2018 Ford Everest vs 2019

What's the difference?

The current Ford Everest has earned numerous awards and widespread praise from the motoring media since its release in 2015. So it's unsurprising that In 2018, with more variants being available at lower price points, the Everest has enjoyed a sales surge of more than 50 per cent compared to the same time last year, and it now holds a much healthier five per cent share of the large under-$70K SUV market.

Even so, its sales still fall way short of Toyota’s dominant segment leader, the Prado, which commands more than 16 per cent of the market. Given the runaway success of Ford’s multi-award-winning Ranger ute, which was Australia’s top-selling 4x4 in 2017 (and from which this SUV is derived), the Everest’s relatively small sales raise questions about differing buyer preferences between Australia’s ute and SUV segments.

Given this apparent disparity between Ranger and Everest desirability, we thought it timely to take a fresh look at the 2018 Ford Everest range in search of some answers.

Update:

Since we first published this story on August 24, 2018, there have been some changes to the Ford Everest range, including the entry-level Everest Ambiente (RWD and 4WD variants) getting advanced driver-assist safety systems, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, at no extra cost. 

The Ambiente also now gets lane-keep assist with driver alert, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beams. That's all in addition to the line-up's reversing camera, rear parking sensors, roll-over mitigation, trailer sway control and more.

The 4WD Ambiente also gets hill descent control, hill launch assist and an electronically locking rear differential.

In other Everest news, the top-shelf 2.0-litre twin-turbo Everest Titanium 4WD has dropped in price to $72,290 so it now avoids the luxury car tax.

Changes are rumored to be coming soon for the Ford Ranger range – perhaps towards the end of 2019 – and those changes may also materialise in the next update of the Everest line-up.

Stay tuned for more Ford Everest news. 

As originally published August 24, 2018:

Change is good but there will always be some who become enraged at the mere hint of it. Case in point: those who strongly dislike 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engines. 

In February this year, when just such an engine was revealed as the powerplant of choice for Ford’s high-performance ute, the Ranger Raptor, CarsGuide comments, online chat rooms and beer gardens everywhere echoed with acid-tongued complaint and hearty objections that included such pearls of wisdom as “The only good two litres are milk and orange juice”.

Well, it looks like some of us have a bitter pill to swallow because that 2.0-litre engine is now in the new, refreshed MY19 Everest, Ford’s large SUV wagon, as well – and it’s here to stay. But don’t fret because the 3.2-litre five-cylinder engine remains in the Everest ranks.

In other good news, the 2019 Everest has AEB.

Any bad news? Maybe. Read on.