Latest news with #FordEverest
Scoop
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Scoop
May New Vehicle Registrations Holds Ground In May
Press Release – Motor Industry Association Association chief executive Aimee Wiley says while the year-on-year result for May shows encouraging signs, the overall market is yet to regain momentum. New vehicle registrations in May 2025 totalled 10,251, a modest 65 units higher than May 2024 (10,186), signaling stabilisation in monthly demand. However, year-to-date figures continue to reflect a softer market, with 51,621 new vehicles registered to the end of May – a 3 percent decline compared with 53,352 over the same period in 2024. Registration numbers for new vehicles are compiled each month by the Motor Industry Association representing the country's new vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. Association chief executive Aimee Wiley says while the year-on-year result for May shows encouraging signs, the overall market is yet to regain momentum. 'We probably still have a period of subdued activity to come, but these May numbers do offer some cause for optimism and hopes for better times ahead.' For cars and SUVs, new registrations at 6,817 showed a small improvement on the 6,369 registered in May 2024; while light commercial (3,016 units) and heavy commercial (418 units) represented a decrease on May 2024 figures of 3,154 units and 663 units respectively. Toyota's RAV4 was the top passenger model for the month with 666 sales, followed by the Mitsubishi ASX with 457 units sold and the Ford Everest in third place with 277 sales. The RAV4 is also the leading model on a year-to-date basis with 3,806 registrations for a 10.5 percent share of the market. The Ford Ranger held onto top spot in the light commercial category with 1,051 sales and a 34.8 percent market share, followed by the Toyota Hilux with 910 sales and a 30.2 percent share of the market. Year-to-date registrations show a much closer contest with the Ford Ranger on 3,510 registrations and the Toyota Hilux right behind with 3,438 registrations. Registrations of battery electric light passenger vehicles (BEV) remained relatively steady over the month, with 447 registrations slightly higher than the 442 such vehicles registered in April. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) with 2,883 registrations and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) at 351 sales were slightly ahead of those registered in April; (2598 and 177 respectively). Industry Registrations In May 2025 10,251 new vehicles were registered, representing a 0.6% increase (65 units) over May 2024 and a 23.2% decrease (3,103 units) compared to May 2023.
NZ Autocar
4 days ago
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
New vehicle registrations for May similar to April
A total of 10,251 new vehicles were registered in May, up by just 65 units compared with May last year. The Motor Industry Association (MIA) is suggesting a stabilisation in monthly demand. That said, total new vehicle sales for the year of 51,621 represents a three percent decline compared with the same period in 2024. Association chief executive, Aimee Wiley, says while the year-on-year result for May shows encouraging signs, the overall market is yet to regain momentum. 'We probably still have a period of subdued activity to come, but these May numbers do offer some cause for optimism and hopes for better times ahead.' For cars and SUVs, new registrations totalled 6817, a slight improvement on the 6369 registered in May 2024. Sales of light commercial (3016 units) vehicles were a little softer than those of a year ago (3154 units). Once again, Toyota's RAV4 ruled the passenger vehicle roost for the month with 666 sales. Next was Mitsubishi ASX with 457 units sold and in third spot Ford Everest on 277 sales. The RAV4 is also the market leader on a year-to-date basis, with 3806 registrations. The Ford Ranger held onto top spot in the light commercial category with 1051 sales and a 35 per cent market share, followed by Toyota Hilux with 910 sales and a 30 percent share of the market. Year-to-date Ranger has edged ahead of Hilux with 3510 vs 3438 registrations in total. Sales of new battery electric light passenger vehicles (BEV) remained relatively steady over the month, with 447 registrations. That's virtually the same as the figure for April (442). Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) continue to be popular with 2883 registrations while there were 351 sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) compared with 177 sales in April.
