Ford Everest vs Cupra Formentor

What's the difference?

The standard Ford Everest – powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbo or a V6 – is a nicely refined, comfortable and capable 4WD with plenty of potential as a touring vehicle.

The Tremor treatment doesn’t turn the Everest into a Raptor-esque Everest but it does offer low-key substantial off-road improvements to what was already an impressive 4WD wagon.

This sensible package of upgrades – more ground clearance, off-road-suited suspension, and decent all-terrain tyres – gives this Everest a mild 4WD boost.

The Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition offers some great luxury features and is coupled with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that should entice those wanting something more efficient than the standard petrol grade. It's peak efficiency is only available with a fair amount of charging commitment, though, and the driving comfort isn’t always the best but its fun and looks hot. The price point also makes it appealing compared to its rivals.

Lift any vehicle a few millimetres and throw decent all-terrain tyres on it and that one-two combination instantly gives the vehicle more track-cred. 

And so it goes for the Everest Tremor.

But there’s more going on here than simply increased height and a swap-out of rubber over standard Everests.

As mentioned, it gets Bilstein dampers, new springs, and tough all-terrain tyres which combine to give the Tremor a solid presence.

The new honeycomb-pattern grille with auxiliary LED lights, quite visible steel bash plate, pronounced heavy-duty side steps and orange Tremor branding add to the package.

And inside it gets those Tremor-specific touches, such as the leather-accented seats embossed with Tremor branding, ebony-coloured interior accents and all-weather floor mats.

The Cupra Formentor sounds like a Transformers name and if it were one, it’d be a Decepticon, for sure. It’s way too sharply styled and sexy to be a good guy. 

The special-edition model sees it paired with black and copper 19-inch alloy wheels and every design aspect doubles down on its sports-car presence from the crisp pleating across the body, to the twin exhausts and shapely grille. And this sporty presence is what its rivals lack.

Head inside and you'll notice the biggest change from the standard VZe model are the sport bucket seats in the front and the blue leather upholstery that has been liberally applied across the cabin.

The dashboard features gorgeous copper accents and contrasting stitching while being headlined with large tech screens that immediately catch your eye.

The interior has a killer design but it's not one you'd call plush as the edges and surfaces are as sharp as they look.

The Tremor cabin is a comfortably familiar interior – it’s functional and roomy and so scores well in terms of overall practicality.

Driver and front passenger have easy access to storage options, such as the centre console, cupholders, door pockets and a shelf for your everyday-carry stuff as well as charging points (wireless charger, USB and USB-C sockets).

There’s plenty of space for the driver and all passengers (front, second and third row), and the seats are supportive and comfortable, even in the third row.

While that pew is a straight-up-and-down set-up it still manages not to be a complete punishment for those passengers.

Those in the second row get a fold-down centre armrest, door pockets and map pockets as well as air con vents and controls.

The rear cargo area has standard Everest features – with cargo tie-down points and a 12-volt outlet.

A niggle, and one I’ve found in other new-generation Fords, is the multimedia system. It's a decent size with clear and crisp colours and is easy to operate, but I needed to repeatedly stab a finger onto the screen in order to work my way through menus and sub-menus to figure it all out.

My advice is get your head around all of the multimedia system’s functionality while the vehicle is stationary because, to me, some of the screen workings are counter-intuitive and it’s easier and safer to learn all of that while the vehicle is not moving.

Also, the fact some controls are on-screen and some are off it creates more than a little confusion.

For something that leans more towards a sports car than SUV in its styling, the cabin is still fairly practical when it comes to space and access.

Front occupants enjoy the best of each, though, and it's easy enough for a taller driver to get into a comfortable position.

The rear row offers excellent headroom but the legroom may be cramped for a tall passenger. It's best to think of the car as a four-seater as the middle armrest won't go down when there is a car seat installed.

In terms of seat comfort, fatigue will set in early on a long trip for front rowers as they are decidedly hard under the butt but the padding is a lot better in the rear row.

Overall, storage options and amenities are great throughout the car with the tri-zone climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel functions giving a premium cabin experience.

The glove box is extra large and can easily fit a small handbag and a manual while the middle console is on the small side. There are four cupholders and drink bottle holders (4/4) but the front cupholders need to be spaced out more to accommodate two cups properly. A few loose coffee lids were had!

In the rear you also get two map pockets and the boot has 345L of capacity available which is on the tiny side for a medium SUV! However, the wide boot aperture tricks you into thinking it’s bigger and the powered tailgate is always a handy feature.

Technology looks great but the multimedia system is finicky to use and one that takes a while to get used to. At first it's difficult to recognise what you have to touch to access the different menus available but the screen is responsive and the graphics are clear.

The built-in satellite navigation is easy to use, and the Tribe Edition also has wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four USB-C ports, a wireless charging pad and a 12-volt socket.

There are usually three variants available for the Formentor; the base V petrol model, the mid-spec VZe plug-in hybrid and the range-topping VZx petrol.

