2025 Ford Everest Tremor review: Australian first drive

• Doors and Seats

  

  NA

• Engine

  

  NA

• Engine Power

  

  184kW, 600Nm

• Fuel

  

  Diesel 9.5L/100KM

• Transmission

  

  NA

• Warranty

  

  NA

• Ancap Safety

  

  5/5 star (2022)

Family Cars Guide

Another day, another Ford Everest variant. We’ve seen plenty of special editions introduced as part of the Everest line-up in Australia to date, but we’ve now got yet another one in the form of the brand-new Ford Everest Tremor.

It mirrors the Ford Ranger Tremor that brought updated suspension, off-road rubber, and new 4x4 technology to the dual-cab ute twin under the skin. The Everest Tremor gets a grunt boost though thanks to its 3.0-litre V6 in place of the Ranger's 2.0 biturbo four.

But now, with the Everest’s wagon body – this is the most serious off-road SUV in Ford’s range.

We were invited to the Everest Tremor’s launch to see what it’s all about.

The new Ford Everest Tremor sits at the top of the tree as the most hardcore of all.

In terms of price, it’s still below the flagship Everest Platinum and its $81,200 ceiling, but the Everest Tremor comes nearly $3000 more expensive than the Sport variant on which it’s based.

All in, the Ford Everest Tremor costs $76,590 plus on-road costs. And if that's not enough, Everest Tremor buyers can look at the $3500 Rough Pack (which includes fitment of an ARB Stealth Bullbar), a $2500 Touring Pack, a $1100 Premium Seat Pack and $1900 Towing Pack.

Externally, the most obvious changes are the General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres, a set of uprated springs with a 29mm lift, larger Bilstein shock absorbers, and wider black alloy wheels that afford a 30mm wider track.

You can see integrated LED auxiliary lights in the front grille, plus front tow hooks to get you out of a sticky situation.

Underneath there’s a steel bash plate for enhanced protection, plus heavy-duty side steps. The car can also be had in the Tremor-exclusive Command Grey paintwork that costs $700 extra.

So far we’ve only discussed physical differences to other Ford Everest variants. But the Tremor is stocking some impressive technology changes under the skin too.

The Tremor adds a Rock Crawl driving mode to the six existing on- and off-road drive modes to make traversing tricky terrain that much easier.

There is less change inside the cabin with the Ford Everest Tremor. You’ll notice the same trims and upholstery used on the Ford Everest Sport, though there are unique Tremor insignias embroidered into the seat backs.

This specification also uses a set of wash-out floor mats.

Otherwise, the Ford Everest experience is as comfortable and enjoyable as it’s ever been. The Ford Everest offers a hugely spacious cabin in all three rows and the level of finishing is done to a high standard.

We’ve spent countless hours behind the wheel of the Ford Everest over the last couple years, and we’re consistently impressed with how easy it is to get acquainted inside the cabin.

The seats might be firmer than you’d expect, but I can assure you they remain pretty comfortable on longer drives. There’s a lack of side support from the bolsters, but this makes it easy to slide in and out of the vehicle – especially with this version’s added height.

Ergonomics in the front row are well thought out – everything is within arm’s reach – plus the storage is impressive too. There are myriad storage spots around the centre console for stowing road trip snacks, plus a wireless phone charger underneath the main infotainment screen.

Ford’s ubiquitous Sync 4 infotainment system does service inside the Everest Tremor, and as we’ve said on numerous occasions, it really does set the segment benchmark.

The 12-inch screen is quick to load, easy to navigate, and there are plenty of features to sink your teeth into.

I also love the way Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are rendered on the screen. You can change it between minimised and maximised displays, which is a handy feature.

The second- and third-row experiences are largely impressive.

Clamber into the second row and it’s easy to appreciate the spaciousness of the Everest’s rear seat. I was impressed with the ample head room, leg room, and foot room.

Air vents are found in the back of the centre console, plus there is USB power supply for charging devices.

There’s a decent amount of adjustability between the seat base and back rest so that passengers can find a happy compromise with those seated behind.

Getting into the third row is fairly easy because it’s a simple lever pull from either side of the vehicle. It’s snug once you’re in, but it’s comfortable enough that you’re not strained after spending an hour back there.

As for safety, the Ford Everest was crash-tested in late 2022. The entire Ford Everest model range in Australia was awarded with a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Nine airbags are supplied in total. But it’s the active safety measures that are the highlight. This model comes with everything you want to keep you as safe as possible, and the best part is that these included ADAS systems are easy to work with.

They don’t unnecessarily activate and cause you to turn them off, while the adaptive cruise control (and lane-centring) keeps an appropriate distance behind the car ahead and within lane markings.

On the road, the Ford Everest Tremor tackles the mundane highway stretch with ease. There is little sense that the all-terrain tyres upset the Everest’s refined comfort, and it remains one of the most polished off-road-focused SUVs of all.

Some extra tyre noise is heard from inside the cabin, though it's not enough to upset the otherwise impressive cabin comfort.

The Everest Tremor is only available with the top-spec 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine that outputs a beefier 184kW and 600Nm compared to the 2.0 four-cylinder’s 154kW/500Nm.

This engine is not a necessity in an Everest – you could feasibly enjoy everyday behind the wheel with the 2.0TT – but we’ve found when the going gets tough off-road, the V6 engine is the one you want under the bonnet.

Breathe on the throttle and the 3.0 V6 provides a strong surge forward and the 10-speed transmission is largely smart. It’s only some minor hunting around in certain on-road situations where it can come unstuck. This is experienced most commonly when you’re accelerating uphill or settling down after a surging overtake.

The Everest was already a proven performer when it comes to off-road use, but the kit included with the Tremor enhances that ability by a healthy margin.

There is no sense that you’ll bottom out over even steep drop-offs, and the level of underbody protection is a nice add-on to have up your sleeve.

Its new suspension has more of a firm feel to the way the Everest handles and deals with bumps in the road and off-road. It’s still a comfortable car for the majority of driving asked of it, but the added flexibility of the special Bilstein dampers is a fantastic addition to the Everest package.

It’s great to see that the Everest’s 3500kg tow rating is unaffected by the latest changes with suspension and added weight too.

Grip levels are enhanced on scrabbly terrain thanks to the all-terrain tyres. This, in addition to the new Rock Crawl mode, was genuinely useful to deploy around the particularly dry and dusty Mount Disappointment trails.

There is only a single locking differential at the rear, whereas some of its rivals have one on both axles, but there is rarely much need for a front locking differential anyway.

The high-quality camera displays mean that you can easily reverse up a trail if you get it wrong and place the wheels exactly where you want them to avoid obstacles around the body.

Steering effort is light and largely without feel, but this makes the Everest an easy thing to park back up in town. It’s no doubt a large car in terms of dimensions, but it remains pretty simple to slot the big SUV into a perpendicular parking spot.

In summation, there may be more of them out there than I care to remember, but there really is seemingly a Ford Everest for everyone.

Enhancements made to this Tremor render it one of the more hardcore off-road-focused SUVs straight out of the showroom, particularly at its sub-$100,000 price point.

It looks tough, it goes as well as it ever did, and the changes its maker has introduced make it that much easier to take this thing off the beaten path.

Buyers can still hit up their local aftermarket outfitter to add all kinds of extra equipment, but the level of ability afforded by the Everest Tremor straight from the dealership is fantastic.

Family Cars Guide

Tom started out in the automotive industry by exploiting his photographic skills but quickly learned journalists got the better end of the deal. With tenures at CarAdvice, Wheels Media, and now Drive, Tom's breadth of experience and industry knowledge informs a strong opinion on all things automotive. At Drive, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.

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