2017 Ford Everest RWD review

Taking a four-wheel-drive vehicle, turning it into a two-wheel-drive and selling it as a cost-down version is not exactly a new idea.

The SUV world has been doing it for years as buyers convinced car makers that what they really wanted was the SUV's high seating position and image, and not the actual all-wheel-drive facility.

Ford has played the same card with its Territory in the past and now the vehicle that is often regarded - incorrectly - as the logical replacement for that model, the Everest, has come in for the same treatment.

The difference in the Everest's case, of course, is that a large part of the car's reason for being was that it was a proper off-roader.

Where SUVs like the Territory and many others are more or less all-wheel-drive road cars, the Everest boasts true off-road smarts and equipment such as aggressive tyres and a transfer-case driveline with low-range gears for scrambling over logs and rocks.

Which makes you wonder what a two-wheel-drive Everest's buying proposition would be. According to Ford Australia president and CEO, Graeme Whickman, the answer to that is simple:  "There are potential customers out there who don't want all-wheel-drive as a major part of their SUV. But they do want spaciousness and rugged looks along with fuel efficiency," he said.

According to Whickman, there are also buyers looking for a vehicle that can tow big loads (and the Everest is rated to tow 3000kg with the appropriate braked trailer) who don't need all-wheel-drive.

That's backed up by Ford product marketing specialist Allen Fong, who believes that a more urban-centric buyer will favour the rear-drive Everest.

"Clinics tell us that four-wheel-drive buyers would, if they had a choice, have looked at two-wheel-drive models," he said.

The transformation from all-wheel-drive Everest to rear-wheel drive involved removing the front propeller-shaft and driveshafts, front differential and the transfer case.

That's quite a bit of hardware which resulted in the Everest shedding 98kg in the process.

In turn, that required the front springs to be recalibrated and the power-steering and ESP to be re-tuned to account for the new set-up.

Ride height remains identical to the other Everests and the same tyres are fitted as standard, so the visual clues to identify it as being any different are minor.

The rear-wheel-drive layout is only available on the volume selling Everest Trend model. The reduction in mechanical complexity has saved not just weight, there's also a $5000 price reduction, making the two-wheel-drive Everest a $55,990 proposition.

Crucially, while the two-wheel-drive Everest hints that it could be seen as a replacement for the Territory, it's not; either within Ford or by anybody who has driven the rear-drive Everest.

From the moment you point the Everest out a driveway, it soon becomes obvious that, lack of a driven front axle or not, this is no car-based monocoque vehicle as the Territory was.

It's not a statement designed to damn the Everest, but the vehicle soon showcases its light-commercial DNA, specifically the way it rides and handles on that separate ladder-style chassis.

It's not uncomfortable per se, but it does jump around a bit more than a Territory ever did, thanks to that layout and the springs and dampers that allow it to haul three tonnes.

The re-calibrated steering now feels a little more neutral without the driveshafts of the all-wheel-drive model confusing the feedback, but it's still very light and - probably deliberately - distances the driver from what's going on underneath.

Again, this is not harsh criticism, rather a reminder that, two-wheel-drive or not, you're still dealing with a pretty heavy-duty piece of equipment.

The familiar 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel gives the Everest a pretty mighty shove in the back from low speeds and, although revving the engine hard is a waste of time, the excellent six-speed automatic gearbox has enough brains to keep things bubbling along at low throttle settings.

Inside, the car is as accommodating as ever with plenty of room in all seating positions and while the presentation is quite busy, there's plenty of standard gear including Ford's latest Sync 3 as standard across the entire Everest range.

2017 Ford Everest Price and Specifications

On-sale: Now

Price: $55,990 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 143kW at 3000rpm

Torque: 470Nm at 1750-2500rpm

Transmission: 6-spd automatic, RWD

Fuel use: 8.4L/100km 

• For more information visit our Ford showroom page