2026 Ford Everest gets new base engine, model grade

TheFord Everest lineup now has a cheaper entry-level model with a new engine as part of a revised lineup for model year 2026.5 (MY26.5), with the updated SUV due in showrooms mid-next year. 

Based on the popular Ford Ranger ute, the Everest is Ford’s best-selling SUV – and was Australia’s top-performing SUV in September after outselling the Toyota RAV4. 

Ford previously announced it would be dropping the 154kW/500Nm 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo four-cylinder engine – introduced in 2018 – from both the Everest and Ranger lineups from mid-2026.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.

Slotting in its place is a 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel four-cylinder, making the same 125kW/405Nm as it does in the Ranger, but – while Ford hasn’t released figures – it may bring improved fuel economy as a trade-off.

Other changes for the 2026 Everest see a new entry-level Active model grade replace the previous Ambiente, both names previously used on Ford’s passenger cars in Australia including the Focus, which it no longer sells. 

The Active starts the revised four-model grade Everest lineup and sits below the Sport – the most popular model grade – with the range capped by the tougher Tremor and more luxurious Platinum variants. 

Along with the departure of the Ambiente, the Wildtrak and Trend variants have been axed, and while the limited-run Black Edition returns on the Ranger ute as a full-time model for 2026, the Everest hasn’t followed suit.