2015 Ford Everest unveiled – to get 2.0L EcoBoost

The 2015 Ford Everest has been unveiled in Beijing ahead of its public debut at the Guangzhou show next week, and the third-generation Ranger T6-based SUV arrives on the scene looking very much like the Everest Concept that previewed it earlier in the year.

Scheduled to be launched next year, the Australian-designed/developed seven-seater will be available in both rear-wheel drive and 4WD configurations, the latter featuring a Terrain Management System (TMS) with four distinct programmed settings (normal, sand, snow and rocky terrain).

In terms of drivetrains, the familiar four-cylinder 2.2 litre and five-cylinder 3.2 litre Duratorq TDCi turbodiesels are set to feature, but of note is a third engine option for the vehicle, which is a 2.0 litre EcoBoost petrol unit.

No outputs for the three mills were mentioned, but in the case of the oil burners things shouldn’t differ from that on the Ranger, which has 148 hp/375 Nm on the 2.2 litre and 197 hp/470 Nm on the 3.2 litre variants. Transmission options for the duo are a MT82 six-speed manual or a 6R80 six-speed automatic with SelectShift manual mode.

If the Getrag gearboxes sound familiar, they are – both are found in the Ranger (and the MT82 manual, in the new S550 Ford Mustang), but the company says the 6R80 auto ‘box has been recalibrated for use in the new Everest to offer improved refinement.

The 2.0 litre EcoBoost, meanwhile, is not the same unit currently found on the likes of the Focus ST, Escape / Kuga and Mondeo. This is the new engine that debuted alongside the Edge SUV back in June – it features a Borg-Warner twin-scroll turbocharger and a host of revisions and improvements over the original Mazda MZR-based EcoBoost lump.

For the Edge, output figures were listed as an estimated 245 hp and 366 Nm, so the Everest should likely be getting something along the lines of 230-240 hp, though we’ll know for sure when the international launch happens in 2015. The EcoBoost will be paired with the 6R80 six-speed automatic – no mention of a manual for this one.

Plenty of tech on show, from the new, spiffy-looking SYNC 2 – which comes with an eight-inch touchscreen – and auto high beam control for the HID headlamps to driving aids such as lane keeping aid, active park assist, cross traffic alert, hill ascent/descent control and adaptive cruise control (operable from 30 km/h on).

Safety-based systems include forward alert with collision mitigation, BLIS and roll stability control, as well as Curve Control, which can sense when a vehicle is entering a curve too quickly and can apply four-wheel braking and reduce engine torque to slow the vehicle by as much 16 km/h in about one second. Elsewhere, you’ll find seven airbags, rear- and front-facing cameras/sensors and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The well-appointed interior features eight-way adjustable powered front seats and second row seating, which has its own heating and air-conditioning controls, and a large two-panel moon roof. The cabin has more than 30 stowage spaces – totaling 48 litres – to ensure sufficient storage space for all occupants. Novelties include a glove box capable of stowing a 16-inch laptop and a 240 volt power outlet in the second row to charge a laptop on the go.

Elsewhere, the SUV boasts a best-in-class cargo payload of 750 kg and an additional 100 kg roof payload, along with 2,010 litres of cargo-carrying space with the seats folded down. Performance-related figures include a best-in-class 800 mm water-wading capability, 225 mm of ground clearance and a 3,000 kg towing capacity.

Five exterior colours will be available for the production Everest, these being Radiant Red, Electric Gold, Warm Sienna, Steel Blue and Carbon Grey. The SUV will be built at the FTM facility in Rayong, starting from next year.

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