The Tribe Edition pairs the plug-in hybrid powertrain with some of the features you get in the VZx, making it technically sit right below the top model, despite being $2200 more expensive at $67,990 MSRP.

Yet still it offers great value compared to its luxury rivals, the Lexus NX350h Luxury Hybrid which sits at $71,600 MSRP and the Peugeot 3008 GT Sport Plug-in hybrid which starts at $82,915 MSRP, without feeling like the poor cousin.

For a $3K price hike over the standard VZe model, you enjoy heated front seats, sport bucket front seats, 'Petrol Blue' leather upholstery throughout the cabin, black and copper 19-inch alloy wheels, a black headliner, a 360-degree view camera and a powered drivers seat with memory and lumbar function.

Other standard equipment includes keyless entry and start, powered tailgate, heated steering wheel, dusk-sensing LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, auto-start/stop function and a tyre repair kit and inflator.

Technology looks top-tier with the 12-inch touchscreen multimedia system with built-in satellite navigation, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, tri-zone climate control, wired and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, four USB-C ports, Bluetooth, AM/FM radio, digital radio and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

As mentioned right at the start, the Everest Tremor has a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine – producing 184kW at 3250rpm and 600Nm at 1750-2250rpm – and that’s matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

It also gets the line-up’s full-time 4WD system. This system has selectable two-wheel drive (2H), four-wheel drive high-range (4H), four-wheel drive low-range (4L) and four-wheel drive automatic (4A = 4Auto) that sends drive to the front and rear axles as needed, and which can be safely used on high-traction surfaces, such as bitumen.

The VZe Tribe Edition is a plug-in hybrid that has an electric motor that produces up to 85kW/330Nm. This is paired with a 1.4L four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. Together, they produce outputs of up to 180kW and 400Nm.

However, once the lithium-ion battery is depleted, those figures drop to 110kW/250Nm and you notice the difference on the open road. 

The Tribe has a smooth six-speed automatic transmission and can do a 0-100km/h sprint in 7.0-seconds. Not crazy fast but still fun.

The Tremor has the highest listed fuel consumption of the Everest line-up: 9.5L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

I recorded an average of 11.2L/100km on this test.

The Tremor has an 80-litre fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 714km from a full tank.

Worth noting the Tremor requires AdBlue diesel-exhaust fluid.

Like all plug-in hybrids, you get the best efficiency if you recharge the Tribe often. If you want to get close to the official combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel cycle figure of 1.9L/100km you need to charge it every single time you use it.

Following this procedure over 347km of a mix of open and city driving, saw the real-world usage pop out at 2.3L/100km, which is outstanding.

However, the second half of the week saw 336km travelled and no recharge and the real-world usage stepped up considerably to 6.0L.

With its 40L fuel tank, you have a theoretical driving range of up to 2105km but expect less in real-world conditions. Worth noting Cupra recommends a minimum 95 RON unleaded petrol for this model.

The Tribe has a lithium-ion battery with a usable 10.9kWh capacity and the claimed pure EV range is up to 58km, as well as, a claimed 14.1kWh energy consumption figure.

Over my week with it, the consumption hovered around 22.8kWh/100km when cruising on the highway going 100km/h.

Overall, the Tremor is nice to drive on road. It’s quiet, refined and comfortable and the engine and transmission make a cluey, unstressed pairing.

However, the Tremor’s suspension – engineered to improve the vehicle’s off-road capability – is firm through sections of back-country bitumen and even mildly corrugated bush tracks. 

Also, this Everest’s all-terrain tyres don’t help ride quality or noise levels on sealed surfaces. But that’s no surprise and a very minor trade-off when the Tremor's potential as a touring vehicle is so high.

On the open highway at cruising speed, the Tremor exhibits all of the smooth-driving characteristics the Everest line-up is well known for.

It sits nicely on the road, that wide wheel track (a 30mm increase in width to 1650mm) gives it a solid stance and this V6 ute simply rumbles along.

So, how does it perform in 4WD territory? Well, it’s based on the Everest Sport, which is no off-road loser, so you’d assume the Tremor would do okay.

However, we all know if you assume, it makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'… but the Tremor has been engineered to outperform the standard Everest in the dirty stuff. Unsurprising spoiler alert, it does, but only marginally.

The Everest Tremor is 4914mm long (without the towbar hitch receiver; 4978mm with), 2015mm wide (mirrors in; 2207mm, mirrors out) and 1904mm high.

It has a 2900mm wheelbase and a listed kerb weight of 2550kg, the latter making it the heaviest Everest in the line-up. 

This is not a diminutive wagon but it has the smallest turning circle (11.65m) in the Everest range and its dimensions don’t hamper it in the bush.

As mentioned earlier, when you add running ground clearance to any off-roader its off-road performance will be improved. The Tremor has more ground clearance (255mm) than its stablemates but, as with any measurements provided by vehicle manufacturers (ground clearance, wading depth, towing capacities, etc), always regard those figures with a healthy degree of scepticism.

Wading depth is listed as 800mm and its off-road angles are in line with market rivals: for your reference, approach, departure and ramp-over angles are listed as 32, 26.8 and 23.9 degrees, respectively.

