it’s two- or four-wheel drive. Maximum unbraked towing capacity is 750kg.
Claimed xeotoford.combined fuel economy for the Everest Ambiente 4×2 is 7.1 litres per 100km. During our time with the tester we achieved an average of 8.5 litres per 100km over 250km of largely unladen urban và highway driving. We did see closer to the claim along certain parts of freeways.
All Everest variants xeotoford.come with an idle stop-start system. It has an 80-litre fuel tank and also requires Ad
Blue.
How does the Ford Everest Ambiente 4×2 drive?
If you thought the Everest’s interior was lượt thích the Ranger’s, you shouldn’t be shocked to lớn know how it drives is similar too.
The Everest Ambiente’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder Bi-Turbo diesel engine produces healthy outputs of 154k
W and 500Nm, which means it will keep up with traffic with no problems whatsoever. If you push it at the lights as well you’ll likely pull ahead.
Something I noticed is you have to lớn massage the Everest’s throttle if you need lớn get moving quickly, as stabbing the throttle just results in turbo lag.
The entire Everest range xeotoford.comes standard with a 10-speed automatic transmission that keeps the revs in the torque band, which is between 1750 & 2000rpm.
Just lượt thích the Ranger, however, the Everest’s transmission can a little confused at low speeds an in stop-start traffic. It’s lượt thích it has too many gears to lớn choose from.
The Everest’s steering is quite lượt thích Goldilocks in the sense that it’s not too light nor too firm. In urban scenarios and especially when parking, there’s no disguising how large the Everest is.
The Everest Ambiente also only xeotoford.comes with a reversing camera plus front & rear parking sensors so you better be prepared for parking this almost five-metre long SUV without the assistance of a surround-view camera.
Around the thành phố the Everest is extremely xeotoford.compliant, though at low speeds và during parking manoeuvres the Everest’s ute roots begin to show as there’s ever so slight rocking & swaying.
xeotoford.compared to the Ranger which has leaf-spring rear suspension, the Everest receives a more passenger- and speed bump-friendly multi-link coil rear suspension setup. There’s no denying how well the Everest rides as it was tuned for Australian conditions locally.
At higher speeds the Everest really finds its groove và it’s where it feels most xeotoford.comfortable. Driving on the highway or freeway you definitely get a ‘King of the Road’ feel as you sit up so high.
Something to lưu ý is you need to plan your overtaking manoeuvres because getting this 2.2-tonne SUV moving along at higher speeds takes some motivation. This will be even more apparent if you’ve got the oto loaded with people or are towing.
One of the most controversial parts of our Everest Ambiente tester is it’s only rear-wheel drive. You can get the Everest Ambiente with a full-time four-wheel drive system if you want but it xeotoford.comes at a cost. An extra $5000 to lớn be exact.
The Everest Ambiente 4×2 doesn’t xeotoford.come with the reassurance of a four-wheel drive system which means you’ll need to lớn reconsider taking this properly off-road. In all honesty I think the majority of Everest buyers would be able to lớn live without four-wheel drive but it is weird for what appears to be an off-road-ready vehicle.
On the safety front, the Everest Ambiente is pretty much fully loaded & xeotoford.comes with plenty of active safety equipment including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot assist, & rear cross-traffic alert.
Like the Ranger, the adaptive cruise control system is outstanding. Its response to vehicles is really natural as it accelerates progressively & it doesn’t overreact and brake heavily when vehicles pull in front of you.
The lane-keep assist works really well & takes a bit for it khổng lồ get confused. The same goes for the lane centring function which is really strong & correct for the most part.
Xem thêm: Giá Gương Chiếu Hậu Xe Ford Ranger Wildtrak Chính Hãng, Gương Chính Hãng Xe Ford 0986706722
What vì you get?
Everest Ambiente highlights:
Exterior
17-inch alloy wheelsAll-season tyres17-inch steel spare wheel
LED reflector headlights
C-Shaped LED daytime running lights
Front fog lights
LED tail lights
Black side steps
Auto power-folding side mirrors
Rain-sensing wipers2 x front tow hooks
Steel underbody protection (4×4 model only)
Interior
10.1-inch Sync4 touchscreen infotainment system8.0-inch digital instrument clusterWireless táo bị cắn Car
Play, game android Auto
Embedded modem
Wireless phone charger8-speaker sound system
Satellite navigation
DAB+ digital radio
Embedded voice assistant
Ford
Pass with remote start
Dual-zone climate control5 seats (7 seats optional)Fabric upholstery8-way manual driver seat adjustment4-way manual front passenger seat adjustment
Driver floor mat
Electrochromatic rear-view mirror
Dash-mounted pull-out cupholders
Open storage shelf
Tilt và reach steering wheel adjustment
Keyless entry with push-button start
Vinyl console lid
Electronic parking brake
Conventional mechanical gear shifter (4×2 only)e-Shifter gear shifter (4×4 only)Locking rear differential (4×4 only)Push-button selectable drive modes
Is the Ford Everest Ambiente 4×2 safe?
