TEST DRIVE: 2018 Ford Everest Titanium 4x4 AT Premium Package - Beauty and Brawn

TEST DRIVE: 2018 Ford Everest Titanium 4x4 AT Premium Package - Beauty and Brawn
There's no denying that the market--the Philippines or otherwise-- loves SUVs. It's even been predicted that by 2023--which is only four years away--the biggest automotive markets in the world will have as much as 90 mainstream and crossover SUV models, along with 90 luxury models. Even a huge carmaker like Ford itself announced that, save for the Ford Mustang, it will stop making cars altogether for the North American market--it's home market--with nearly 90 percent of its product portfolio dedicated to trucks, utilities, and commercial vehicles.
© Patrick Everett Tadeo for CARMUDI PHILIPPINES
That's like Jollibee saying it'll stop selling in the Philippines for good. Just step outside though and you're likely to see either a Ford EcoSport, Ford Ranger, or Ford Everest every couple of minutes or so--or all three at the same time even. As it so happens, an update to the Everest has come to our shores recently--inevitable really since the Ranger, which the Everest shares its platform with, was updated nearly a year ago in September 2018. So before we bid adieu to the top-spec 3.2-liter Ford Everest Titanium 4x4 with the optional Premium Package, Ford Philippines lent it to us for a couple of weeks--and it is undoubtedly the best midsize SUV in the market, and let me tell you why.
© Patrick Everett Tadeo for CARMUDI PHILIPPINES
Outside, the Everest is pretty much cut and dried with it's a simple, two-box setup; it's not a sleek as the Toyota Fortuner nor is it as futuristic-looking as the Mitsubishi Montero Sport, but it looks a lot better than the rest of the pack, particularly if you want something that's both staid yet robust--which is probably why the aftermarket quasi-Raptor grille has proven to be popular not just with the Ranger pickup but with Everest as well.
© Patrick Everett Tadeo for CARMUDI PHILIPPINES
The Everest is just as conservative inside, with the black all-leather seats and plethora of buttons and knobs--including those for the AC controls for the rear seats--in the top-spec Titanium variants as the concessions to luxury. Yet despite its conventional styling, the Everest Titanium has a lot of features that its competitors don't offer.
© Patrick Everett Tadeo for CARMUDI PHILIPPINES
Let's start with the panoramic dual-panel moonroof, which provides a lot of illumination when the sunshade is withdrawn all the way to the back, yet when the sun's out, not only is the glass tinted but the shade itself is thick enough to block the heat from penetrating the cabin. God knows I've driven a few vehicles that--even with the AC blower turned all the way up--I could still feel the heat permeating though the glass roof and thin shade. Typically, the Everest gets an eight-way, power-adjustable seat for the driver while the front passenger gets a two-way manual version. But with the optional Premium Package, the one riding shotgun gets the same seat as the driver. Other nice touches with the Premium Package are the push-button deployment of the third-row seats and the power liftgate--very helpful touches when you're starting to feel your age through your lower back. Of all the nifty tech the Everest Titanium has though, what thoroughly impressed me the most was its abundance of safety measures. As I was driving along the South Luzon Expressway on my way to Tagaytay, a car suddenly cut right in front of me when a buzzer sounded and the heads-up display lit up a row of red LEDs. As I was already looking straight ahead, the alarm--triggered by both front and rear sensors--wasn't needed--but if you weren't, it's a welcome warning since you're instantly alerted of what can be a potentially dangerous situation.
© Patrick Everett Tadeo for CARMUDI PHILIPPINES
In addition, an icon in the side mirror lights up whenever there's a vehicle in the Everest's blind spot, preventing you from experiencing a very expensive fender bender if you're the type of driver that turns the steering wheel first before checking the mirrors. Bato bato sa langit, ang tamaan huwag magalit. The Everest Titanium Premium has a lot of other safety tech that makes it a worthy of your PHP2 million--give or take a few thousands--like the Tire Pressure Monitoring System which should prevent you from experiencing a very nasty blowout, Hill Descent Control for going downhill slow and steady without riding on the brakes, Terrain Management System for adjusting the four-wheel drive system depending on the terrain, Adaptive Cruise Control for controlling the speed automatically when engaged, Lane Keeping System which alerts you when you're slowly veering out of your lane, Collision Mitigation which pre-charges the brakes when the system detects an impending collision, and Active Park Assist which practically parallel parks the vehicle for you and only requires your input on the brake and accelerator. And let's not forget to mention that the Everest has Trailer Sway Control as standard on the off-chance that you need to tow a trailer as it helps you control it while driving.
© Patrick Everett Tadeo for CARMUDI PHILIPPINES
As for the 3.2-liter mill, its 197 hp and 470 Nm of torque output proved both powerful yet fuel efficient. During a weekend stay in Tagaytay, I drove down to Talisay in Batangas, a quick downhill trip that makes you wish you're in a lithe hatchback delivering tokwa. The ride back up though through Ligaya Drive was steep, with a total ascent of over 2,200 feet over a distance of 15 kilometers, which means you're practically stepping on the throttle the entire time. Couple that with the typical Metro Manila traffic and you'd think you've practically emptied the 80-liter fuel tank. To my surprise, when I returned the Everest back to Ford Philippines, I still had half a tank of diesel left and a combined fuel consumption of 7.6 km/L. Not bad at all, considering its size and heft for a midsize SUV. Perhaps the greatest testament to the Everest Titanium variant is this: as the day grew closer for me to return the SUV back to Ford Philippines, the wife was sad and regretful yet felt wistful that we could buy one soon. If it were only that easy, sweetheart, but as the saying goes: "Happy wife, happy life."  

