Ford Everest revealed: Asia and Australia get a real Ford SUV

Ford Ranger-based SUV boasts diesel engines

    In North America, Ford may have moved away from basing its midsize SUV offerings on pickup trucks, but that doesn't mean that the original recipe has changed elsewhere in the world. Ford still has a rugged midsize SUV that uses the Ford Ranger platform called the Everest, designed by Ford of Australia.

    Ford has just unveiled an updated Everest at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Beijing last week. Built for markets such as Australia and Asia -- despite the former edging towards a ute extinction event -- the Everest makes use of a stretched Ford Ranger pickup platform and takes power from a lineup of engines that includes the turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-four and a duo of diesels displacing 2.2-liters and 3.2-liters. The latter diesel engine is the five-cylinder available in the U.S. Transit van, but here's no V6 or V8 in the lineup, and no larger engines are pending.

    As much as we're used to burly engines in SUVs like these, Ford's global offerings make due with smaller engines that are focused on fuel economy and low-speed torque. But that doesn't make a Everest a cute-ute: it boasts 8.85 inches of ground clearance and a water-wading capability of 31.4 inches, in addition to a generous 29-degree approach angle and a 25-degree departure angle, just perfect for crawling around the Outback. 

    Inside, the Everest features all the conveniences we've come to expect from modern Ford SUVs, including seating for seven, a infotainment system with an eight-inch touchscreen, as well as a modern suite of electronic nannies including blind-spot monitoring, autonomous emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist.

    Before you rush out to trade in your Flex, note that Ford has no plans to offer the Everest in the U.S. or Canada for a whole host of business and marketing reasons. For starters, there's a reason something like this is no longer available from Ford in the U.S.: its target audience has moved on to car-based crossovers like the Explorer. Secondly, the engine lineup is geared toward markets where gasoline is still expensive and where even a V6 is not required for a truck or SUV to be competitive.

    Besides, if buyers want a blue oval badge on their SUV, there's still the Expedition in the states.