Mail & Guardian
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Mail & Guardian
Ford Everest Wildtrak: Brawny and powerful with a touch of luxury — but it's thirsty
Big and beautiful: The Ford Everest Wildtrak combines rugged and sporty elements to make it a very attractive car. In May 2023, when Ford released the next-generation Everest, it added a Wildtrak derivative to the Everest line-up for the first time. The Wildtrak was placed above the Sport and just below the Titanium variants. It was meant to capture the dynamic flair of the Wildtrak series that has been so popular in the Ranger bakkie over the years. The arrival of the Wildtrak variant also saw Ford give it some unique design features. The front is painted in a bolder grey and this is also applied to the bumper, which is exclusive to the Wildtrak. While this does add more dynamism to the styling of the vehicle, the C-clamp headlights, the raised roof rails and the side step still make it clear that this is a huge vehicle and not for the faint-hearted. In true Ford fashion, everything on the body of the vehicle feels solid. Visually, the Everest Wildtrak gives off exactly what Ford wants it to, and customers have the option of 20-inch alloy wheels or 18-inch all-terrain tyres, should they want to venture off-road often. The interior combines rugged, sporty and luxurious elements. The steering wheel, seats and gear lever maintain that solid, brawny feel but the centre console, the infotainment system, the dashboard with its soft-touch materials and the airconditioner vents get a touch of luxury. The Wildtrak gets contrasting yellow stitching on the dashboard, door trims, steering wheel, gear lever and on the seats, which adds to the sporty atmosphere of the interior. I especially love how Ford has integrated the 12-inch portrait infotainment screen into the cabin. On many vehicles, it protrudes, but Ford has stashed it neatly in the dashboard. Another really cool element is the hidden door handles which are positioned inside the armrest on the doors and need to be pressed to open them. This was especially helpful when travelling with my toddler — he could not find the handles, so there was no need for a child lock. The interior of the Ford Everest Wildtrak. Space will never be an issue with this vehicle. It is huge. Front and back passengers get a ton of head and legroom and there is a third row of seats, which provides sufficient room for children, but takes away from the large boot space. With its 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine that delivers 184kW of power and 600Nm of torque the Everest Wildtrak does not lack power. At times, I wished that the engine was slightly more refined, but then I realised that Ford does offer the Everest in a 2-litre bi-turbo with the XLT and Sport variants. While the drive is exceptional due to its all-wheel-drive capabilities (and there's no real wind noise), the engine is a touch noisy, but then again, it is a V6. Road imperfections are almost non-existent and the 10-speed automatic transmission gives the vehicle seamless gear changes with very little drag on the engine. One thing that impressed me is that, although this vehicle thrives on its rugged nature, it doesn't feel particularly bulky. Because you sit in such an elevated position, you always know that you are driving a huge vehicle, and the engine noise will remind you of that too, but the drive itself is extremely smooth and comfortable. Its large torque figure means that towing with this vehicle will be relatively comfortable. I feel the 2.0 litre bi-turbo variants are sufficient for the Everest and the 3.0 litre V6 on the Wildtrak and Titanium models are just superb flexes from Ford. However, it also makes the vehicle a tad thirsty. Ford claims 8.5 litres/100km. I managed around 10 litres/100km but if you are doing extensive off-roading, you might find that figure moves up to around 12 litres/100km. The Everest Wildtrak can do the extensive off-roading when you want it to. Based on the driving conditions, 4H (for four-wheel drive high-range) can be selected by simply pushing a button, to improve grip and control on loose surfaces, or low-range 4L, for steep or rocky tracks and deep sand, where low-speed control is required. There's also a 2H mode which engages rear-wheel drive only. The Everest Wildtrak has a bunch of drive modes including Normal, Eco, Tow/Haul, Slippery, Mud & Ruts and Sand. The vehicle comes standard with safety features such as adaptive cruise control with stop and go and lane centring; blind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage; cross traffic alert; evasive steer assist; a lane-keeping system with road-edge detection; pre-collision assist; reverse brake assist and a tyre-pressure monitoring system. The 360-degree camera with park assist is an optional extra. The Everest Wildtrak is that muscular friend in the group that can do everything. Even though it sits as the mid-range model below the Titanium, Ford has put a lot of effort into the product and given it its own identity. It makes me question why anyone would go for the Titanium, and pay more, when the Everest Wildtrak has everything you need. It comes in at a price of R1 084 000. However, if you feel the V6 is too much for you, the XLT starts from R832 400 and the Sport starts from R918 500. The range-topping Titanium will set you back R1 146 500. All models come with a four-year/120 000km warranty, four-year/unlimited distance roadside assistance and a five-year/unlimited distance corrosion warranty.
Canberra Times
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Canberra Times
2025 GWM Tank 500 gets fresh face following software, suspension upgrades
The addition of the PHEV powertrain will see the Tank 500 beat the Prado and Ford Everest in offering a plug-in option, too – despite the Everest being based on the Ford Ranger, which will offer a PHEV powertrain from mid-2025.
