The bad news is Ford currently has no public plans to build an Everest Raptor, despite how obviously awesome it would be.
The good news is the new Ford Everest Tremor is almost good enough to make you forget your Raptor fantasies. That’s because the latest addition to the Everest line-up is a rougher, tougher take on the family-friendly seven-seat SUV.
And it just happened to arrive at the same time Toyota launched its new Toyota LandCruiser Prado…
Obviously the timing is ideal to give Ford something fresh to challenge the new Prado with, but it also provides another new option for an Everest range now entering its third year on sale. Plus the Isuzu MU-X has been updated with the new X-Terrain hero variant, so despite a record sales year in 2024 Ford knows it’s in for a tougher fight in 2025.
So Ford hasn’t just created a ‘sticker and style’ pack for the Tremor, it’s made some serious upgrades to make it a far more capable off-road machine. These include the choice of engine, major suspension changes and new functional design elements.
Starting under the bonnet, the Tremor is equipped with Ford’s 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel engine, which makes a very healthy 184kW of power and 600Nm of torque. Ford opted for the V6 (and doesn’t offer the 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel) because it wanted to ensure that the Everest had plenty of effortless grunt for pulling out of tricky off-road situations.
Next Ford overhauled the suspension adding new Bilstein dampers and new springs, and then fitting new General Grabber all-terrain tyres onto 17-inch alloy wheels.
Finally, there’s a steel bash plate underneath the front end and tow hooks, as well as a unique ‘off-road grille’ with integrated driving lights to complete the new look and added functionality.
If that’s not enough for you, you can add the $3500 Rough Terrain pack (which was fitted to the cars we drove and is what you see in most of the attached images), which adds a ‘Rough Terrain’ bar as well as extended underbody protection and an auxiliary switch bank.
Inside there’s unique ‘Tremor’ branded seats and all-weather floor mats, but apart from that it’s the same Everest cabin. Which is no bad thing, because between the tablet-style infotainment touchscreen and digital dashboard, as well as the high level of design, the Everest looks and feels like a nice family SUV – not a hit of ‘working-class ute’ in its DNA.
What the Everest also possesses, which is important to note in the context of its struggle with the new Prado, is a very practical boot. Unlike the new seven-seat Prado, which doesn’t have third-row seats that can’t fold down into the floor, and instead has a raised drawer which compromises boot space and load height, the Everest has a large, flat floor at the same level as the tailgate. On paper the Prado is technically larger, but in practical, real-world terms the Ford is simply the better and more usable boot – especially for families who like taking trips together.
That’s all the details out of the way, so how does the Everest Tremor drive? And, most importantly, how does it handle itself off-road? The answer to both these questions is ‘very well’. Ford wasn’t shy about letting us tackle some genuinely challenging off-road trails on the outskirts of Melbourne (although it helped that our test cars were fitted with the Rough Terrain pack that added full-length underbody protection) and the Everest Tremor didn’t miss a beat. Huge ruts, slippery surfaces, mud, water, rocks – you name it, we conquered it in the Tremor, and did so with little difficulty.
Perhaps just as impressive, though, was how the Tremor performed on the freeway back to Melbourne and driving around the city and suburbs. Yes, there was a bit more tyre noise from the knobby General Grabbers, but overall the Tremor felt just as comfortable and capable driving to the shopping centre as it did trawling through muddy ruts.
Although, for the $76,590 (plus on-road costs) asking price, you should get a very capable SUV. And that’s precisely what the Everest Tremor is – a very capable SUV – that should suit those who need a family-sized SUV during the week, but want to experience some genuine off-the-beaten-path adventure on the weekend.
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