Why the 3.0L V6 diesel is a winner for the Ford Ranger and Everest
Fresh from the launch of the refreshed Ford Ranger and Everest here in the Philippines, we immediately got the chance to take them out for a spin. And no, it wasn’t an around-the-block test drive at the launch venue, but a full on road trip spanning all possible road conditions.
We, along with fellow members of the local motoring media and content creator community, got about two days of seat time with the midsize pickup truck and its SUV sibling, two of the most popular offerings of Ford Philippines today. While changes to them may look minimal at first glance, it’s what’s under the hood that makes them quite the winner—the new 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel on offer.
Let’s get straight to it, shall we?
Ford has revamped the Ranger and Everest lineup for the Philippine market, with both now powered by the aforementioned six-cylinder engine, providing 250 horsepower and 600Nm of torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This replaces the 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel engine from the pre-facelift version and previous generation model.
READ: Ford PH brings turbodiesel V6 engine, new variants for 2027 Ranger and Everest line
Also worth noting is that the Ranger is now exclusively powered by the new powertrain, with 4×4 as standard as well. The high performance Ranger Raptor also says goodbye to the 2.0 bi-turbo diesel in favor of a twin-turbo V6, while the Ford Everest still comes with a 2.0-liter turbodiesel option on most variants, but more on that later.
Our first driving stint for this drive was on the Ford Ranger Raptor, powered by a 3.0-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 gasoline engine that makes 397 horsepower and 583Nm of torque. Launched in 2024, this is nothing new to us as we already drove and reviewed the Ranger Raptor with this engine last year and it still has us amazed on just how good it is. Watch our review of the Ford Ranger Raptor V6 below:
After a lot of standstill traffic and a bit of spirited driving on the infamous Marilaque Highway, we switched from the Ranger Raptor V6 to a Ranger Wildtrak-X. Not only does this get the new V6 engine, it also gets a handful of equipment upgrades over the Wildtrak, but we’ll reserve those for our review, while focusing on the engine for now.
As soon as I started it up, I instantly noticed how much quieter the new V6 engine is compared to the one it replaces. Refinement has certainly gone up, and with plenty of experience driving Rangers and Everests, I know for a fact that refinement isn’t the old engine’s strongest suit.
Despite still being a diesel, vibrations entering the cabin were much more limited compared to before. The V6 engine is definitely smooth whether you’re at a standstill or pushing the vehicle. It also gave out a good sounding note which was also nicely hushed, adding quite a lot of premium feel.
It won’t be as smooth as the electric-prioritizing plug-in hybrid gasoline engine in the BYD Shark 6 DMO, but it certainly wins when compared to rivals such as the latest Toyota Hilux and Mitsubishi Triton, and the Isuzu D-MAX and Mazda BT-50 twins.
Power delivery felt similar to before which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the previous engine was already great when it came to performance. Power and torque figures were not increased that dramatically after all, coming in at an additional 40 horses and 100Nm, in addition to added equipment which also contributes a bit of added weight on their own. Still, you can feel that you do have more on tap.
On- and off-road, throughout the drive, it was very notable how much Ford really prioritized refinement for both the Ranger and Everest with the 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel engine. This was also apparent in other aspects of the vehicles, such as their ride quality and insulation of other potential noises.
For one, the Ranger Wildtrak-X gets General Grabber all-terrain tires as standard, and as we all know, no matter how expensive, all-terrain tires are L-O-U-D. In the Wildtrak-X, tire noise is kept so low that you’d think that you have regular highway tires instead.
With an upgraded suspension with Bilstein dampers, it rides as if you were on a pickup truck or SUV with coil springs instead of a leaf-sprung one. Bringing those together with the refinement from the engine proves to make the Ranger feel more upmarket than it already was before.
The same goes for the Everest Platinum, a much-awaited addition to the Ranger-based SUVs lineup and taking the spot as the model’s new ranger-topper. The engine heavily improves refinement, matched with touches in the cabin that create a more premium experience.
In fact, I started feeling unwell after fatigue made itself known in my system. I gave up my driving leg for the Everest Platinum, the last for the day, and decided to try and get some rest in the back, and yes, I was actually able to get a fine amount of sleep.
I would like to thank its cabin that comes with repatterned leather seats that are not only softer, but also offer better back support, in addition to a very quiet cabin thanks to the more refined powertrain and smooth ride despite the larger 21-inch alloy wheels that are wrapped in rather thin (for an SUV) 275/45 Goodyear Wrangler Territory H/T tires.
Of course, the good old 2.0-liter EcoBlue four-cylinder turbodiesel engine is not to be forgotten. Available on all variants but the Platinum variant of the Everest, it still produces the same 170 horsepower and 405Nm of torque. Not amazing figures, but it still performs pretty well if you’re asking me.
We experienced it on the Everest Wildtrak 4×4 where it felt familiar for sure. It’s undeniably less refined than the V6 engine option with a bit more vibration coming into the cabin, but also came with improvements to power delivery thanks to its move from a six-speed automatic transmission to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
Shifts are now noticeably smoother and quicker, and the shorter gear ratios will give the impression of quicker acceleration. It’s also now more predictable with no instances of gear hunting and confusion from its system, at least from our experience, letting you know exactly what to expect when it shifts. This is surely a huge improvement from its first iteration in the previous generation which could be best described as disoriented.
Fuel economy should also be better which we’ll be able to see once we get to drive these vehicles for a longer period of time. And for those wondering, this engine has also been updated with a timing chain from the previous wet belt design. This should improve long-term durability and reliability, which has always been a concern among Ford skeptics.
By the way, if you’re looking for the exact features of the new Ford Ranger and Everest, you can check out our report from the launch at this link.
Since they were launched back in 2022, we always saw the current generation of the Ford Ranger and Everest as leaders in their highly competitive and crowded segments. It’s quite difficult, really, to compete when nearly every other automaker has their own offering.
With their latest updates, Ford Philippines has brought the two models another step above and farther from their rivals to a more upmarket level. It shows in their pricing, with the Ford Ranger Raptor and Everest Platinum both breaching the Php 2.8-million mark, yet it remains acceptable that way.
This brings us back to the title of this story, the 3.0 V6 diesel is a winner for the Ford Ranger and Everest, but there’s really more to it. Ford has listened to its customers who’ve demanded time and time again for more power, and has improved where they were told they needed to. Prices may be sky high for diesel fuel these days, and hybrid and electric vehicles continue to grow in sales, but Ford Philippines knows that the demand for these vehicles will remain and they will answer.
Watch our first look of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak-X 4×4 and Ford Everest Platinum 4×4 below:
Photos by Julian Panlilio and Sam Surla
