2026 Ford Everest, quick drive

If you’re after a motoring-related example of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, the Ford Everest might be one of the best examples. At least on first glance.

The Everest has always been a strong performer in the gruff, go-anywhere 7-seater SUV segment. But, upon its launch in 2022, the nameplate really came into its stride. Boasting the most refined and polished version of Ford’s T6 platform, paired to a new V6, a roomier cabin, and more distinctive styling, it quickly became a sales smash on both sides of the Tasman. 

The culling of the diesel-hampering Clean Car Discount no doubt gave the body-on-frame Everest a bit of a helping hand in the market, too. 

Getting our hands on the MY2026.5 Everest for the first time at its Australasian launch in Melbourne earlier this month, first impressions are that not a lot has changed. Barring the introduction of some new colours (Acacia Green is particularly fetching), its interior and exterior look more or less the same. 

But, there’s at least one sizeable change, and that’s the addition of a new powertrain. The popular 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel is still there, unchanged. But it now has a new small-capacity sidekick — a single-turbo 2.0-litre 4-cylinder that makes less power and less torque than its bi-turbo predecessor.

It begs the inevitable question; is the new 4-cylinder a surprise backwards step, or is it more than the sum of its parts? 

How much does the Ford Everest cost?

In a climate where everything feels like it’s only getting more expensive, Ford has done the unthinkable and made the updated Everest cheaper. This chiefly comes via the introduction of a new $68,990 Active trim, which is some six grand cheaper than the Trend variant it replaces in the line-up. 

The Sport in 2.0-litre guise has also been given a helpful price cut of $4000 to give it a $77,490 retail plus on-road costs. The Sport is also available with a V6, for an additional $8500 outlay. The remainder of the V6 grades — Wildtrak, Tremor and Platinum — have all had a slight price lift. The line-up now tops out at $93,490 for the plush Platinum V6. 

New Zealand misses out on the Black Edition, which would’ve plugged the gap between the Active and Sport.

Even with the price increases, the Everest is still cheaper across the board than its main competitor, the $85,490–$107,490 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. It’s also more affordably priced at its bottom end than the $79,990–$82,990 Isuzu MU-X and $74,990–$77,990 GWM Tank 500 (the latter coming in plug-in hybrid and conventional hybrid forms). 

The likes of the LDV D90, Mahindra Scorpio-N, and KGM Rexton all undercut the Everest, with arguably the most compelling cheaper alternative being the long-in-the-tooth but proven $64,990–$67,990 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. 

What’s the Ford Everest like inside? 

I’d say that the interior of the Everest is ‘more evolution than revolution’, but there’s really not a lot to report in terms of actual changes as part of this year’s update. 

The main tweak inside is the shuffling of certain features. All models down to Sport now come with a 360-degree camera (previously only available on Wildtrak and up), whilst the 12.4-inch ‘coast to coast’ digital cluster is now a Platinum exclusive. There’s also a new trailer connection alarm system that issues an app alert and sets off the car’s alarm if a trailer is disconnected when the car is locked.

The Active is broadly similar in spec to the outgoing Trend, with features like the 12-inch portrait touchscreen, wireless phone mirroring, dual-zone climate control, LED headlights and fog lights, and FordPass Connect app functionality all standard. Ford notes that it’s also given customers the option of taking out the third row of seats in the adventure-ready Tremor.

Pushing aside all the spec conversations, the Everest’s interior remains one of the most welcoming and practical in the ladder-chassis 7-seater SUV segment. 

Ford’s last big update to the T6 platform saw them extend the model’s wheelbase in order to improve interior space in both the Ranger and Everest, subsequently leading to a healthy improvement in rear legroom. The third row is a squeeze for adults, but compares well to most of the Everest’s direct peers. 

To top things off, the Everest’s boot is enormous, offering 898-litres with the third row folded flat and a solid 259-litres when the third row is in place. This area remains one of the biggest deficits between the Everest and its closest rival, the Prado. The Prado’s hybrid hardware, mounted in the SUV’s rear end, led to big concessions in boot space — particularly in 7-seater trims where an awkward raised storage box takes up plenty of real estate.

The Platinum feels very nicely appointed inside, and Ford has taken care to ensure all Everest variants have plenty of welcoming materials on its key touch points. We also appreciate the branded touches Ford has added to make the Wildtrak and Tremor feel distinct inside. And on the tech front, SYNC 4 has been around a few years now, but is still one of the smoothest and best presented software interfaces around. 

What’s under the bonnet? 

Again, the big, popular 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel returns once more and is expected to account for a considerable percentage of Everest sales in both Australia and New Zealand. Making 184kW of power and 600Nm of torque, and paired to Ford’s familiar 10-speed automatic, it marches on unchanged for 2026. 

The bigger story is of course the other engine in the stable, the new 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel.

As previously reported the Transit-derived 2.0 is a single turbo unit, as opposed to its defunct bi-turbo predecessor. It makes less power and torque than the old bi-turbo, churning out 125kW/405Nm; a 32kW/145Nm drop. Not only is that less guts than the bi-turbo, but it’s also down in both metrics relative to Toyota, Mitsubishi, and — well — every other body-on-frame SUV in class barring the Mahindra Scorpio-N and the 1.9-litre base Isuzu MU-X not offered in New Zealand.

