Ford Everest designed, engineered in Australia

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Ford has confirmed its next global vehicle, the Everest SUV, was designed and engineered in Australia and will be sold globally.

In today confirming a showroom-ready version of the Everest Concept will be produced in Thailand for sale around the world, a Ford media statement said it was “created by Ford’s regional design and product development team in Australia.”

“The Everest Concept represents our vision of a global Ford vehicle with regional heritage that will allow customers to take on the world,” said Matt Bradley, Ford’s ASEAN boss.

The announcement is a coup for Ford Australia, having been effectively gagged from talking of its involvement in the made-for-China Escort, which when it was revealed in 2013 Ford referred to as a “global car”.
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Ford Australia is desperate to create a positive image for its local operations in light of the imminent shutdown of its local manufacturing facilities, which will close by October 2016.

Sales of the Falcon sedan are at record lows, while the Territory SUV has also dropped well below its earlier peaks.

Once the Broadmeadows production line stops for good by 2016 the company will continue with a local design and engineering team, which will contribute vehicles to the broader Ford world and keep about 1000 skilled workers in Australia.

The Everest is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms in 2015, although Ford Australia hasn’t officially confirmed its arrival and is still being coy on its imminent arrival.

“Watch this space – we’ll make an announcement in due course,” a spokesman told Drive.

The Everest will bolster Ford’s SUV range but is not expected to replace the locally-produced Territory. It’s understood Ford is also readying another SUV that will step in for the once top-selling Territory. The most likely option is the next generation of the North American Edge, which was revealed at the 2013 Los Angeles motor show.

While the Everest is based on the Ranger it’s understood to have dropped the ute’s load-lugging leaf spring rear-end, which can make for a bouncy ride not in keeping with the expectations of more car-like SUVs.

Instead Ford is understood to be utilising a more conventional coil spring set-up – possibly based on that used in the Territory - said to offer better body control and improved occupant comfort.

However, four-wheel-drive versions of the Everest are expected to be more capable than most SUVs thanks to proper off-road running gear. Previous development cars have been spotted with an electronic selector knob to tailor the car’s off-road traction systems, suggesting the Everest will be a car

The Everest is also expected to be a solid tow vehicle. The Ranger can tow 3500kg, suggesting a tow capacity for the SUV of about 3000kg.

The Everest was spied testing in Australia regularly over the past year or so, with Drive the first to publish pictures of the top secret wagon earlier in 2013.

Development cars utilised the underpinnings and front-end of the Ranger ute awkwardly grafted on to the tail of a Ford Territory SUV.

While the development mules looked odd, they were crucial in the development of the all-new vehicle.

Australia has long been a popular test location for car makers due to its extreme hot weather, rugged roads and penetrating dirt. The Toyota LandCruiser is one vehicle that has undergone extensive testing in Australia for decades.

Some car makers abandoned Australia when the Northern Territory imposed speed limits in 2007; in January and February the Territory was often used for high speed hot weather testing.

It’s unclear whether Thailand will be the only country to produce the Everest.

The Ranger with which it shares so much is also produced in South Africa and Brazil.

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...325-35f6a.html

Good work by Ford AU. Appears the engineers and designers are taking it to the rest of the Ford Empire once again.