Audi Q6 E-Tron Quattro 2025 review
Audi’s late entrant to the electric SUV segment avoids the polarisation that has dogged electric rivals in the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV
Good points
- Looks handsome, normal
- Strong but approachable performance
- Stunning air-sprung ride quality
- Balanced and polished handling
- Fairly logical and well-made cabin
- Snappy new media system
Needs work
- In a tough spot, price-wise
- Pricey yet desirable options
- Not especially efficient
- Front seats lack side support
- Tight back seats
- Lacks a perfect regen setting
The electric Audi Q6 E-tron looks awfully like the forthcoming, third-gen, combustion-fuelled Audi Q5 — and that’s no mistake. Despite the fact that the Ingolstadt brand says its customers are techy and progressive, they also prefer to fly under the radar.
The deeply polarising BMW iX and aero-before-all Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV? They aren’t for Audi people.
By contrast, the upright Audi Q6 stands out in the luxury electric SUV segment precisely for its conventional features, including an upright wagon-like stance and a long bonnet that looks like it could house a V8.
Like the sublime Polestar 3 in the same segment, the Q6 is handsome and burly, sidestepping risky design entirely.
And so what? We’re more interested in substance than pick-me looks. While the BMW iX’s superb dynamics lead this segment, we’re almost embarrassed to pull up in one.
If the Q6 can pull off Audi-typical solid ride and handling while managing to maintain the sort of cabin quality we hope for from the four-rings, that could be enough to convince.
Matters look initially positive. Rather than borrowing a downmarket chassis from cousin Volkswagen, Audi instead pinched from the posh end of the Group.
The Q6 sits atop the Premium Platform Electric toolkit of which Porsche was the lead developer—and on which this Audi and the new Macan are the sole current recipients.
It doesn’t mean the Q6 is a cut-price Macan, but it should result in hard points, packaging and basic suspension hardware that are a clear cut above emerging Volkswagen Group EV choices like VW’s ID4 (from $59,990), the Skoda Enyaq (from $69,990) and Audi’s own Q4 (from $84,900).
From early on in a drive of the silken Q6, that much is true — and it had better be, because the new Audi doesn’t come especially cheap. It does undercut the (admittedly slightly larger) iX and EQE SUV, but the $115,500 (plus on-roads) price of entry of a rear-drive Q6 Performance still punts this crossover into extremely challenging terrain.
Buying data reveals that Australians are simply not purchasing EVs priced above the luxury car tax (LCT) threshold of just under $100,000 on-road in any great number. That is because an enormous buying advantage — a full waiver of fringe benefits tax for company car operators — is unavailable for EVs priced above the LCT limit.
Unsurprisingly, our sources tell us that base-grade iX and EQE SUV units are being sold to company car buyers for one dollar below LCT just to clear stock.
If the Q6 is to succeed without that kind of debilitating discounting, it will need to be exceptional. To evaluate its chances in the tough Australian market, we chose a mid-tier and dual-motor Q6 Quattro (from $122,500 plus on-road costs) for a thorough test.
What are the Q6 Quattro’s features and options for the price?
First, it’s helpful to understand where the Audi Q6 sits price- and size-wise in the luxury electric SUV segment, because it’s effectively an in-betweener.
It’s noticeably larger than familiar petrol midsizers like Audi’s own Q5 while remaining half-a-size smaller (and meaningfully cheaper) than its clearest rivals:
- Mercedes-Benz EQB (4684mm long): from $89,100 before on-road costs
- BMW iX3 (4734mm long): from $91,000 before on-road costs
- Audi Q6 (4771mm long): from $115,500 before on-road costs
- Polestar 3 (4900mm long): from $116,754 before on-road costs
- Cadillac Lyriq (4996mm long): from $117,000 before on-road costs
- Lexus RZ (4910mm long): from $121,059 before on-road costs
- Porsche Macan Electric (4784m long): from $128,400 before on-road costs
- Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV (4863mm long): from $134,900 before on-road costs
- BMW iX (4953mm long): from $136,900 before on-road costs
The midsize BMW iX3 and Mercedes EQB were the only vehicles on the above list to — officially, at least retail for less than the LCT, and they chalked up 1092 and 504 sales respectively in 2024 (1596 registrations total). Meanwhile, the set of higher-than-LCT models on the above list that were available in 2024 managed just 1679 registrations in total.