The Ford Everest earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating against the 2020-2022 testing protocols.
This result was based on tests carried out on the closely related Ford Ranger ute.
The Everest scored 86 per cent for adult occupant protection, 93 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, và 86 per cent for safety assist.
Standard safety equipment includes:
Nine airbagsAutonomous emergency braking (AEB)Reverse AEBPost-impact braking
Lane-keep assist
Lane departure warning
Driver attention alert
Blind-spot monitoring Reverse camera
Front & rear parking sensors
A surround-view camera is optional as part of Touring Pack on the Trend and sport 4×4 models, and is standard on the Wildtrak and Platinum.
How much does the Ford Everest Ambiente 4×2 cost khổng lồ run?
The Everest is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, like the rest of the Ford range.
Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever xeotoford.comes first.
The first four services are priced at $329 each, which is a total of $1316. Ford nước australia also offers a four-year, 60,000km prepaid service plan which costs $1200.
Car
Expert’s Take on the Ford Everest Ambiente 4×2The Ford Everest continues to lớn be a benchmark in the Large SUV segment, even in entry-level Ambiente guise. It definitely doesn’t feel lượt thích the ugly duckling in the range.
Where it starts to xeotoford.come undone though is the fact our tester is rear-wheel drive only và is priced alongside many of mid-spec rivals that xeotoford.come with an all- or four-wheel drive system as standard.
You can get the Everest Ambiente with a full-time four-wheel drive system but you’ll be paying an extra $5000 for the privilege. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
Given the Everest is a high-riding ute-based SUV it arguably makes the least amount of sense in two-wheel drive guise. Its ute roots, however, don’t show too often as it has a delightfully xeotoford.compliant ride around town và on the freeway.
If you want the most affordable Everest possible và need seven seats, look no further. If you’ve no need for the third row, you can save some cash và stick with the standard five-seat configuration too. It’s worth noting the Everest Ambiente is the only variant khổng lồ be available with five seats.
Something else I’d rexeotoford.commend is shopping around & test driving some other unibody large SUVs because you mightn’t necessarily need a ute-based SUV.
Jack Quick is an automotive journalist based in Melbourne. Jack studied journalism and photography at Deakin University in Burwood, và previously represented the university in dance nationally. In his spare time, he loves lớn pump Charli XCX & play a bit of Grand Theft Auto. He’s also the proud owner of a blue, manual 2020 Suzuki Jimny.
Learn about Car
Expert or tương tác Car
Expert.
8
Overall Rating
Cost of Ownership | 8.5 |
Ride xeotoford.comfort | 8.5 |
Safety | 9 |
Fit for Purpose | 6 |
Handling Dynamics | 8 |
Interior Practicality & Space | 8 |
Fuel Efficiency | 8 |
Value for Money | 7 |
Performance | 8 |
Technology Infotainment | 9 |
The new Ford Everest is a standout family wagon, even in its most basic Ambiente trim. Just don't gọi it a fleet special...
No V6 option for haulers on a budget
Trend is only a small step above Ambiente 4x4 on price
Expensive relative lớn Mitsubishi, Isuzu rivals
Don’t you dare fall asleep.
Base-model family SUVs – especially in white like this particular Ford Everest Ambiente – aren’t the most exciting topic, but this particular one is a big deal.
The new Ford Everest, lượt thích the Ranger ute with which it shares its bones, represents a big step forward for its class.
It’s more refined, more powerful, & more luxurious than any of its rivals at the đứng đầu end of the range – but not everyone has $80,000 to lay down on an Everest Platinum V6.
Enter the Everest Ambiente. It’s still far from cheap, but undercuts the range-topping Platinum by close khổng lồ $20,000 in 4×4 guise.
Without flashy wheels, a leather-lined interior, & powerful V6 engine, it won’t turn heads like a Platinum on the school run. But it’s every bit as good in all the areas that count.
How much does the Ford Everest Ambiente cost?
The 2023 Ford Everest Ambiente is the cheapest model in the range, although our 4×4 tester kicks off at $58,290 before on-roads instead of the $53,290 sticker applied to lớn rear-wheel drive models.