This wagon’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 offers plenty of torque across a broad rev range, the 10-speed auto is clever – no flip-flopping between ratios here – and you can use the manual shifter if you get the urge.

Low-range gearing is adequate and the Tremor has an electronic rear diff lock.

The Tremor has a variety of selectable on- and off-road drive modes, including 'Normal', 'Eco', 'Tow/Haul', 'Slippery', 'Mud/Ruts', 'Sand and Rock' and the Tremor-specific 'Rock Crawl' plus a locking rear diff.

These off-road driving modes are no substitute for track-worthy 4WD mechanicals but they help by adjusting engine, throttle, transmission, braking, traction and stability controls to suit the driving conditions. 

Off-road traction control is effective without being spectacular. There’s a bit too much wheelspin for my liking.

Off-road applications are displayed on screen – with driveline/diff lock indicators, steering, pitch and roll angles depicted. Hill descent control held the Tremor to a steady 3.0-4.0km/h as I crawled down a difficult slope.

The power steering, light and sporty in all scenarios, has been tweaked with a heavy-duty tune and it retains a confident feel in difficult conditions.

Heavy-duty off-road engineering has bolstered the suspension set-up with new springs and Bilstein dampers with external reservoirs.

Wheel travel – how far the axle can move up and down vertically wheel-to-wheel relative to the chassis – is slightly better than a standard Everest’s, with this wagon’s tyres stretching a little further than the regular version’s.

Again, as I mentioned earlier, by replacing an off-roader’s standard road-biased rubber with a set of decent all-terrain tyres its off-road capability will be improved. And that’s exactly what Ford has done.

The Tremor's General Grabber all-terrain tyres feature light-truck construction. They are grippy and very effective in dirt, loose gravel, slippery clay and the like.

There are a few niggles, though.

I’ve previously expressed annoyance at the auto transmission shifter – a kind of joystick on a light cycle of steroids and just as touchy. It’s especially finicky on bumpy terrain but it’s another Everest-based characteristic to which I’ve become somewhat accustomed.

The operation of some off-road driver-assist tech can be confusing as it’s divided between the rotary dial (to select drive modes) and the screen (to engage the rear diff lock etc). Not a deal-breaker, but it takes some getting used to.

The brake pedal is spongy – taking some time between initial foot pressure to ‘biting', but then the brakes – discs all around – do clamp into action.

As for packability, there is a listed 259 litres (VDA) of space in the rear-most cargo area (with all three rows of seats in use), 898L (VDA) when the third row is stowed away and 1823L (VDA) when the second and third rows are lowered.

The Everest Tremor has a listed payload of 690kg, and towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked) and 3500kg (braked).

It has a listed GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of 3240kg and a GCM (Gross Combined Mass) of 6350kg. Remember: any onboard loads – such as people, pets, camping gear or aftermarket equipment (bullbar, roof rack etc) – must figure in your payload and GVM equations.

The VZe Tribe Edition is happiest in the city and when you have a full battery. This is when it feels the most responsive with its power delivery. In the city, it’s quick and sure-footed. 

However, once that battery hits empty and you’re on the open road, the power is there but it stops feeling as fun.

The firm steering keeps it nimble and the driver's cockpit makes you feel well connected with what the car is doing but the ride comfort is like the design, not what you'd call plush.

The suspension is firm and you feel every bump in the road. Road and wind noise are also pretty high and in general, you feel a bit weary at the end of longer trips.

The visibility is good despite having narrow windows but a car seat or passenger in the back seat compromises the rear view vision. 

The Formentor shines in a tight car park with its 10.7m turning circle and compact proportions. The 360-degree view camera system is also most welcome but the quality of the feed is reflective of the grade level.

The Formentor has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2021 and now features 10 airbags including side chest bags for the rear row and a front centre airbag as standard.

Other standard equipment includes blind-spot monitoring, driver monitoring, tyre-pressure monitoring, LED DRLs, front and rear fog lights, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, side exit assist, adaptive cruise control, park assist, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree view camera system.

The Formentor has AEB with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection and is operational from 5.0-250km/h. The Formentor also has two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tethers but the rear seat is only wide enough for two child seats.

The Tremor is covered by Ford’s five year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is the standard for this part of the market.

Roadside assistance is complimentary for 12 months after each service, extended for up to seven years as long as the Tremor’s owner has it serviced at an authorised Ford dealership.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km and a capped-price servicing plan applies to the first five years/75,000km with a $2550 cost attached ($510 per service).

For reference a comparable Toyota LandCruiser Prado will set you back $390 per workshop visit, but that car's service interval is more frequent at six months/10,000km.

The Formentor has a five-year/unlimited km warranty but it’s becoming more common to see longer warranty periods being offered now.

You can pre-purchase a three- or five-year servicing program. The three-year program costs a flat $990, averaging $330 per service. The five-year option averages costs $1990, averaging $398 per service which is reasonable for the class.

Servicing intervals are good at every 12-months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.