Without a dramatic increase in customer demand, product pricing or available subsidies, the Audi Q6 lands in a seriously tough and competitive segment with buyers able to choose among seven rivals.
So, what does Audi have to compete with? Our $122,500 (plus on-road costs) Q6 Quattro was heavily optioned to $146,000. First, its standard features:
- 285kW/855Nm (combined) output from front and rear electric motors
- 20-inch Audi Sport five twin spoke silk matte grey alloy wheels
- Adaptive dampers
- Body-coloured exterior styling package
- Roof rails in black
- Matrix LED headlights with dynamic indicator effect
- LED taillights
- Keyless access to all doors and tailgate and push-button start
- Leather-upholstered seats in black or grey with sports front seats
- 12-way power-adjustable front seats
- Heated front and rear seats
- Sport three-spoke leather steering wheel with flat top and bottom and paddle shifters
- Inlays in matte brushed aluminium
- 14.5-inch central touchscreen with MMI Navigation Plus and MMI Touch
- 11.9-inch OLED Virtual Cockpit Plus digital instrument cluster
- 10.9-inch passenger touchscreen
- Wireless/wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 10-speaker, 180-watt Audi sound system
- Four USB-C ports (two front, two rear)
- Three-zone climate control air conditioning
- Smartphone app (locking and unlocking, climate control, charging controls, car finder, driving data) with Audi Connect Plus connectivity (three years complimentary)
- Front and rear parking sensors
- 360-degree parking camera
- 94.9kWh (usable) battery
- Tyre repair kit
Three option packages are available and our tester featured all of them:
- Premium package ($8900)—panoramic opening glass sunroof, augmented reality head-up display, Bang & Olufsen 3D stereo, dynamic interior ambient lighting, faster USB chargers, and acoustic glazing for the front windows
- Style package ($3600)—21-inch wheels, black exterior pack, privacy glass
- Tech Pro package ($4900)—adaptive air suspension, digital OLED taillights, and power-adjustable steering column
Individual cost options include cooling for the front seats ($2100), front head rest speakers ($950), and sun blinds for the rear windows ($500). Once again, our tester had the lot, plus Mythos Black paint, a metallic hue for which Audi charges another $2000.
So, while the Q6’s starting price is attractively lower than most of its segment rivals, the optional nature of desirable features like air suspension (you’ll want it), a good stereo (ditto) and cooled seats (standard on a $60K Tesla Model 3) make this a big purchase.
Rather than optioning a Q6 Quattro to the back teeth, it probably makes more sense to splash for the SQ6 for another $5000 or thereabouts—it has all the option packs standard, looks better, is much faster, and is a genuine Audi Sport product.
On paper, value is acceptable against the EQE SUV and iX and similar the Polestar 3 — and only the Audi has an 800-volt platform. But if the brand intends to chase volume, we would not be surprised to see the brand mimic BMW’s approach by adding a stripped-down variant ready to limbo beneath the (currently) all-controlling LCT threshold.
How does the Q6 Quattro drive?
Audi’s fully-electric range ushers in a compelling dynamic change that’s invisible from outside the car: Ingolstadt’s EVs now use rear-wheel drive platforms. It’s a huge change: apart from a couple of enthusiast-special R8 supercar variants, the last rear-drive Audis were sold in the late 1930s.
For decades, two-wheel drive Audis have meant front-wheel drive—and that meant drivers keen on performance would need to spec Quattro AWD, normally linked to more power.
Audi has shifted torque bias to the rear on its bigger Quattro models in recent years, but even all-paw Audis have never enjoyed the reputation for verve that rear-drive BMWs have.
Is that about to change? Perhaps, though the 2400kg Q6 crossover isn’t the vehicle to usher in a reputation for oversteering Audis.
While the cheapest Q6 is exclusively rear-drive with a 240kW motor feeding the rear axle, the Quattro beefs up the aft engine and adds a smaller unit at the front to make a total of 285kW/855Nm with a 33:67 rear-biased torque split.
That mountain of torque available from rest defines what is a confident and muscular character—the Q6 Quattro feels like it has plenty of motivation in reserve—though the 118kW/tonne power to weight ratio helps to reveal why this SUV isn’t especially quick: a 5.9 second 0-100km/h time is brisk but way off a Tesla Model Y Performance (3.7 sec).
