Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the official importer and distributor of Ford vehicles in Malaysia have again teased their new SUV, the Everest. It’s scheduled to arrive here within the fourth quarter this year, and will be offered with two engine choices – 2.2-litre and 3.2-litre Duratorq diesel engines.
Both engines are sourced from the facelifted Ranger pickup, with the smaller 2.2-litre producing 158 hp and 385 Nm of torque. The 3.2-litre engine on the other hand, makes 197 hp and 470 Nm of torque. Both powertrains are mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox, sending drive to the part-time four wheel drive system (variant dependent).
Having seen just how good looking Toyota’s new Fortuner is just earlier today, it’s hard to fall back on the Everest’s more rounded, Ranger-esque appeal. But if there’s any good takeaway for the observed shift in purchasing habits lately, it is what’s underneath the surface that counts.
We’ve come to terms that the Everest is simply no match for the new Fortuner on the outside, but Everest owners will be subjected to quite a treat sitting inside this seven-seat SUV. For starters, it boasts having over 30 cleverly positioned stowage spaces and comes with Active Noise Cancellation. It works by using three separate microphones to detect and measure noise. Once that’s done, the computer will generate opposing sound waves to subdue the noise through the speakers.
From our pictures, we could tell that the range topping Everest will come with tri-zone auto air conditioning system, Active Adaptive Cruise Control with autonomous braking, on-the-fly electronic differential switch, touchscreen head unit with GPS navigation, heated seats (possibly cooling function too), front and rear parking sensors as well as reverse camera.
Now, for the price. SDAC remains tight lipped on the Everest’s pricing, but we can expect the 2.2-litre variant to be priced around the RM150k to RM160k mark, while the 3.2-litre SUV will cost somewhere around the RM200k figure. We’ll be flying up to Thailand to review them both in the next two weeks, so be sure to stay tuned for our full review!
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