Ford Everest 2015 review

The new Ford Everest is not just a new 4WD, it's the sign of things to come from Ford Australia's design and engineering base.

Meet the future of the Australian automotive industry, a world away in Thailand.

The new Ford Everest was designed from a blank piece of paper in a styling studio just metres from the historic Broadmeadows production line that will fall silent after 56 years in October 2016.

The seven-seat four-wheel-drive was torture-tested in Ford's top secret test track a stone's throw from Geelong, where Ford's engine and stamping plant will also be shuttered.

More than 1200 Australian designers and engineers -- most of them based locally but many of them posted as far away as Sweden, Mexico, Detroit and Turkey -- helped bring it to life over the past four years.

But the Everest doesn't have a 'Made In Australia' sticker even though it has local DNA.

The Everest won't be assembled here for the same well-documented reasons Holden and Toyota will follow Ford and shut their Australian car factories in 2017.

It's too expensive to make cars in Australia because of our high labour and energy costs, and there are too many competing imported brands to survive on domestic sales alone.

Exports aren't a viable option to keep factories running because we are surrounded by developing countries with cheaper overheads and bigger production capacities.

It's a little known fact Ford Australia considered building the Everest SUV and the Ranger ute in place of the Falcon and Territory, but the numbers still did not add up.

So this, then, is Australia's first foray into the brave new automotive world.

The Everest will be sold in 115 countries and built in three factories: China, India and Thailand, where Australian-delivered vehicles will be sourced.

It's also the reason Ford freighted Australian media to Thailand last week, to sample it on 'home' soil.

Ford is not entirely taking liberties with the name.

During development, the Everest was tested at 4500 metres above sea level in China (the Australian engineers had to do the trip in stages to avoid altitude sickness) and conversely it can wade through 800mm of water, deeper than any of its rivals.

But it is just as likely to be at home in the sand dunes of the Australian desert given that much of the 3 million kilometres in development testing were done Down Under.

The Everest follows -- and is closely related to -- the hugely successful Ranger ute, an updated version of which is due next month.

It marks new territory for Ford Australia, pun intended.

When the Ford Territory goes out of production with the Falcon next year, this is what will be left in showrooms for buyers wanting a seven-seat SUV.

There's just one problem. Despite Ford's best efforts, the brand-new Everest doesn't drive as well as the Territory, even though it's a 12-year-old design.

There are valid technical reasons for this. The Territory is a car-derived vehicle (suspension and major components are attached directly to the body), which is why it has a more direct connection from the steering wheel to the road.

The Everest is a heavy-duty "body on frame" vehicle; the body is connected via rubber mounts to a chassis, which in turn is connected to the steering and suspension. By the time you factor in the squishy off-road tyres, you can understand why its reflexes are not as sharp as a Territory.

The Everest feels floaty on straight roads, leans heavily in corners, tossing its weight around, and takes a moment to respond when you slam on the brakes to avoid a chicken, a dog, or an elephant, as was the case on the test drive.

The electric power steering also needs work. Ford says the pressure increases with vehicle speed, but it feels too light, lifeless and vague at any velocity, and adds to the ponderous feeling of this 2.2-tonne machine.

Indeed, one of the reasons the Ford Territory was so popular is because buyers were fleeing cumbersome 4WDs like this. Who wants to manhandle one of these in the suburbs?

Granted, the Territory cannot go as far off the beaten track as the Everest. But here's the thing: Ford is marketing the Everest as a vehicle with "luxurious" levels of on-road comfort as well as "rugged" off-road ability. Unfortunately, it only got the second one of those right.

The Everest is available with class-leading safety features such as seven airbags, a rear view camera with guiding lines and, on the dearer models at least, lane-keeping assistance, radar cruise control and forward crash alert.

It's relatively quiet thanks to noise-cancelling technology, extra noise insulation behind the dashboard and engine components that make less of a racket.

The interior is roomy and well presented, and there are soft-touch materials on the arm rest and centre console.

Only serious off-roaders should apply

But the rest of the dashboard feels like it's made from outdoor furniture plastic. Ford calls it hard wearing. I'd call it a good PR line.

Then there is the issue of price. Starting at $54,990 and stretching all the way to $77,490 plus on-road costs, the Everest is a power of money.

Ford cheekily tries to compare the Everest with the dearer Toyota Prado. But that's a much bigger vehicle, in a completely different class.

When compared against its true peers -- the Holden Colorado7, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Challenger and the upcoming Toyota Fortuner -- the Ford Everest price is not only outside the ballpark, it's off the planet.

The top-selling Isuzu MU-X and the Holden Colorado are both available from less than $45,000 drive-away (at least $13,000 less than the Ford) and their top-line models are about $50,000 drive-away.

The Everest may prove to be superior to these direct rivals (we'll find out when we test them locally) but first impressions are that the Ford is not $13,000 better than they are.