Through City Streets and Mountain Trails: Ford Unveils Refreshed Versions of its Bestselling Ranger and Everest

It’s no secret that the Ford Ranger and Everest have become key drivers of the company’s business in the Philippines. In 2025, Ford Philippines sold 9,658 Rangers and 7,317 Everests, making the two vehicles the American carmaker’s top sellers in the country. (The Territory comes third at 4,274 units).

While there are no comparable full-year 2026 figures yet, it’s a safe assumption that both models will continue to power Ford’s presence in the country for the foreseeable future, and so the brand is betting on them heavily. On Wednesday (September 2), Ford Philippines unveiled refreshed versions of both the Ranger and Everest. The brand’s strategy is clear: give buyers more versions to choose from, add more technology, and put bigger engines where they matter.

The Everest now comes in four variants, led by the new Platinum 3.0L V6 4x4. Its 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 produces 250PS and 600Nm, while a 10-speed automatic is now standard throughout the Everest range. The Platinum also gets quilted leather, heated and ventilated front seats, a 12-speaker B&O sound system, Matrix LED headlights and 21-inch wheels.

The rest of the range is made up of the Wildtrak 2.0L Turbo 4x4, Sport+ 2.0L Turbo 4x2 and Active 2.0L Turbo 4x2. Prices start at P1.949 million for the Active and go up to P2.849 million for the Platinum.

Meanwhile, the Ranger's changes are more heavily concentrated around its V6 variants. The new Wildtrak X and Wildtrak both use the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6, producing the same 250PS and 600Nm as the Everest. The Wildtrak X gets a higher ride height, all-terrain tires, Bilstein dampers and additional underbody protection, making its intentions fairly obvious.

Then there is the Ranger Raptor, whose 3.0-liter V6 EcoBoost produces 397PS and 583Nm. It remains the performance-oriented member of the lineup, with full-time four-wheel drive, FOX 2.5-inch Live Valve shocks and selectable drive modes.

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While the numbers are interesting, they make more sense once you get behind the wheel of the vehicles. Officials invited select members of the media to a drive featuring the two new vehicles the morning after the launch, on a route that put the vehicles through several very different situations in a relatively short period. It’s a clear indication of just how confident Ford is of its new lineup that it immediately allowed motoring journalists to put them to the test in real-world driving conditions.

From Okada Hotel, our first real hurdle was the mid-morning traffic jam along C-5 going to the mountains of Rizal, where organizers prepared off-roading tests for all variants of the new models. We took the Ford Rangers from paved road to dirt paths that had been muddied by persistent rains. Afterwards, we switched to the Everest models, which we drove across an even muddier course within a designated area by a river.

On the rougher sections, the difference between the regular Ranger Wildtrak and the Wildtrak X was noticeable. The latter's increased ride height, all-terrain tires and suspension setup give it a little more control when the road disappears and all that’s left are loose gravel and uneven surfaces. It made even off-roading novices like me seem like an expert. While it’s not exactly a radically different vehicle from the previous version, it’s still better suited to drivers who actually intend to take their pickups beyond city streets and highways.

The Everest, meanwhile, demonstrated why Ford has positioned it as the more family-oriented member of the pair. The V6 Platinum had plenty of reserve power on the climbs, but it was the refinement of the drivetrain that stood out more than outright acceleration. I was told that this is the exact same model that we got to drive in the mountain roads of South Africa nearly two years ago, which made sense because it felt strangely familiar when I slid behind the wheel.

After the mountain section, it was time for the long run toward Lipa, Batangas through the small towns of Rizal and Laguna. Switching between driver and passenger, I got to appreciate the comfort and convenience of both Ranger and Everest. The latter, in particular, had driver-assistance features, a larger infotainment screen and a more comfortable cabin that made the five-hour drive at least bearable.

The Ranger follows much the same philosophy, with the new Wildtrak variants combining the pickup's utilitarian roots with increasingly sophisticated equipment, including large digital displays, Bang & Olufsen audio and a 360-degree camera. It was then that I realized that more than trying to reinvent something that already works, Ford, instead, is refining two vehicles that already have a substantial (not to mention fiercely loyal) customer base.

In other words, Ford seems to think that since the Ranger and Everest already sell, the task now is to give existing customers more reasons to upgrade while giving potential new buyers more versions to choose from. That means that, in the end, the real winner is the consumer.

The refreshed Ford Ranger starts at P2.469 million for the Wildtrak, P2.609 million for the Wildtrak X and P2.879 million for the Raptor. The Everest, meanwhile, starts at P1.949 million and goes up to P2.849 million.