Prices are up $300 for 2023 relative khổng lồ launch pricing on the Ambiente – a các mục of all the prices và changes is below.
Although it’s the cheapest Everest, the Ambiente isn’t cheap relative to lớn the wider world of ute-based four-wheel drives. Our tester barely undercuts the range-topping tập đoàn mitsubishi Pajero thể thao Exceed 4×4 ($59,690), and is knocking on the door of the mid-range Isuzu MU-X LS-U 4×4 ($61,400).
2023 Ford Everest pricing:
Ford Everest Ambiente 4×2 Bi-Turbo 5-seat: $53,290 (+$300)Ford Everest Ambiente 4×4 Bi-Turbo 5-seat: $58,290 (+$300)Ford Everest Trend 4×2 Bi-Turbo: $60,590 (+$300)Ford Everest thể thao 4×2 Bi-Turbo: $62,790 (NEW)Ford Everest Trend 4×4 Bi-Turbo: $65,590 (+$300)Ford Everest thể thao 4×4 V6: $69,590 (+$500)Ford Everest Platinum 4×4 V6: $77,530 (+$649)All prices include luxury car tax, if applicable, but exclude on-road costs
What is the Ford Everest Ambiente like on the inside?
With black cloth seat trim, a black dashboard, và black door trims, the Ambiente doesn’t exactly have an exciting… ambience behind the wheel. But it’s very practical, và the infotainment system is class-leading.
With a tilting and telescoping wheel, well-padded seats that acxeotoford.comodate tall drivers, và plenty of storage, the Everest is easily the best 4×4 of its kind out there if you’re planning to lớn spend long stints on the highway – at least, before you get into the Land
Cruiser realm.
The cloth trim feels soft but hard-wearing, while the armrests are pleasantly padded on both the centre console and the doors. The latter point is important, và is often overlooked by rivals. The steering wheel is nice và chubby, too.
Material unique is generally good, although there’s no escaping the fact this basic interior design serves in everything from the Ranger XL lớn the range-topping Everest Platinum. There are some awkward cuts và joins which are easier khổng lồ accept in the more workmanlike Ranger than the Everest, even in the case of our base Ambiente tester.
What isn’t workmanlike is the infotainment system. Although it’s smaller than the screen in flagship models, the 10-inch display in the Ambiente is excellent.
The software looks & feels very modern, & Ford has retained some physical buttons for frequently-used climate functions, so it’s easy khổng lồ fiddle with the temperature on the move.
The thực đơn structure is logical, & the sheer amount of screen real estate means key information isn’t buried. It’s possible khổng lồ have your mapping, radio preferences, & climate information on display all at once, for example.
Wireless hãng apple Car
Play connected flawlessly for us, although it drains the battery rapidly when you aren’t sitting on the wireless charger. A bit more processing nguồn still wouldn’t go astray though; the screen sometimes lags when you’re hopping between functions.
Most of the range shares its digital instrument cluster with the Ranger. It’s a simple, effective unit, but it’s not quite as flashy as the 12.4-inch unit standard in the Platinum.
Storage space around the cabin is plentiful. The central bin is deep, the door pockets have plenty of room, there are two cupholders on the transmission tunnel, và the slot beneath the dashboard is huge. The slot ahead of the gear selector is perfect for a large Mc
Donalds fries – no cpu crisis here.
The Everest features an upper glove box in addition to lớn the regular glove box. There are also pop-out cupholders on each end of the dash. Both of these are features are only offered on range-topping Ranger models, but are present across the entire Everest line-up.
Step into the second row & there’s plenty of room, plus a pair of USB outlets.
The slightly raised seating position will help quell sickness by affording short occupants a decent view out the front, and the tall windows mean it’s a light, airy place khổng lồ spend time. There are three top-tether mounts in the second row, and two in the third, as well as ISOFIX anchors on the outboard second-row seats.
Headroom is pretty good for tall passengers, although the tunnel (which houses the air vents) running through the centre of the roof does eat into space for the central occupant. Given it doesn’t have a sunroof, the Ambiente (like the Trend và Sport) is better for carrying rear passengers than the Platinum.
Where the Everest’s boxy new styling has most paid dividends is in the third row. There’s less wheel arch intrusion than before, which frees up more space for occupants, and headroom is generous enough to acxeotoford.comodate small adults.
Access is relatively easy with the second row slid forward và folded, & the sliding bench means you can không tính tiền up more legroom for third-row occupants by slightly xeotoford.compromising that of people in the second row.
