The Everest XLT will make way for the Everest Active in 2026, but it was fun while it lasted
When I reviewed the Ford Everest Wildtrak last year, I labelled it “that handsome friend that can do everything”.
It was impressive. It was bold, athletic, spacious, could go off-road and rocked a great presence on the road.
When I received the Everest XLT, which is the entry-level model of the Everest Range, I was curious to see how much of a difference I would feel, because there is a significant price difference.
The main difference is that the Everest XLT is equipped with a 2 litre bi-turbo diesel engine and the Wildtrak has a 3 litre V6 turbodiesel engine, which meant that there would obviously be a drop-off in power. Would it be enough to affect the vehicle negatively?
The answer is no.
The Everest XLT manages to easily eat up the road with no issues. The drive is smooth and I had no feeling of bulkiness despite the size of the vehicle.
While I had the vehicle on test, Ford said in a statement that the Everest XLT would be replaced by the Everest Active in 2026.
The Everest Active is going to lose the 2 litre bi-turbo and have a less powerful 2 litre single-turbo diesel engine instead.
It did make me wonder why Ford would replace an amazing entry-level vehicle in the range. Then again, the Everest XLT 4×4 variant starts at more than R1 million and Ford probably needs to make the vehicle slightly more affordable.
However, I wonder if a single turbo with 125kW of power will affect the vehicle.
But back to the Everest XLT. I felt sad knowing this was the last of it.
It is an entry-level vehicle that looks, drives and feels like much more than that.
It is a seven-seater with a lot of comfort and features, as well as a 12-inch infotainment system that you will find in all the models above it.
The interior of the Ford Everest XLT
Features like an electric tailgate and the fact that it shares the same six drive modes as the models above it make me wonder why anyone would spend the extra money on the models above it unless they really want the V6 engine.
The Everest Active model coming into play this year will open the gap between the entry-level variant and the more higher-end variants.
I also hope that there will be just as much of a gap between the price of all the models and that consumers will be able to enter an Everest 4X4 for less than a million rand.
While we will miss the 2 litre bi-turbo diesel engine the Everest XLT brings, it will be available in that engine specification in the Everest Sport.
The Everest XLT is priced from R953 000 to R1 029 500, depending on whether you go for the 4×2 or 4×4 variant. With pricing for the Everest Active yet to be released, we are hoping that it can drop below R900 000 for the 4×2 and below R1 million for the 4×4 variant.