Ford Everest 2020 review: Sport 4x4

The Sport 4x4 looks like it would be the metal head in the Everest family. The one who’d be wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans and army boots, which is pretty much my entire wardrobe.

So, when our Adventure Editor Marcus ‘Crafty’ Craft dropped it over to my place for a family review I was instantly taken by what looked like an Alice Cooper special edition Everest with its 20-inch wheels, black mesh grille, blacked-out Everest lettering across the bonnet, black wing mirrors, black inserts in the front and rear bumpers, black window surround, black roof rails, black Everest badging on the tailgate and dark tinted rear windows.

The Sport 4x4 looks like it would be the metal head in the Everest family.

'Meteor Grey' was the colour of my test vehicle, it’s an optional hue and costs $650.

Inside, the Sport grade comes with door and dashboard trims in the super dark 'Raceway Blue', while the leather seats have stitching in Capital Blue and embossed 'SPORT' lettering for the front buckets.

I was instantly taken by the all-black 20-inch wheels.

Those are the Sport bits. The rest of this Everest looks much like the Trend, that it sits above in the range. An SUV based on the Ranger ute, the Everest’s dimensions are 4903mm long, 2180mm wide (with mirrors out) and 1837mm tall.

For the ground clearance, wading depth and braked towing capacity see the driving section below.

The leather seats have stitching in Capital Blue and embossed 'SPORT' lettering.

All Everest Sports are four-wheel drive and you can choose between two engines: a 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel which makes 143kW/470Nm, and a 2.0-litre twin-turbo, four-cylinder diesel making 157kW/500Nm.

Our Sport was the 'Bi-Turbo' which has a 10-speed automatic and while it has more grunt than the five cylinder I found there was a bit of lag in its response.

I’ve done a tow test with the Bi-Turbo engine in another Everest and found the 10-speed needed to be left in ‘Sport’ mode to hold gears for longer.

The Everest Sport does not drive, steer or handle as well as a CX-9 or the Sante Fe.

The four-cylinder has a six-speed auto and in my experience is better for towing, even though its braked towing capacity is less. The Everest Sport with the 2.0-litre engine has a braked towing capacity of 3100kgm (100kg more than the 3.2-litre engine).

Around town, though, apart from a little bit of hesitation in power delivery the 2.0-litre engine provides plenty of oomph for hills and overtaking.

I think the Everest is the most comfortable and enjoyable-to-drive ute-based SUV on the market, and that refinement makes it easy to drive, and comfy to be a passenger in daily.

Our Sport was the 'Bi-Turbo' which has a 10-speed automatic.

The same can’t be said for all the others. That said, expect a softer, bouncier, wobblier ride with more roll in the corners than a not ute-based SUV.

The Everest Sport does not drive, steer or handle as well as a Mazda CX-9 or the Hyundai Sante Fe, for example. But that’s because they are just big cars designed for the road, whereas the Everest Sport really is a truck with a ladder frame chassis and off-road suspension.

I didn’t go off-road in my test, but I have before, and know the Everest is incredibly talented over tough stuff. The Everest Sport has what’s called a 'Terrain Management System', which a series of four drive modes for different conditions. There’s also a low-range setting and an electronic locking rear differential.

Apart from a little bit of hesitation in power delivery the 2.0-litre engine provides plenty of oomph for hills and overtaking.

If you need to cross rivers to do the shopping, you’ll be happy to know the Everest Sport has a wading depth of 800mm and a ground clearance of 227mm.

My supermarket is just up the road, but I have to admit there were days I chose to go there in the other car I was testing – a Mazda CX-3.

The boot in the Mazda is way too small for my life, but it’s easier to park (even though the Everest has front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera). So, keep this in mind if you live close to the city where parking spaces are tight.

Those sidesteps are more than just for looks because the Everest Sport’s ride height is so elevated. Neither my five-year-old son nor five-foot-something wife could climb in or out without using them, along with the grab handles on the A- and B-pillars.

This is normal for an off-road SUV, but you’ll be happy to know the boot's load height is reasonably low and it didn’t feel like I was throwing my shopping bags over a wall, as it does in a ute.

The Sport also has a power tailgate and a proximity key which will lock and unlock the doors without leaving your pocket.

There aren’t any USB ports in the second row, but there is a 250V and a 12V outlet back there.

Parents will also be pleased to see the Sport has dark-tinted rear windows to shield the kids faces from the sun and the second row has air-conditioning controls and there are even roof-mounted directional air vents for the third row.

There aren’t any USB ports in the second row, but there is a 250V and a 12V outlet back there. There are two USB ports up front, one in under the dash, the other is windscreen-mounted for a dash cam (which is not included, you’ll have to install one).

Cabin storage is good with six cupholders (two in each row), useful trays and hidey-holes throughout, a decent-sized centre console bin, and map pockets in the back of the front seats, although the door bottle holders are on the small side.

The Ford Everest scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2015. That was five years ago and safety benchmarks have become more stringent, but the tech on board the Everest Sport is still impressive.

Coming standard is AEB with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance and traffic sign recognition.

Curtain airbags extend the entire way to cover the third row.

The Ford Everest scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating.

For child seats there are two ISOFIX mounts and three top tether points in the second row and another two top tethers in the third row.

I found it super easy to install my son’s top tether seat in the second row.

Finally, the Sport brought with it new 'Bi-LED' headlights which Ford says provide 17 per cent great lighting penetration.

A full-sized alloy wheel is located under the vehicle (see the images).

The Everest Sport is covered by Ford’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 15,000km and it’s capped at $299 per regular service for the first four visits, and then $365 for the fifth.

Ford says the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and six-speed auto should use 7.0L/100km over a combination of open and urban roads. That’s 1.5L/100km less than the 3.2-litre engine.

After mainly urban duties the tip computer in the Everest Sport was recording an average of 11.1L/100km.