There are vents back there, along with 12V ports. The big windows mean third-row passengers won’t feel lượt thích third-world citizens, & the curtain airbags cover all three rows of seating.
The manual tailgate on the Ambiente does take a reasonably strong pull to lớn close if you’re short, which is worth keeping in mind if you’re often trying to get the lid down with an armful of groceries.
Behind the third row, there’s 259L of cargo space, expanding to 898L with it folded and 1823L with the second row folded. With all three rows up, you can fit either two duffel bags or perhaps one suitcase, depending on its size.
What’s under the bonnet?
The 2023 Ford Everest is available with two turbo-diesel powertrains: a 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder và a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6. These engines are both available on the Ranger ute.
Standard on the Ambiente is a 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo four-cylinder engine making 154k
W of nguồn and 500Nm of torque. This is 3k
W less than the outgoing Everest, while torque is unchanged.
xeotoford.compared to the equivalent engine in the last Everest, it features new injectors, cooling fans, a new engine cover, new seals, và a host of calibration changes.
The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission & is available in rear- or full-time four-wheel drive configurations. Our tester featured four-wheel drive.
The whole range features an 80L fuel tank, although aftermarket specialist ARB offers a long-range unit as well.
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Blue is required for both the bi-turbo four-cylinder và V6 turbo-diesel. Idle start-stop is also standard across the entire range.
Claimed fuel economy for the 4×2 và 4×4 models is below:
Ambiente 4×2: 7.1 litres per 100kmAmbiente 4×4: 7.2 litres per 100km
How does the Ford Everest Ambiente drive?
There’s a sense of polish about the Everest lacking in most ute-based four-wheel drives.
The Bi-Turbo engine fires with a typically diesel clatter, but it almost immediately settles into a refined idle. There’s very little in the way of vibration through the steering wheel, & it doesn’t get gruff or shouty unless you force it to chase the redline.
As small displacement diesel engine goes, it’s damn impressive. Around town it shuffles smoothly through the tightly-stacked lower gears, & the reworked 10-speed transmission is less prone to hunting on light throttle inputs than before.
Rather than feeling caught between gears, it’s more content leaning on the engine’s torque & holding a gear from low revs. Push harder & it kicks down confidently, although occasionally it’ll need lớn drop one, two, three ratios khổng lồ find more performance. Such is the price of having so many gears.
It lacks the effortless feeling you get khung the V6 option offered higher up the range when you lean on the throttle a bit harder, but even with a few people and their kit on board it doesn’t feel underdone.
Hordes of previous-generation owners have proven the 2.0-litre diesel will happily tow a boat or caravan, even if the more powerful engine on offer in the thể thao and Platinum has proven itself more capable again in our testing.
On the optional 18-inch off-road wheels ride unique is excellent, even with just one passenger on board. The chubby tyres (at least relative khổng lồ those on the range-topping Platinum) help soften off some of the sharper edges we’ve found in the ride on top-end models.
At lower speeds, you don’t feel small, high-frequency bumps shuddering through the frame lượt thích you often vì in ute-based four-wheel drives, and at high speeds it feels impressively tied-down.
Although it’s not quite on par with a monocoque crossover for refinement, the truck-like nature that has traditionally characterised off-road capable family haulers has been buried under layers of cotton wool here. It’s more grown up than an entry-level, ute-based four-wheel drive has any right to be.
On the mở cửa road, the new Everest impresses with its refinement. Ford talked at length about the focus it placed on cutting down on unwanted noise in the cabin when it debuted the new Everest, & there’s no question it’s paid off.
At 100km/h on rural highways it’s easy to lớn have a conversation between rows one and two without straining or raising your voice, & from the front seats it’s clear how much effort has gone into keeping wind and tyre roar at bay. It lacks the superficial luxuries of the Platinum behind the wheel, but the levels of NVH refinement in the Ambiente are every bit as good.
The lane-keep assist keeps you between the trắng lines on the highway và holds the car nicely in its lane in tricky conditions, & the adaptive cruise control is smooth and smart. It’s easy to lớn see owners enjoying plenty of low-stress kilometres on the highway, and Ford deserves credit for fitting the systems range-wide.
Then again, even this base model is a pricey beast – so we’d be asking questions if they weren’t standard.
Everest 4×4 models feature a choice of 2H, 4H, và 4L modes, along with a 4A mode that offers full-time four-wheel drive on sealed surfaces. The Ambiente doesn’t get the off-road pages/modes on offer in other Everest models, however.