Explore Ford Everest

  • Everest Front angle low view
  • Full Front View of Everest
  • Ford Everest Front Medium View
  • Ford Everest Front Side View
  • Everest Rear angle view
  • Ford Everest Front Cross Side View
  • Everest Headlight
  • Everest Tail light
  • Trunk Open Closer View of Everest
  • Everest Door handle
  • Everest Medium Angle Front View
  • Everest Tilted Front View
  • Everest Front deep low Angle View
Ford Everest
₱1.799 - 2.525 Million Emi Starts : ₱30,862

Ford Car Models

Ford Cars
  • Ford Territory
    Ford Territory
  • Ford Mustang
    Ford Mustang
  • Ford F-150
    Ford F-150
  • Ford Bronco 2024
    Ford Bronco 2024
  • Ford Everest
    Ford Everest
Read All

Featured Articles

Recommended Articles For You

Read All

Featured Ford Cars

  • Upcoming

Compare & Recommended

Trending SUV

  • Upcoming

Ford Everest Car Articles From Zigwheels

  • News
  • Article Feature
  • Road Test
  • Ford PH breaches 30k-sales mark in 2023
    Ford PH breaches 30k-sales mark in 2023
    Ruben Manahan IV . Jan 12, 2024
  • FordPass marks first year in PH, now has over 21-K users
    FordPass marks first year in PH, now has over 21-K users
    Paulo Papa . Dec 14, 2023
  • Higher 2023 Ford Everest trims get slight price hike, Trend model still P1.8-M
    Higher 2023 Ford Everest trims get slight price hike, Trend model still P1.8-M
    Dylan Afuang . Mar 06, 2023
  • Next Generation Ford Everest revealed - Comes with more tech and safety features
    Next Generation Ford Everest revealed - Comes with more tech and safety features
    Hazel Nicole Carreon . Mar 01, 2022
  • Next-gen Ford Everest to be unboxed Mar. 1
    Next-gen Ford Everest to be unboxed Mar. 1
    Hazel Nicole Carreon . Feb 18, 2022
  • Midsize SUV battle: Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Ford Everest
    Midsize SUV battle: Hyundai Santa Fe vs. Ford Everest
    Paulo Papa . Mar 14, 2024
  • Kia Sorento vs. the competition
    Kia Sorento vs. the competition
    Hazel Nicole Carreon . Dec 29, 2023
  • SUV smackdown: Kia Sorento vs. Ford Everest
    SUV smackdown: Kia Sorento vs. Ford Everest
    Paulo Papa . Nov 09, 2023
  • Ford PH Shares 4 Safety Tips When Driving at Night
    Ford PH Shares 4 Safety Tips When Driving at Night
    Hazel Nicole Carreon . Aug 14, 2023
  • Turbocharging Thrills: How Ford's Bi-Turbo Diesel Engine Enhance 4x4 Adventures
    Turbocharging Thrills: How Ford's Bi-Turbo Diesel Engine Enhance 4x4 Adventures
    Hazel Nicole Carreon . Jul 26, 2023
  • Going off-road with the Ford Everest Trend 4x2 AT for sand spas and mud packs
    Going off-road with the Ford Everest Trend 4x2 AT for sand spas and mud packs
    Eric Tipan . Apr 16, 2020
  • Ford Everest- Driving the Western Beast
    Ford Everest- Driving the Western Beast
    Zigwheels team . May 20, 2016