You could describe us as experts on the Ford Ranger chassis and related creations here in the Arena Holdings Motoring corner.
Obviously, we pore over every car that comes through for evaluation with the same level of scrutiny, but over the last few years, we’ve had more Ranger long-term specimens than a person has fingers. The blue oval brand is clearly confident about its products.
From the XLT to the Tremor, Wildtrak-X, and even the Raptor, which our colleagues at Business Day Motor News are currently evaluating, our basement parking has seen them all. Include the badge-engineered Volkswagen Amarok in that mix, which you may recall was our six-month test subject during 2024, in standard workhorse trim.
While the Everest has obvious differences, and is aimed at another audience entirely, its underpinnings are nigh-on identical to that of the award-winning bakkie. Three months ago, we signed up for an extended period with the swankiest derivative of the lot, the Platinum grade, with an equally lofty price tag of R1.3m – making it the most expensive among the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.
As we reported in recent missives, the refinement, cabin plushness, and standard of equipment are at a high enough level to warrant the outlay. It disguises its heavy-duty roots convincingly, evincing textures that are more suited to products with more premium emblems on their noses.
Following our introductory piece and last month’s account of all the vehicle’s impressive connectivity offerings – now that the run-in protocol has been observed, it is time to have a closer look at fuel economy.
When the vehicle was delivered, it had a mere 300km on the odometer; now it currently sits on 1,800km. The owner’s manual outlines a breaking-in mileage of 1,600km, during which the engine shouldn’t be laboured, and towing is ill-advised. It also recommends a very specific 480km period for new tyres to be properly run in.
Indeed, the car had been driven as gently as advised over the past two months. Average consumption has settled at the 11.3l/100km mark, but we anticipate this may even improve with the engine having expanded its proverbial lungs a tad.
The fuel light was on, and the indicated range was 35km upon leaving our Parktown office yesterday. At the filling station down the road, the Everest was treated to R1,000 of 50PPM diesel, yielding a range of 380km, displaying just over half a tank on the instrument cluster’s graphic.
At that point, the trip data was reset. A filling station closer to my home has advertised the imminent stocking of 10PPM diesel, so we hope to nourish the Ford with that superior blend by default, going forward.
This motor has already demonstrated to be frugal at a leisurely pace on the open road: a short while into my trek down the M1 freeway, it had dropped down into the late 6l/100km. One had hoped to keep coasting along as steadily as possible, but the inevitable slowdown of traffic scuppered those plans.
Negotiating stop-and-go congestion means using the accelerator. Crossing from the M1 to the N1 saw conditions improve a little, and by the time we had exited at the Gordon Road off-ramp, the Everest was sitting at 8l/100km. Pulling into my parking bay after tackling more stop-and-go through the intersections of the suburb, the readout showed 8.6l/100km.
It was mostly highway driving, yes, but that is still nothing to sneeze at, given the dimensions and heft of the vehicle. We will report back on what the new average is since the reset after completing 1,000km.
Of the various driving modes on offer, activated through a rotary dial, it has become a habit to engage the most efficient Eco setting before driving off.
The 3.0l unit deployed in the Platinum is well-hushed and appears relatively “clean” – quotation marks because of the usual diesel paradox. Its single tailpipe does not seem to produce as much soot, nor is the diesel aroma especially pronounced.
This is largely thanks to the efforts of a powerful selective catalytic reduction system, limiting emissions from oxides of nitrogen. Part of the system involves the use of AdBlue additive. A separate tank for the solution measures 18l in capacity, located next to the diesel filler mouth, marked accordingly with a blue cap. AdBlue levels can be monitored on the instrument cluster.
But this is something we will unlikely be concerned about for the next few thousand kilometres – replenishing the tank means a visit to a Ford dealership.
One last thing: in our October report there was a complaint about the noisy blip of the horn on locking the vehicle. A Ford representative helped us deactivate this by guiding us through the relevant settings within the car’s interface. My neighbours are happy.
LONG-TERM UPDATE 3 | Ford Everest Platinum 3.0TD V6 4WD
ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 300km
CURRENT ODOMETER: 1,800km
PRAISES: Brawny V6 shove without crying as deeply as your Raptor-driving friends at the fuel pumps.
GRIPES: Hard to keep that gleaming “Snowflake White” paintwork clean.
AVERAGE CONSUMPTION: 11.3l/100km; 8.6l/100km after being reset 50km earlier