You’ll get closer to those manic Tesla dragsters by opting for the aluminium-decorated SQ6 grade ($151,400 before on-road costs) that boosts power significantly to 380kW, slashes the 0-100km/h time to 4.3 seconds while upgrading the interior materials even further.
Still, working with Porsche to develop the Q6’s 800-volt architecture meant the ability to design motors from scratch, resulting in superior packaging to the now-discontinued Q8 E-tron model but also superior refinement.
The Q6 has silky-smooth throttle response, zero perceptible motor whine and a lush creaminess to its acceleration.
If only the regen was as perfect. Q6 drivers can pick from adaptive regen, no regen, two manual settings or a strong ‘B’ mode but none of them felt right.
The failure to nail regen might stem from the fact that Porsche doesn’t believe in it (and it’s not available on the Macan) — leaving Audi to retroactively engineer the feature in. Still, brake pedal feel is okay.
Steering weight is adjustable through the Audi Drive Select menu and we enjoyed the lightest ‘Comfort’ setting—the rack is largely feel-free but it’s twirlable with an intuitive ratio. ‘Balanced’ or ‘Dynamic’ adds artificial weight to make the Q6 feel burlier on country roads for those that prefer such responses.
Handling at all sensible speeds is neutral, balanced and safe. This is a heavy car with adequate (and not overwhelming) power, easy steering and good levels of grip.
Turn-in is confident, with predictable reactions from the body. Dial up the pace and the suave Q6 hints at real chassis brilliance and even a hidden fun side—but you have to go looking for this.
The real standout to the Q6’s dynamics is its ride quality. There’s a caveat: our tester sported the adaptive air suspension, standard on the SQ6 but which can only be added to a Q6 by ticking the Tech Pro Package ($4900).
Having experienced it, we’d have to have it. Despite being further optioned with the largest possible 21-inch wheels—normally that would be a fatal blow to ride quality on Australian roads—the Q6’s compliance on air deserves the highest credit.
The ride is simply awesome, ironing out imperfections while retaining appropriate road feel and good body control.
Refinement was also excellent, with a hushed cabin no doubt dampened further by our tester’s acoustic-glazed front windows (part of the $8900 Premium Package). In fact, it’s so quiet and comfortable on the highway that, when using the well-calibrated lane keeping assistant and adaptive cruise control, it’s effectively a sensory deprivation chamber.
What is the Q6 Quattro’s interior and tech like?
Two seemingly contradictory findings about the interior are true simultaneously. First, compared to a number of rival models, the Q6 has a well-made, easy-to-understand interior with excellent build quality. Second—and despite the first point — Audi’s interiors have stepped back in terms of their perceived expense.
If you own an older Audi, you may well be rightly disappointed by the appearance of shiny black plastic where once there were clicky buttons or knurled metal controls.
Like so many carmakers, Audi has been starved of discretionary funds — once used for plush materials — by electrification and autonomy investment expenses, and has gone looking for savings.
And it isn’t great news for Audi that the company’s own executives are already briefing media on a plan to reverse these perceived quality setbacks.
With that sort of communication out in the market, why would you buy a Q6 — or any of Audi’s forthcoming new-generation models with the same interior — now, if upgrades are on the agenda? Hmm…
Well, one reason would be if you need to upgrade your vehicle now and you’re shopping in the Q6 segment because it’s not all bad.
Sure, we’d prefer physical climate knobs, fewer controls in the touchscreen, and softer plastics where the Q6 splashes hard — but at least the Audi is well made. Our tester was rock-solid with no creaks or rattles. There is a difference between material quality and build quality, and on the latter front, the Audi is up to scratch.
That’s more than we can say for creaky current-gen Mercedes products (including the EQE SUV) or the unacceptably sloppy Cadillac Lyriq. That said, the Polestar 3 and BMW iX are plusher than the Audi — and both are well-built, too.
While we’re picking bones, we didn’t find the Q6 Quattro’s sports seats especially comfortable. They’re Teutonically firm (which is generally good), but the backrest feels hard after a few hours. There’s a lack of lateral support (and no BMW-style inflatable bolsters), while the (potentially) relieving massage function is exclusive to the SQ6.
