BANGKOK: The bold new Ford Everest made its debut during the 36th Bangkok International Motor Show, and was built on its predecessor’s reputation for being a durable and rugged seven-seater off-road sport utility vehicle (SUV).

According to Ford ASEAN president Matt Bradley, “It’s a completely new vehicle inside and out with a host of first-in-class features,” which includes dual-panel moon roof, and power-folding third-row seats.

For a quieter cabin, the Everest has been equipped with Active Noise Cancellation technology via three strategically placed microphones inside the cabin.

It detects and measures sounds and a control module outputs an opposing sound wave to cancel out the unpleasant noise through its sound system.

Designed from scratch with the durability in mind, the company is looking to claim the crown for being the toughest SUV in its segment with its body-on-frame design, made with high-strength Boron Steel for better rigidity.

The Thailand market will see the Everest emerge with a 3.2-litre five-cylinder or 2.2-litre four-cylinder Duratorq turbo-diesel engine mated to a six-speed automatic or manual transmission.

The 3.2-litre turbo-diesel mill produces 197bhp and 470Nm of torque while the smaller displacing 2.2-liter is rated at 158bhp and 385 Nm of torque.

For better ease of navigating through difficult terrain, the Everest has been equipped with an intelligent four-wheel drive system, an active transfer case with Torque on Demand, Terrain Management System, ground clearance of 225mm and water-wading capability of 800mm.

The Terrain Management System provides four preset settings of Normal, Snow/Gravel/Grass, Sand and Rock, which alters the vehicle’s throttle response, transmission, intelligent four-wheel drive system and traction control accordingly.

For extreme off-road environments, drivers can manually lock the transfer case in low-range four-wheel drive mode.

The Everest sits on coil springs for the front and rear suspension while the rear axle makes use of a Watt’s linkage – all of which combines for a comfortable, stable ride with agile and predictable handling on the road.

Ford’s SYNC 2 provides drivers with in-car connectivity via voice command to control the entertainment system, climate controls and connected mobile devices

For the Thailand entertainment, an eight-inch touchscreen with colour-coded corners for menu navigation powers up the 10-speaker sound system with an integrated subwoofer.

The list of safety equipment in the Everest includes seven airbags, Curve Control, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert, Roll Stability Control and an Electronic Stability Program with traction control and hands-free Active Park Assist.

The new Ford Everest will be manufactured at AutoAlliance Thailand in Rayong, Thailand.

Keywords