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Patent leak suggests Ford could introduce Everest Wildtrak
Though not official, Ford has not closed the door on the model becoming an eventual reality.
Following the Ranger and Bronco, the Wildtrak moniker could potentially feature on the Everest.
Although it has continually ruled-out the possibility of a Raptor version being introduced, the uncovering of patent documents has aroused speculation that Ford could be working on a Wildtrak version of the new Everest.
According to images filed with Australia’s Patent and Trademark Office, and subsequently uploaded by drive.com.au, the documents shows the Everest sporting the same alloy wheel design as the Ranger Wildtrak, as well as the front facia from the model it shares the updated T6.2 platform with.
Set to be positioned above the range-topping Platinum should it become a reality, the Everest Wildtrak will no doubt gain the same subtle interior enhancement that sets the Ranger Wildtrak apart from the model it uses as a base, the XLT, though at present, it remains a model in sketch format only.
Ford Australia has meanwhile remained coy on the model happening outright, telling the online publication that, “Ford submits design applications for various brand assets as a normal course of business, but they aren’t necessarily an indication of new branding, badging, or product plans”.
Despite its stance on the Raptor, first mentioned in 2019, it hasn’t shuttered the idea of a semi-off-road focused model along the lines of the Wildtrak entering production.
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“We can do anything, but we need to see if there is a business case and demand for such a vehicle. T commonality or the level of shared components in the engineering that we’ve done on the T6 platform gives us the ability to flex as we go,” Ranger and Everest Head of Engineering, Ian Foston, told the publication in April.
“I’m not going to say anything about what we’re going to do in the future … but we will keep listening to customers, and we will keep thinking about what it is they want, and we will see what we can do”.
If given approval, expect the Everest Wildtrak to derive motivation from the 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 engine, paired to the General Motors co-developed ten-speed automatic that will also soon be found underneath the bonnet of the incoming new Volkswagen Amarok.
Expect more details to become apparent over the coming weeks and months.