And isn’t it a bit nickel-and-dimey to charge $2100 for cooled front seats in a luxury car? Not to mention that those seats are finished in a pretty tough-grain leather for an easily-$150K vehicle.
Surely Audi is walking people up to the SQ6 here, given it exclusively deploys fine nappa-quality hide…though the SQ6’s ‘sports plus’ seats can’t be had with cooling at all.
Leaving seat-land behind and moving to the front cabin’s technology, there’s a proper visual allure to Audi’s new MMI system, which combines a 14.5-inch touch-driven central screen that curves into the driver’s 11.9-inch OLED Virtual Cockpit. Carmakers are finally starting to use proper graphics chipsets and the new Audi system is very snappy.
We have not sampled the standard Audi 10-speaker stereo but the optional 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen hi-fi is crisp and customisable; further speakers in the headrest are a cost option. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wired and wireless; four USB-C ports are standard but those wishing to charge laptops will want the higher-power charger upgrade.
Moving to row two, the Q6’s headroom is good but kneeroom is cramped if everybody in the car has long legs. Perhaps it’s the Audi’s 4771mm length, although that is hardly poky.
Maybe it’s the cab-rearward proportions: the stretched bonnet (which packages a 67-litre frunk) looks great but probably robs the cabin of length. Sun blinds are another $500.
As for the boot: a power tailgate is standard; space at 526 litres is decent.
For Q6 models fitted with air suspension, ride height can be lowered from within the boot to make loading heavy things easier; the back seats can be released. While the discontinued Q8 E-tron was a rare EV that sported a space-saver spare wheel, the Q6, like its rivals, uses a tyre repair kit.
Is the Q6 Quattro a safe car?
Australia’s new car crash and safety assessment body ANCAP has not yet crash tested the Audi Q6 and it probably won’t. Instead, it’s likely to transpose the Q6’s European result onto local criteria. Euro NCAP scored the Q6 five stars in that market’s 2024 test. That is not a guarantee of five stars in Australia, but the European scores look good:
- 91 percent for adult occupant protection
- 92 percent for child occupant protection
- 81 percent for vulnerable road user (pedestrian and cyclist) protection
- 80 percent for safety assistance technologies
In our road testing, the Q6 mainly demonstrated the kind of subtle and sophisticated safety system tuning we have come to associate with the premium European brands: it’s clear that Audi (and BMW, and Mercedes) are spending time and money honing the responses of the technologies to make them less annoying — and therefore less likely to be switched off.
Standard safety features on the Q6 include:
- Adaptive cruise control with stop and go function
- Lane departure warning
- Forwards/junction AEB that can detect vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists
- Reversing AEB
- Blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert
- 360-degree parking camera and front/rear parking sensors
- Speed sign recognition
- Door opening/exit warning system
Adaptive cruise control worked smoothly and swiftly while lane-centring was great on the highway. The only exception was the lane departure system while driving in town or on fun roads, which we turned off because it was quite sensitive — however, this may well be the broad width of the Q6 interacting with narrow road lanes.
Audi does not go as far as BMW in deactivating the speed limit warning noise for the Australian market, even though this technology is not currently legally mandated locally. Our tester required clicking a button on the steering wheel to silence a ‘ding’ if the (detected — but not always accurate) speed limit was exceeded.
What are the Q6 Quattro’s ownership costs?
Audi has not yet released servicing costs for the Q6 in Australia, though it is very likely that buyers will be given the option to purchase an up-front service plan packaging a number of scheduled maintenance stops — required every 24 months/30,000km — into the cost of the vehicle purchase.
The warranty on the Q6 is Audi’s standard five year/unlimited kilometre arrangement except where the high-voltage parts are concerned — these are covered for eight years/160,000km.
In terms of energy consumption, our testing revealed that the Q6 is reasonably efficient compared to its midsize to large electric SUV rivals, though it’s hard to match the car’s official numbers.
The Australian-spec Q6 Quattro (on 20-inch wheels) claims 542km range, which equates to consumption of 17.5kWh/100km. Our tester had 21s, which increase consumption a bit.
Our urban loop yielded 19.5kWh/100km (486km urban range) while sustained 110km/h on the highway saw us record 21.9kWh/100km (433km highway range).