But, the numbers only tell part of the story … at least according to Ford. It says that the new 2.0-litre is the most responsive diesel it’s ever produced. It’s also said to have improved fuel economy, although that isn’t reflected in Ford’s own on-paper numbers given that the 7.1L/100km claim is the same as the outgoing bi-turbo’s claim. Locally, Rightcar lists the Everest 2.0 at 8.2L/100km — 0.1L/100km better than the old one. Hmm. 

How does the Ford Everest drive? 

Our fang of the Everest was a quick mixture of motorway, rural roads, and some more specialised driving on the test tracks and trails of Ford’s You Yangs Proving Ground. And most of our time was spent behind the wheel of the 2.0-litre Sport. The new engine is an interesting one, with a few big positives and one inevitable cost.

To get the obvious out of the way, the 2.0-litre isn’t as quick as the old bi-turbo. Ford’s claims that the deficit isn’t something you’ll notice unless you drive the two powertrains back to back doesn’t quite ring true. I’ll give them some credit; the new engine is quite responsive whether you’re prodding it from a standstill or if you’re already travelling at motoring speeds. It’s just that it runs out of puff pretty quickly and lacks the outgoing engine’s mid-range punch. 

Ford says that the 2.0’s real-world performance stands up on its own two feet relative to segment rivals, and I would say that largely holds true. In ordinary commuting conditions, the 2.0-litre feels comparable in its abilities to an Isuzu MU-X’s 3.0-litre and the Prado’s 2.8-litre mild hybrid. I’m interested to see whether that still holds true with respect to towing performance (it is rated to tow an unchanged 3500kg braked).

Of course, most customers that tow regularly are expected to opt for the V6 anyway. 

Where I felt the 2.0-litre did deliver was in its fuel economy numbers. Now granted, our drive was somewhat brief and propped up by quite a lot of motoring running. But, it was nevertheless impressive to see figures in the ballpark of 7.5L/100km be achieved without much effort. I’ve previously struggled to achieve combined real-world economy numbers beneath 9.0L/100km in 2.0-litre bi-turbo Rangers and Everests in the past. 

The new 2.0 also feels a little smoother and quieter in its operations than the bi-turbo. Ford notes that the powertrain has benefited from a new fuel pump, new injectors, and steel pistons. It’s also now chain driven as opposed to wet belt driven, which should mean improved reliability. 

What about everything else beyond the 2.0-litre? Well, the Everest is still a very capable off-roader for one. A locking rear differential, a slick hill descent control system, short front and rear overhangs, and a very usable suite of off-roading tech (including numerous useful live camera views) makes gravel bashing a breeze. The Tremor, with its Bilstein dampers, wider track and all-terrain rubber, is a go-to pick in the segment for anyone wanting to prioritise outdoor capability.

On the road, the Everest is still a comfort standout. Its suspension, even in the aforementioned Tremor trim, is exceptional at ironing out bumps and cloaking its body-on-frame underpinnings in a way that the likes of the Prado simply cannot match. 

What do you get?

Just like its Ranger counterpart, the current generation Everest reset the bar for tech and feature expectations in the ‘ute with a boot’ segment when it first launched. Whilst the GWM Tank 500 in particular gives it a good run for its money with respect to standard features these days, the Everest is still right at the pointy end. 

Ford Everest Active equipment highlights: 

• Daytime running lights
• LED front fog lights and headlights
• 18-inch wheels
• 8.0-inch digital cluster
• Dual-zone climate control
• 12-inch touchscreen
• 8-speaker sound system
• Modem and FordPass Connect
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Wireless device charger
• Manual fold third-row seat
• Manual driver seat with lumbar adjustment
• Leather-appointed upholstery
• Adaptive cruise control
• Traffic sign recognition
• Lane keep assist
• Blind spot monitoring
• Front parking sensors
• Trailer tow assist
• Cross-traffic assist
• Side steps

Sport adds:

• Zone lighting 
• 20-inch wheels
• Heated and cooled front seats
• Power-operated front seats
• 360-degree camera

Wildtrak adds:

• Panoramic moon roof
• Power-folding third-row seats
• ‘Wildtrak’ interior badging
• Wildtrak front bumper design

Platinum adds:

• 21-inch wheels
• 12.4-inch digital cluster
• B&O sound system
• Heated second-row seats
• Chrome exterior highlights
• ‘Platinum’ interior badging

Tremor adds: 

• All-terrain tyres
• 17-inch wheels
• 8.0-inch digital cluster
• 8-speaker sound system
• Bilstein dampers
• ‘Rock Crawl’ drive mode
• Extended wheel arches
• Heavy-duty running boards
• ‘Tremor’ interior badging

CarExpert’s take on the Ford Everest

Shock horror, the Everest is still a comfortable, capable, and very practical family hauler in 2026. And thanks to the addition of a reworked entry-level grade, the barrier to entry has never been as accessible. The incremental feature updates and fresh colour options are the icing on the cake. 

The new 2.0-litre might not look all too tempting on paper, but in the real world — particularly with diesel prices still sitting very high — its improved economy could strike a chord with certain buyers. We’re keen to see how replicable our initial impressions are with a larger sample drive in the coming months. 

Even with less power on tap, the Everest is still an Everest at the end of the day. There aren’t many SUVs on the market that combine this level of polish, ability, and handsome styling. For most customers shopping for a large family wagon, this is still going to be a go-to pick.