Ford’s new ute-based family hauler, the Everest, has earned top marks in safety testing carried out by ANCAP.
The Everest earned a 2022 five-star safety rating on the back of an 86 per cent score for adult occupant protection, a 93 per cent score for child occupant protection, a 74 per cent score for vulnerable road user protection, and an 86 per cent safety assist score.
The five-star rating applies to the whole Everest range, and is based on tests carried out on the closely related Ford Ranger ute.
Vehicles built before August 20, 2022, will need a software update to their lane-keeping software to mirror the specifications of five-star vehicles. Ford says dealers will carry out the update at an owner’s next service.
“This is good news for fleets, families and tradies, as well as recreational consumers – everyone who uses these models for work and play,”said ANCAP CEO, Carla Hoorweg.
“A five-star safety rating isn’t an easy achievement, yet it is particularly important when considering the very broad range of uses for the Ranger and Everest.”
The 2022 Ford Everest comes with the following standard safety equipment:
- Nine airbags, including front centre
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Reverse AEB
- Post-impact braking
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane departure warning
- Driver attention alert
- Blind-spot assist with trailer coverage
- Reverse camera
- Front and rear parking sensors
The Everest joins the Isuzu MU-X in offering a full suite of active driver assists across its range.
Like the Ford, the Isuzu has a five-star safety rating. Despite the Isuzu wearing a 2021 date stamp, they were crashed under the same test protocols.
Most of the Everest’s ute-based rivals feature five-star ratings, albeit based on older testing criteria. The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport was tested in 2015, and the Toyota Fortuner was crashed alongside the HiLux in 2019.
MORE: Everything Ford Everest