Home charging can be completed at up to 11kW speeds with a compatible wallbox, meaning full replenishment of near-500km overnight is possible. A regular household power point would add about 100km range while you sleep, making for painless commuting.
Public charging can be very rapid indeed if you find a compatible charger. The Q6’s 800-volt platform unlocks peak DC charge speeds of 270kW, with a 10-80 percent session (which means recharging from 43km at 10 percent to 344km range at 80 percent) requiring a pit stop of 21 minutes.
The honest verdict on the Q6 Quattro
Who is the Audi Q6 for at the time of writing? Probably existing Audi customers who are ready to upgrade their petrol or diesel Q5 — or downsize from a Q7. For that group of customers, the suave, silken, and generally likeable Q6 would be a comfortable transition to full electrification. This EV looks like a normal luxury SUV — and it drives like one, too.
For buyers brave enough to sink six figures into an EV right now — damn the depreciation curve — the Q6’s appeal is mixed. It’s not particularly inexpensive once you add desirable options, and a couple of rivals are noticeably plusher. But it’s handsome — and if you’re a ride quality junkie, you’ll love the Audi.
But the elephant in the room is that the overwhelming proportion of Australians ready to buy a fully electric car right now want the tax advantages of sub-LCT EVs.
Audi has its smaller Q4 in that price range, but that car isn’t particularly luxurious — especially since BMW and Polestar have sub-LCT electric options with noticeably more premium cabins.
The volume potential of the Q6 is doubtful in the current market environment and at its current prices. Will Audi need to introduce a stripped-out base model to get some runs on the board? Will it be content to attract the well-heeled, for whom tax concessions don’t even register? Or will the market dynamics shift on us yet again? Maybe they will.
Overall rating
Ford Everest Tremor 2025 review
7 months ago
While not the Everest Raptor we’ve been waiting for, the new V6 diesel-powered all-terrain wagon could be something much better
Good points
- $2K premium over Sport V6
- Enhanced off-road capability
- Retains on-road manners
- Tough looks
- Towing and practicality remain uncompromised
Needs work
- Temping packages add up
- Off-road ability not infallible
- Missing features from Ranger twin
- Could use a front locker
- Slightly decreased payload
The Ford Everest range has never needed a hero to be successful, but perhaps it’s time.
Offering a solid, well-rounded vehicle that meets almost every requirement of the exhaustive brief of the classic large, body-on-frame family SUV, the Everest offers a lot to like. And seeing that sales exploded last year, there’s clearly a groundswell of buyers being drawn to Ford’s big 4×4 wagon.
The one area that has left some room for improvement has been its off-road ability, a point highlighted by our recent comparison between the Everest Sport V6 and the Toyota Prado GXL.
Offering a litany of common sense upgrades like more aggressive tyres, a 29mm lift, extra protection and brawny styling to match; the Tremor certainly looks the part. Ford has even borrowed an aggressive Rock Crawl traction control model from its halo Ranger Raptor model.
And the price? Less than two grand more than the volume-selling Sport V6 at $76,590 before on-roads, making it significantly more affordable than off-road specialist flagship grades such as the Toyota Prado Altitude ($92,700) or the Nissan Patrol Warrior ($105,880).
But does it all come together as a comprehensive package, or is this just a strung-together accessory package with a cool name?
What are the Everest Tremor’s features and options for the price?
Based on the best-selling Sport V6 grade, the Tremor mirrors much of the same feature lists while adding a few more – though there are some traps to watch out for.
As standard, the Tremor offers the following as standard:
- 184kW/600Nm 3.0L turbo-diesel V6
- 10-speed automatic transmission
- Rear locking differential
- Full-time 4WD
- 265/70 General Grabber AT3 all-terrain tyres
- 17-inch black alloy wheels
- Bilstein position-sensitive dampers w/external reservoirs
- LED headlights
- Dual front recovery points
- Heavy-duty side steps
- Steel bash plate
- Tremor-specific styling with black accents and grille
- Weatherproof floor mats front and rear
- Vinyl steering wheel
- Leather upholstery
- 400W inverter
- 8.0-inch digital driver’s display
- 12-inch multimedia screen
- Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
- Wireless phone charger
Worth noting is that to obtain the 10- and eight-way power seat adjustment on the front driver and passenger seats, along with heating and ventilation, fitted as standard on the cheaper Sport grade, Tremor buyers will need to cough up an extra $1100 for the Premium Seat Pack.
