LONG-TERM UPDATE 5 | Joining the Ford Adventure Club in our Everest Platinum

After more than 4,000km, we are firmly in stride with our test of the flagship Ford Everest Platinum.

Last weekend it was time to get familiar with its terrain-mashing credentials, joining the Ford Adventure Club for its Level 1 off-road driving course.

As observed in previous reports, the Platinum places a stronger emphasis on luxury than its lesser siblings. That obviously applies in the case of the Ranger Platinum too.

So the average buyer going for the high-end derivative is less likely concerned with proper muddy work and technical axle-twisters, though still has a 4x4 requirement for those occasional jaunts — when the need to get to an upmarket hideaway in remote foothills arises.

At the recent Adventure Club day, there was only one other Everest Platinum in attendance. The majority were Ranger models in Raptor and Wildtrak guises. Level 1 training is a great place to start if you want to grasp the basics — and of course, one cannot expect to be tackling serious treachery on the first outing.

Wheels-up action was encountered more than once on the day. (Prashirwin Naidu)

We headed to Zwartkops for the day, making use of the obstacles and dirt tracks behind the main circuit. A familiar playground, experienced during various vehicle launches and SA Car of the Year testing days over the past few years.

Any good driver training programme is backed by a detailed theory session. It was great to receive a refresh on the essentials: the benefits of 4x4, how a transfer case functions, when to use low-range, as well as the usefulness of a differential lock.

In addition, attendees are guided through the processes of activating certain functions — something that may not occur during the excitement of initial handover at the dealership.

It helps that the SYNC4 digital interface also packs a virtual handbook, with a quick-search function, should you ever need to reference a topic in the middle of your next Botswana adventure.

The Everest is more or less foolproof when it comes to accessing off-road functions and the switch between two- and four-wheel drive. A rotary dial enables easy toggling of terrain modes.

Our car was one of two Everest Platinum examples in attendance. (Prashirwin Naidu)

A large rectangular button alongside the large circular dial calls up a dedicated menu on-screen, where drivers can engage or disengage the differential lock as well as hill-descent control.

With the theory out of the way, our Adventure Club convoy proceeds to the obstacles. Attendees are given the opportunity to do the course more than once — usually on the first go, one is focused on paying attention to setting the car up correctly and making the right inputs to fully enjoy the experience.

The course on this Level 1 outing is limited to a section of muddy ruts, the steep bank, a rutted technical section, stair-climb and axle-twister that sees wheels in the air.

It was fortuitous that heavy rains took place on the morning of our visit - muddy earth makes things a little more fun. There were some concerns (from me, not the instructors) about the road-friendly rubber of the Platinum, versus the chunky tread patterns of the more specialised Ranger Wildtrak and Raptor.

And sure enough, on the first muddy section, yours truly had managed to get the wheels spinning in the brown stuff — going nowhere slowly. “A Ford doesn’t get stuck, it’s just temporarily delayed,” said lead instructor Willie Oosthuysen.

Steep banks are always daunting. (Prashirwin Naidu)

Before incurring further embarrassment, the instructor suggested it would be a great time for me to ease off the throttle and engage the differential lock. With the bountiful torque output of the 3.0l V6 being slowly, evenly meted out, the Everest crawled out at idle pace without accelerator input. There were no sticky moments after that.

A steep bank feels uncomfortable in any vehicle. That sensation of being at a tilted angle, with your neck leaning to one side, is simply unnerving. According to the display on the infotainment system, the vehicle was perched at a 24° angle — far off the claimed 39° rollover angle stated by the brand — a figure that we decided to take their word for.

The biggest rule worth remembering — and this was reiterated a few times by the Adventure Club experts — is to “go as slow as possible and as fast as necessary” when driving off-road.

I was thinking about my first ever real off-road encounter in 2012, at the launch of the now departed Chevrolet Trailblazer. Sweating palms trying to steer up the sandy, uphill obstacle, also mindful to hold just enough pace so as not to scare my co-driver, without being slow enough to stall the manual vehicle.

A total contrast to present-day ladder-frame 4x4 models like the Everest, which would imbue even novice off-roaders with calm confidence. In the appropriate setting, the 10-speed automatic holds a shift pattern that is suited to slow, steady momentum over tricky obstacles.

SYNC4 infotainment's off-road displays provide useful information. (Prashirwin Naidu)

You can even outsource your acceleration and braking efforts to the Trail Control system, which is akin to adaptive cruise control, just for off-road driving.

That leaves you to the business of maintaining the right course at the tiller, which, with the Everest’s light steering, is easy business.

Wrapping up the morning’s session before lunch, attendees were treated to a quick overview on recovery — winching and towing safety, as well as the right, manufacturer-approved tools for the job.

It was a short introduction, but these aspects and more are covered in the Level 2 training programme, which we may attend next.

Good to know that even with its swanky alloys and protruding side steps (which were unscathed), the Everest Platinum has no qualms about getting its hands dirty.