TimesLIVE
29-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
How does our Ford Transit Custom Sport handle the urban hustle?
In an earlier update, I told you what the Ford Transit Custom Sport was like to live with on a long-distance road trip. In case you missed it, know this burly van put in a stellar effort with a comfy cabin, frugal engine and impressively composed ride for a vehicle with such utilitarian roots. Not too long ago tackling a 1,000km trek in a machine of this ilk would be borderline masochistic — in a 2025 Custom Sport this couldn't be further from the truth. With the Garden Route now a fading memory in my rear-view mirror, it was time to explore the Ford's capabilities in the confines of the urban jungle. Negotiating Cape Town's gridlocked streets is gruelling enough behind the wheel of a hatchback, so I was somewhat apprehensive about spearing through the CBD in this 5,050mm long, 2,275mm wide behemoth. Adding to these sizeable dimensions is a roof height of 1,990mm. It's a substantial piece of kit, the Custom Sport, one that makes already large vehicles such as the Ford Everest or Toyota Fortuner seem almost compact in comparison. This was the first time I found myself being concerned about roof clearance in parkades and underground garages — of which there are many to negotiate in the Mother City. Fortunately the most vertically challenged I have happened upon had a limit of 2,100mm and after much teeth gritting and seat squirming (one never knows how accurate these measurements are), I steered the Ford through it without any expensive roof damage. Oh, and just as a cautionary side note, always make sure the van's three foldable roof racks aren't flipped up as they add on a few extra centimetres and could end up hooking on things such as fire sprinklers or ventilation pipes. Taking all this into consideration you shouldn't have any issues steering through most automotive labyrinths. Travelling the roads between them, the Custom Sport is proving to be a relatively easy thing to thread through traffic thanks to its super elevated seating position (you sit higher up than in most SUVs I've driven) and lightweight yet direct electric power steering. Though the Ford's inherent peripheral blind spots take some getting used — that solid metal bulkhead makes glancing over your shoulders nigh on impossible — there's a fair amount of technology on board to make your life a bit easier. The side mirrors, for example, feature separate concave lenses designed to give a much broader view of the space behind you. Each unit is further equipped with a blind spot monitor that illuminates should any object — moving or otherwise — fail to catch your eye and/or attention. The real lifesaver here, however, is the standard rear-view camera. A comparative nice to have in most modern vehicles, its presence is essential for any drama-free aft manoeuvring in the Custom Sport. It's full-colour, reasonably crisp and even packs dynamic guidelines to help you better plan your retreat. Its pièce de résistance is the ability, with a quick push of an on-screen button, to display a 180° view of the area behind you, which makes backing out of driveways or perpendicular parking spaces on congested inner-city arterials such as Bree Street an absolute game changer. If things are about to go pear-shaped, Ford's reverse brake assist will automatically intervene and apply the anchors if it thinks you're about to hit some roadside furniture. Another string in this van's urban adventuring bow is its excellent turning circle of 11.2m, which just so happens to be 1.6m tighter than that offered by a Ranger double cab. This gives it a surprising amount of low speed manoeuvrability and also makes it a doddle to park once you get accustomed to its lengthy dimensions. Provided you have enough space, I think you will, as I have, have no issue parallel parking this Ford on a city street. Elsewhere, I'm still loving the Custom Sport's 2.0 l four-cylinder turbodiesel engine that's punchy and responsive enough to help you nip through gaps in traffic all while returning wallet-friendly economy. Paired to a snappy automatic stop/start system, my overall fuel consumption hasn't risen much over 8.4 l /100km during bouts of city driving, which isn't bad for a vehicle in this segment. The transmission — an eight-speed automatic actuated by a column shifter on the steering column — is also worthy of praise as it swaps cogs with a smooth sophistication in keeping with the rest of the van's polished persona. Gripes? Well as much as I enjoy the Ford Sync 4 infotainment system, I have of late experienced some annoying gremlins when pairing it wirelessly to Apple CarPlay. During some of my commutes the signal between my phone and the head unit starts breaking up until it loses connection completely. It then takes a few minutes to reconnect, after which play resumes as normal. Another odd phenomenon sometimes occurs when returning to the car after parking it for a brief period: a song will be playing on my phone, yet no sound will emit from the van's speakers. This silent playback continues until I turn the engine off and start it up again. It's a frustrating niggle and one Ford can hopefully fix with a software update when the van goes for its 15,000km service.