As standard, the Tremor only offers eight-way power and four-way manual adjustability for the front driver and passenger seats, and after a hot day of testing in the Aussie sun we can’t recommend the ventilated seats enough!
Buyers can also go for Rough Terrain Pack for an additional $3500, which adds further underbody protection, an auxiliary switch bank inside the cabin and a steel front bar. Chasing Cars understands that winch compatibility will likely be added later but is not currently available.
The $1900 Towing Pack is likely to be a popular choice for caravanners with the necessary assembly and integrated brake controller. The $2500 Touring Pack also adds a 360 camera to this setup, but we feel it should really be standard equipment.
However, the trickle effect of these tempting upgrades adds, with our tester asks for just over $94,250 driveaway once you include the $700 premium paint.
How does the Everest Tremor drive?
Having driven the Everest Sport V6 relatively recently, it’s remarkable how similar the Tremor drives despite our test vehicle sitting 29mm higher in the air, wearing much more aggressive off-road rubber and a steel front bar.
The handling remains sharp, the ride reasonably compliant and the road noise shockling quiet considering how aggressive the tyres are.
Trade-offs are always made when it comes to lift kits, and there is a notable dip in the dynamics and body control of the Everest when compared to its Sport base. Further patience will be required when cornering but nothing of great significance.
The lift is most noticeable when the heftier weight of the Tremor throws itself on the front axle under braking. We also noted some squirrely behaviour when braking on mixed gravel/bitumen surfaces, so be mindful of this on those half-paved country roads.
High-speed dirt roads are another matter; the Bilstein shocks come into their own here and work well with the 184kW/600Nm turbo-diesel V6 and full-time four-wheel-drive system to soak up bumps on the way into the corner, and provide consistent power delivery on the way out.
We also noted a few occasions where we struck a hidden pothole or drainage ditch and winced while preparing for the impact, but the tricky suspension adapted and overcame the challenge; keeping us squarely on the road and the car’s intended line.
The heat-resistant external reservoirs on the shocks also suggest the Bilsteins will keep performing over challenging corrugations in the outback, making it a common sense upgrade for those looking to do a bit of touring.
As speeds get lower, and the off-roading more technical, the upgrades made to the Tremor show their reason for being.
Chasing Cars’ off-road expert Evan Spence found the Everest Sport to be lacking clearance resulting in a damaged rear bar during our recent comparison against the Toyota Prado GXL.
Sadly no upgrades were made to strengthen the rear bar of the Everest Tremor but the new suspension has boosted clearance up to 255mm, increasing approach, ramp-over and departure angles from 30.2, 21.9 and 25 degrees to 32, 23.9 and 26.8 respectively.
Official wading depth remains unchanged at 800mm but this is academic, in real terms the Everest sits 29mm higher than it did previously. We’ll leave you to do the math and measure the risk appropriately.
Lift kits and tyres can be had anywhere in the aftermarket but harder to obtain are more aggressive traction control modes and Ford has seen fit to introduce its Raptor-sourced ‘Rock Crawl’ drive mode for the very first time in the Everest.
In stock form, the Everest’s traction control isn’t the snappiest and falls behind its Toyota Fortuner/Prado rivals but our first impressions found that Rock Crawl mode closes the distance somewhat, but we were still left reaching for the rear locker at times.
More importantly, Rock Crawl mode still works on the front axle with the rear locking differential engaged, giving the Tremor steadfast purchase on uneven terrain. The end result was that we were able to surmount obstacles we simply could not without these functions engaged.
It’s disappointing that the Everest Tremor lacks the Trail Turn Assist and Trail Control features found on the Ranger Tremor. The former tightens the turning circle on tight tracks by locking the inside rear wheel; while the latter can be thought of as off-road cruise control. We found both to be useful in practice.
Ford could’ve easily gone further by adding a front-locking differential but this would likely bring the cost of a fully optioned Tremor closer to $100K. Even still, it would be nice to have one available as a cost-option.
Payload is slightly compromised in the Tremor at 690kg, down from 703kg in the Sport V6, with Ford helpfully bolstering the GVM up by 90kg to 3240kg to help counteract the heavier 2550kg kerb weight.
