Once again, Ford did the unexpected. While everyone was waiting—and, frankly, drooling—for the PHEV version of the Ranger, Ford decided to double down in the opposite direction. Instead, it launched the Everest Platinum, the Ranger Wildtrak X, and, perhaps most notably, a more powerful V6 diesel engine.
Taking them for a spin would be putting it lightly. Our drive took us from Okada Manila all the way to Tanay, before heading through the seemingly endless curves and mountain passes of Quezon and eventually into Lipa, Batangas. Thankfully, Ford took pity on us and let us take the highways on the way back to Metro Manila.
And if that wasn’t enough, they brought along the Ranger Raptor, Everest Wildtrak, and Ranger Wildtrak—giving us a total of five vehicles to “try out.” After putting each one through its paces and having some time to ponder the experience, here’s a quick rundown of what I think about each one.
Everest Wildtrak
The new Everest Wildtrak is, ironically, quite tame. It gets Ford’s new 2.0-liter single-turbo diesel, making 170 PS and 405 Nm of pull. The weight of the Everest’s body, combined with its 4×4 drivetrain, makes it noticeably more demure than the previous Wildtrak, which was fitted with the 2.0-liter bi-turbo. Some will actually prefer it this way. It is no longer as throttle-happy, so your head won’t be bobbing against the headrest with every blip of the pedal. The trade-off is that overtaking takes a bit more momentum, as the engine has a harder time pulling the SUV once you’re already at speed. There is also a noticeable lag when you really bury the throttle. But if you’re not exactly an eager beaver behind the wheel, it won’t mean much.
I’m also not entirely sold on the Wildtrak touches on the outside. The slim Ignite Orange accents on the corners of the grille are fine. Putting the same treatment on a single spoke of the wheels, however, is another matter. It looks like the spoke was clamped in place, and the shade of orange is just a little too close to that of a traffic pylon cone.
What I liked most about the Wildtrak, though, is that Ford didn’t skimp on the safety features. You don’t get some of the cabin flourishes of the Platinum, such as the ventilated seats, but you do get essentially the same suite of safety equipment. Adaptive Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keeping System, and the rest of the electronic safety bits are all there. And for me, that’s a much better compromise than stripping away the important stuff just to make the more affordable variant feel like one.
Everest Platinum
The difference between the Wildtrak and Platinum Everest is visible, but you can feel it, too. For starters, there are the chrome trims on the grille, Platinum badges, a V6 badge to let everyone know you have the superior Everest, and bigger 21-inch machine-finished rims. But the biggest difference is, quite literally, under the hood.
The V6 gives you 600 Nm of pull at under 2,000 rpm. That’s a significant jump from the Wildtrak’s 405 Nm, and even from the previous bi-turbo’s 500 Nm. There is a lot more shove, particularly if you’re coming from the gasoline camp. There’s plenty of power on tap, and you’ll definitely appreciate it on mountain passes or even those ridiculously steep parking ramps in the city. The good thing is despite all that muscle, it’s not difficult to control. It simply gives you that extra bit of excitement even during simple overtakes—something that was missing from the new 2.0-liter single-turbo.
Then there’s the Platinum name, which naturally comes with a little more flair. You get a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system that sounds crispier than bagnet, quilted leather seats with ventilation and 10-way power adjustment up front, and heated second-row seats for owners who actually have to deal with cold weather.
Ranger Wildtrak X
There’s no question that the Ranger Wildtrak X feels more at home in the dirt than the regular Wildtrak. The Bilstein shocks aren’t as soft as the FOX units on the Raptor, but they do a good job of making the Ranger more manageable when the pavement ends. That said, they’re tuned more for traditional off-road adventures than for pretending you’re in a dirt race.
What’s surprising to me is how little difference they make on the road. The Wildtrak X feels remarkably similar to the regular Wildtrak with its OEM shocks. It’s not noticeably stiffer or softer, which makes you wonder: if you’re not spending your weekends looking for dirt trails, are those branded shocks really worth the splurge?
Unlike the Everest, both the Ranger Wildtrak and Wildtrak X get the same V6 diesel engine. It felt a bit more responsive here than it did in the Everest, even though both use the same 10-speed automatic transmission. Maybe it’s the Ranger’s lighter body. Maybe it’s just that the V6 feels more at home in a pickup. Either way, it makes the Ranger a little more fun to push.
Ranger Raptor V6
I didn’t expect to end up liking the Ranger Raptor V6 after this drive. I was perfectly “okay” with the previous Raptor and its 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel. The V6, on the other hand, I had dismissed as nothing more than a pocket burner. After spending some serious time behind the wheel, though, I can now say that it’s definitely worth it—despite still being a gas guzzler.
The Ranger Raptor was designed for off-road racing, so pairing it with a V6 gasoline engine apparently makes a lot more sense. The torque doesn’t arrive as early as it does in the diesel, but it gets up to speed much quicker. Add the FOX Live Valve shocks and the Raptor makes light work of the dirt. It really is a dinosaur out of its cage.
But the Raptor isn’t just about how fast or capable it is. It also gives you more of that all-important “feel” factor, thanks largely to its gnarly exhaust note. It lets everyone know there’s something unusual under the hood. It even made me unnecessarily accelerate and downshift just to get the revs up, all for the glorious sound coming out the back.
And honestly, that’s probably where the Raptor V6 won me over. Some cars make sense on paper. This one makes you want to keep driving.
At the end of the drive, the Everest and Ranger variants made themselves distinct from one another. Consider the Everest Wildtrak if you’re looking for a family car with many bells and whistles. Those who are more outgoing as a bunch will be better off with the Everest Platinum. On the pickup side, the Ranger Wildtrak can definitely satisfy your power needs while the Ranger Wildtrak X is for those who like to do off-roading stunts on the weekends. If you want to speed through the dirt, there’s no better option than the Ranger Raptor V6.