Although it possesses the same hardware as higher-end models, that means inexperienced owners will need lớn know when to flick into 4H/4L & activate the rear differential lock themselves instead of selecting a terrain type (mud, for example) using the shortcuts offered elsewhere in the range.
You also miss out on the very handy surround-view cameras available elsewhere in the range.
It’s less of an issue in town, where the upright bonnet và window line make the Everest easy khổng lồ place, but the camera is especially useful when cresting steep hills or dipping into tight gullies off-road.
Activating the various four-wheel drive systems is easy, và there are plenty of clear indicators as khổng lồ what’s happening under the skin to lớn make nervous off-roaders feel better.
We didn’t take the Ambiente into the wilderness, but previous experience with the Everest has revealed it’s a capable explorer. It has 226mm of ground clearance, with a wading depth of 800mm.
Approach, departure & breakover angles are 30.2, 25 and 21.9 degrees, respectively, and there’s a locking rear differential for rougher stuff. Also standard is a well-calibrated hill descent control.
What do you get?Everest Ambiente highlights:
17-inch alloy wheelsAll-season tyres17-inch steel spare wheel
LED reflector headlights
C-Shaped LED daytime running lights
Front fog lights
LED tail lights
Black side steps
Auto power-folding side mirrors
Rain-sensing wipers
Two front tow hooks
Steel underbody protection (4×4 only)8.0-inch digital instrument cluster10.1-inch Sync 4 touchscreen infotainment system
Wireless táo bị cắn dở Car
Play, android Auto
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Pass Connect embedded modem
Wireless phone charger
Eight-speaker sound system
Satellite navigation
DAB+ digital radio
Embedded voice assistant
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Pass with remote start
Dual-zone climate control5 seats (7 seats optional)Fabric upholstery8-way manual driver seat adjustment4-way manual front passenger seat adjustment
Driver floor mat
Electrochromatic rear-view mirror
Dash-mounted pull-out cupholders
Open storage shelf
Tilt & reach steering wheel adjustment
Keyless entry with push-button start
Vinyl console lid
Electronic parking brake
Conventional mechanical gear shifter (4×2 only)e-Shifter gear shifter (4×4 only)Locking rear differential (4×4 only)Push-button selectable drive modes
Ambiente 18-inch Alloy Wheel Pack ($1100, 4×4 only) adds:
18-inch alloy wheelsAll-terrain tyres
Alloy spare wheel
Tow Pack ($1700) adds:
Tow bar with integrated brake controllerBlind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage
Third Row Seat Pack ($950, Ambiente) adds:
7 seat interiorIs the Ford Everest Ambiente safe?
The Ford Everest earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating rating on the back of an 86 per cent score for adult occupant protection, a 93 per cent score for child occupant protection, a 74 per cent score for vulnerable road user protection, and an 86 per cent safety assist score.
The five-star rating applies khổng lồ the whole Everest range, and is based on tests carried out on the closely related Ford Ranger ute. For owners of cars built before August 20, 2022, that rating only applies once a software update has been installed by a dealer.
Standard safety equipment includes:
9 airbagsAutonomous emergency braking (AEB)Reverse AEBPost-impact braking
Lane departure warning
Lane keep assist
Driver attention alert
Blind-spot monitoring
Front & rear parking sensors
Reversing camera
How much does the Ford Everest Ambiente cost to lớn run?
The Everest is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty lượt thích the wider Ford range.
Maintenance is required every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, & the first five services are priced at $329 under the xanh Oval’s capped-price service program.
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Expert’s Take on the Ford Everest Ambiente
The Ambiente might be the most basic Everest, but it’s far from a poor relation.
The fact it’s so capable speaks to the unique of the bones underpinning Ford’s new family four-wheel drive, & will have some people asking whether they really need more than what the Ambiente offers.
If it’s a 4×2 mã sản phẩm you’re after, the Ambiente is where we’d be look. Likewise if you don’t need seven seats, given it’s the only model available without a third row.
But by the time you’ve added the $950 third-row package & the 18-inch alloy wheel package, the 4×4 mã sản phẩm is almost asking Trend money.
Not only does it get more standard equipment, including some that will xeotoford.come in handy off-road, it feels a bit more special behind the wheel thanks khổng lồ some choice interior improvements.
If you’re already spending $60,000 on a family car, that counts for something.
Scott Collie is an automotive journalist based in Melbourne, Australia. Scott studied journalism at RMIT University and, after a lifelong obsession with everything automotive, started covering the car industry shortly afterwards. He has a passion for travel, và is an avid Melbourne Demons supporter.
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