2022 Ford Everest (3rd Generation)

Will the new Ford Everest Tremor come to SA?

The new Ford Everest Tremor boasts all manner of off-road goodies as well as a V6 heart (unlike its 4-pot Ranger Tremor sibling). But will this uprated adventure SUV come to SA?

This is the new Ford Everest Tremor, an off-road-ready, V6-powered version of the Blue Oval brand’s 7-seater adventure SUV. For now, it’s been confirmed only for the Australian market, but will it eventually come to South Africa, too?

Well, we asked Ford South Africa that very question. Unfortunately, the Dearborn-based firm’s local division could tell us only that it “does not comment on future models”. That’s not a “no”, at least…

Considering Mzansi sources its Everest units from the same Rayong manufacturing facility in Thailand as Australia does, there’s certainly a chance that the Tremor-badged SUV will eventually reach local shores. But with production expected to commence only in November 2024, we’d speculate any such introduction would take place only in 2025.

So, what exactly makes an Everest Tremor? Well, before we delve into the off-road details, it’s worth noting that the Australian-spec model employs Ford’s 184 kW/600 Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine (driving all 4 wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission), rather than the 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel motor used in the Tremor-badged Ranger bakkie available in Mzansi.

 
GWM Tank 500 vs Ford Everest: What Should You Buy?

How well does the recently launched GWM Tank 500 stack up against one of the Adventure SUV segment’s most formidable products – the Ford Everest? And, which one of these SUVs represents a stronger buying proposition? Let’s take a closer look!

Since its local launch in 2022, the 3rd-gen Ford Everest has gained a strong following in our market; it’s the 2nd-best-selling bakkie-based 7-seater behind the formidable Toyota Fortuner (September 2024).

For context, in the first 7 months of 2024, the Everest racked up 1 856 sales while the Fortuner managed to sell an incredible 5 700 units over the same period. However, bear in mind that the Ford has a larger footprint and newer tech than the Toyota. Therefore, it commands a premium over its Japanese rival.

What should you buy: GWM Tank 500 or Ford Everest?

As it strives to provide excellent value and aftermarket support to its growing customer base, GWM also aims to shatter the perception that it is “a bakkie brand”. Given the success it has achieved with Haval, the Tank and Ora sub-brands are well poised to increase the Chinese automotive giant’s foothold.

To that end, the Tank 500 – with its flashy exterior styling, an elegantly executed interior and a generous list of standard features – makes a bold statement, which many buyers will be attracted to. The package, however, is let down by its middling on-road performance and seemingly poor fuel consumption.

Nonetheless, the Tank 500 offers “a lot of SUV” for its asking price and GWM’s impressive warranty will certainly give buyers peace of mind. We wouldn’t be surprised to see many more Tank 500s on South African roads and we can’t wait to spend more time with the model to evaluate it fully!

 
Ford Everest Wildtrak (2024) Living with it

Price and after-sales support

The Ford Everest 3.0TD V6 4WD Wildtrak retails for R1 199 500, which includes a 4-year/120 000 km warranty, 4-year/unlimited distance Roadside Assistance and 5-year/unlimited distance corrosion warranty. The recommended service interval is 15 000 km or annually, whichever occurs first.

In line with the Right to Repair legislation, customers can purchase service or maintenance plans of up to 8 years or 165 000 km, and the warranty can be extended to 7 years/200 000 km.

Summary

By adding V6 options to its ladder-frame-based SUV lineup, Ford has bestowed the Everest range with halo products that neither Toyota, Mitsubishi, nor Isuzu respectively provide in their Adventure SUVs.

There’s something as innately South African about a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder SUV that bears a Blue Oval on its nose as braaiing and beers in the bushveld. To be fair, given its R240k-or-so price premium, the Everest Wildtrak V6 doesn’t truly compete with the flagship Toyota Fortuner – it’s a more upmarket product.

The Ford Everest Wildtrak may be the lower-specced V6-engined derivative in its line-up, but it’s no piecemeal offering. Ignoring the heart-or-head-conundrum demanded by its lofty price point, it’s still the cheapest new V6-powered Adventure SUV you can buy in SA. Now that’s an overachieving middle child.


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Sibling rivalry: Which Ford Everest V6 to choose

The Ford Everest is distinguished from other Adventure SUVs in various ways, such as having 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel variants in its line-up. But should buyers who need all that torque in their lives opt for a Platinum, or save money and get a Wildtrak instead?

It’s hard to believe the 3rd-gen Ford Everest has been around for more than 2 years. Like its predecessor, the Ford is still battling to knock the (now decade-old) Toyota Fortuner off its perch atop the sales charts despite the fact it’s a comparatively more advanced model than its Japanese rival. FMCSA doesn’t see it that way, though: it suggests the Ranger-based 7-seater is an alternative to the Land Cruiser Prado.

Out of the starting blocks, at its launch, Ford went straight for the jugular by introducing a halo model that the Fortuner (and indeed the pricier new Prado) range so painfully lacks: a V6 turbodiesel engine, then solely fitted to the flagship Platinum derivative, which now retails for R1 278 000 (January 2025).

Six months later Ford added another V6-engined variant, but in Wildtrak trim. The variant, the subject of my recent Ford Everest Wildtrak (2024) Living with it article, is listed at R1 199 500 (January 2025).

 
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