2022 Ford Everest: Drive Car of the year!

If you’re in the market for a new 4WD, Ford has absolutely spoiled you for choice across the past 12 months!

First, there was the Next-Gen Ford Ranger, a truly impressive 4x4 ute that featured a complete overhaul of the engine and onboard systems, plus greater on and off-road driving prowess.

And now there’s the 2022 Ford Everest.

A 7-seater (model dependant) 4WD offering all the same off-road capability and new levels of refinement as the Next-Gen Ford Ranger, in a body with space for up to seven. If you’re in the market for a family 4WD, complete with impressive off-roading capabilities and all the power and torque of a 4x4 ute, look no further than the 2022 Ford Everest.

Let’s dive in and unpack the highlights of this impressive 4WD.

Ford Everest’s New Specs - Ready for Off-Road

For those who want more grunt in a large 4WD, you’re in luck. The Ford Everest comes in two engine variants, a 3.0L V6 turbo-diesel for that aforementioned grunt, and a refined take on the existing 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel for those who don’t. It also comes with a Selectable Drive Modes function, designed for optimal performance, no matter the terrain you find yourself on, your Everest will be able to tackle any surface, environment or situation with ease.

Depending on your Everest model, there are 6 selectable drive modes to choose from and these include:

• Normal: This mode is designed for everyday use. Tailored for road driving and calibrated to deal with most conditions. 
• Eco: Maximises fuel economy by delivering progressive power and early gear shifts together, with more economical cruise control tuning and tailored climate control strategies.
• Tow Haul (and we’ll talk about towing a little later on): For use whilst towing or carrying heavy loads. Optimises gear shift timing to maintain best power delivery and engine braking.
• Slippery: For use on slippery road surfaces. The engine and transmission work in conjunction with unique Ford Stability Control to help to reduce wheel spin.
• Mud Ruts: Tuned to maximise grip during launch and maintain vehicle momentum, while also allowing wheels to spin up at speed and clear mud from the tyre tread.
• Sand: For use on soft sand and deep snow. Optimised power delivery and gear shifts along with tuned Ford Stability Control to maintain vehicle momentum and minimise braking distances.

Effectively, unlike previous iterations, the 2022 Everest takes control of your transmission preload, throttle feel and steering feel depending on the conditions you find yourself in. No more guesswork and perfect for the inexperienced, Ford’s Selectable Drive Modes (also available in the Next-Gen Ranger) could be an absolute game-changer!

Our only tidbit here would be the tyres. If you plan on heading off-road, make sure you ditch the factory standard tyres and equip some all-terrain tyres with plenty of tread.

Everest's Incredible Camera Coverage & Safety Improvements

Firstly, the rather novel ‘Terrain View’. At the push of a button, a screen displaying the front of the Everest will appear, along with driving lines and additional functionality to turn the diff-lock & hill descent assistance mode on/off. You’ll also be met with useful displays for pitch and roll, vehicle temperature, fuel remaining, and so on regardless of which driving mode is selected.

Secondly, the plethora of camera coverage. There’s a 360-degree camera that gives you both a front and top-down view, which has different settings within such as a sonar setup. There’s also the ability to switch to a wide-angle camera at the front, a reversing camera complete with driving angle lines, or a nifty hitch camera to line up your trailer even easier.

Safety, particularly important for a 7-seater (model dependant) 4WD, has also seen a big improvement, with a host of new additions to make your driving life all the safer. In addition to 9 airbags and a centre airbag to give it that 5-star ANCAP safety rating, the Everest has autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian & cyclist detection, and a blind spot monitor built into the wing mirror which can also cover the length of a trailer.

There's also radar cruise control with a semi-autonomous steering function, auto-dimming rear vision mirror, rear cross-traffic alert, and front and rear parking sensors. We’d be here all day if we unpacked the new features and prowess this 4WD has to offer, so let’s move on to some potential downsides – which we can help fix.

Things You Should Watch Out For & How TJM Can Help

Just like the Prado, MU-X, Pajero, and so on, the Ford Everest comes with a modest ground clearance of 226mm, a departure angle of 30.2 degrees and an approach angle of 21.9.

Call us sceptical, but we don’t think ‘modest’ is going to cut it in the Australian Outback.

To ensure you’re well and truly clear of any tricky ruts undoing your weekend away, or a downward slope wrecking the fun before it even begins, what you need is a suspension lift kit. With an aftermarket suspension upgrade, your Everest will instantly benefit from added ground clearance. It will also become a more superior ride with better overall handling on and off-road, as well as a higher degree of safety and improved load-carrying capability.

And that’s exactly what you’ll get with our XGS Suspension System – coming soon!