The braked towing capacity remains unchanged at 3500kg.
What is the Everest Tremor’s interior and tech like?
With the Sport serving as the base of the Everest Tremor, little needed to be done to improve the practical and tech-filled interior space.
The Tremor isn’t the top-spec model, that crown is still worn by the luxury-focused Platinum, so it misses out on headline features like the swish B&O stereo, full-width digital driver’s display and Nappa leather seat material – but that’s not really the point here, is it?
Tremor-specific upgrades include the Tremor logo embossed into the leather seats available on the Sport; which, as we mentioned earlier, can be upgraded to offer heating and ventilation and a greater degree of adjustability for an extra $1100.
It’s a missed opportunity that Ford hasn’t offered the weather-proof synthetic leather seats it fitted to the Ranger Tremor as an option, as they would likely hold up better to long term off-road abuse.
The standard list of equipment is still perfectly respectable; though, with features like the larger 12.0-inch multimedia screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a decent eight-speaker stereo and a wireless phone charger to cover the basics.
Practicality is quite respectable up front, with enough room to accommodate my 182cm frame quite comfortably and the Premium Seat Pack gives the driver the ability to dial in the seat to their preferences, though the seats still feel flat and unsupportive at times.
Slipping into row two was relatively easy to do, even when sitting behind my own driving position. With separate climate controls, USB C and A ports to keep devices topped up. It’s a shame the seats don’t have more bolstering to stop occupants from sliding side-to-side.
The second row also slides forward to help make room for those in the third row, which is necessary as this remains a kids-only zone; unless of course, you particularly hate passengers six and seven.
Campers will also appreciate features like the 400-watt inverter in the boot, which is also quite large measuring 259 litres with all seats up, 898L with the third row folded and a mammoth 1823L when row tow and three are stowed away.
Is the Everest Tremor a safe car?
The Everest Tremor is covered by the same five-star ANCAP rating awarded back in 2022, with the following sub-scores:
- 86 percent – Adult occupant protection
- 93 percent – Child occupant protection
- 74 percent – Vulnerable road user protection
- 86 percent – Safety assist
It must be noted that Tremors fitted with the Rough Terrain Pack are not covered by this rating – likely something to do with the big hunk of steel hanging off the front that wouldn’t play well with pedestrian safety.
The Everest’s safety package is quite comprehensive, even when compared with the latest models with a total of nine airbags to protect all seven occupants.
It’s good to see that, unlike the Sport grade, tyre pressure monitoring has been fitted as standard to the Tremor, though the 360-camera is disappointingly only available as part of the $2500 Touring Pack.
What are the Everest Tremor’s ownership costs?
Mud-kicking tyres aren’t often found on long-range EVs and for good reason. Worsened aerodynamics thanks to the lift kit and rougher rubber have increased the 8.5L/100km combined fuel consumption figure on the Sport V6 to 9.5L/100km in the Tremor.
The 80L fuel tank remains the same though, so the theoretical range takes a hit at 842km.
Ford offers a five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, with servicing intervals every 12 months or 15,000km. Costs are capped at $1516 over four years, which stretches out to five if you pay upfront when you purchase the vehicle.
The honest verdict on the Everest Tremor
We still hold out hope that one day Ford will adorn the Everest range with a Raptor variant but for most people, the Tremor is likely the far better option.
For less than $2000 more than the Sport V6 the Tremor offers a package that is still accessible to most Everest buyers, many of whom find themselves priced out of the Prado after it rocketed up in price for the new generation.
And while the asking price does climb significantly once all those very tempting (and some might say mandatory) option packs are included, it’s still below the cost of rivals and likely much cheaper than if you were to make similar modifications yourself in the aftermarket.
Unlike the Ranger Tremor, the Everest version still retains the gorgeous 3.0L turbo-diesel V6 which doesn’t require a small oil field to keep running, unlike the twin-turbo petrol in the Raptor.
Importantly, Ford hasn’t compromised interior practicality or the 3500kg towing capacity in the process either, and while the improvement to off-road performance isn’t as game-changing as the Blue Oval might have hoped, it’s still mighty impressive.
Overall rating
Overall rating
8.0
Drivability
8.0
Interior
8.0
Running costs
Good