Frontal, Side and Underbody Protection

As with all factory standard 4WDs, there is a distinct lack of protection which is essential if you plan on heading off-road. To circle back to that ground clearance of 226mm, even if it is raised with a lift kit, you’re still running the risk of damaging the front, sides and underbody of your Ford Everest.

Whether it’s a scrape from an unassuming branch or log, or a large rock going straight through the front or piercing the undercarriage completely immobilising your 4WD, we’ve got the accessories you need to protect your new asset.

First up is not one but two custom-designed, seriously tough and enduring bull bars built for the Ford Everest.

The TJM Outback Bull Bar not only adds some serious style, but it will also protect those new C-Clamp LED headlights and other vital components at the front of your 4WD with ease. There’s a multi-fold channel that’s been strategically pressed and folded to maximise impact strength, 63mmØ tubing, rolled cato straps and an improved approach angle to minimise scuffs, scrapes and the potential of getting stuck.

And thanks to integrated 8000kg rated recovery points as standard, the TJM Outback Bull Bar can also help get you unstuck in a hurry. With winch compatibility, an all-steel construction, the option to install OE fog lights and more, the Outback Bull Bar has all your frontal protection needs well and truly covered.

Another alternative is the TJM Venturer Bull Bar. Sporting integrated 8000kg rated recovery points and an all-steel construction just like the Outback Bull Bar, the TJM Venturer Bull Bar is a lighter alternative that focuses more on functionality without compromising on impact protection. With its striking bold and angular aesthetic, highlighted by sleek, tapered wings that are guaranteed to turn heads, it not only commands attention but also offers remarkable frontal impact protection spread right across the front of your 4WD.

Furthermore, it boasts airbag and ADR compliance, winch compatibility, an integrated light bar mount option, provisions for spotlights, off-road work lights, aerial mounts and more – all complemented by a stylish textured black powder coat finish.

For protection along your Everest’s broadside, it can only be the TJM Side Bars & Side Steps. Constructed from heavy-duty 63mmØ steel tubing, finished in a black satin powder coat to maximise durability, our Side Bars are bar-mounted using a heavy-duty clamp system for increased strength and protection, and offer both wheel arch and panel protection (compatible with the Outback Bull Bar only). Its unique modular design also gives you the freedom to have the airbag-compatible TJM Side Steps fitted to your Everest, and the option of adding TJM Side Bars later to have all your bases covered.

Lastly, when it comes to protection, the TJM Underbody Guards. Featuring up to 500 hours of corrosion resistance thanks to superior electro coating, keeping your Everest’s undercarriage safe from damage is easy with press-formed, hi-strength mild steel positioned at the front and sump of your 4WD.

Our Underbody Guards also come with drainage cut-outs and ventilation slots as standard, and have the backing of over 15 years of knowledge behind them so you know they’re designed to handle the toughest conditions.

Protect your Everest’s engine with an Airtec Snorkel

The Ford Everest does come with a pretty good wading depth of 800mm. Unfortunately, you might be hard-pressed to find many water crossings under 800mm in your travels, and in the Outback where conditions can change at a moment's notice, that water crossing you took to get to a campsite or 4WD trail might be higher on the way back.

Believe it or not, even a teaspoon of water entering your engine bar is enough to write off your 4WD. When even a small amount of water gets into your air intake, which for the Everest is directly behind the front of the grill, you’re running the risk of your engine hydro locking causing the engine to stall.

An easy way to prevent this from happening, and to keep your engine at peak performance, is with a TJM Airtec Snorkel.

Sitting high along the roofline of your Everest, our Airtec Snorkel allows your 4WD to take advantage of cooler and cleaner air at roof level, maintaining peak engine performance and, more importantly, keeping water out of your engine bay. It also comes equipped with a highly innovative air ram that captures, separates and disburses water automatically! And on the rare occurrence that any water finds its way past the air ram, the TJM Airtec Snorkel will automatically atomise any moisture at the air filter.

The TJM Airtec Snorkel has also been designed to withstand the harshest conditions in Australia, offering incredible impact resistance and unmatched durability to tackle even the roughest journeys.

Get Your Ford Everest 4x4 Equipped Today

The Ford Everest is an incredible 4WD.

And with multiple models to choose from, each with their own unique features, benefits and capabilities to compete with other popular models in similar price brackets, we can’t wait to turn this 7-seater 4WD into a true off-roading powerhouse.

Whether it’s 4x4 bull bars, side or underbody protection, suspension upgrades or an Airtec Snorkel, head to your local TJM store to chat with our experts and get your Ford Everest 4X4 Equipped today.