Everest

For most buyers the Sport is the pick. It adds seven seats, heated power front seats and the family kit without flagship money, and it's the grade AU reviewers most often recommend. The entry Active comes well-equipped for a tighter budget, the Tremor is the choice if you head off the bitumen often, the Wildtrak is a limited-edition styling special in around 1,000 cars, and the Platinum is the fully-loaded tourer. The bigger decision is the engine: the V6 if you tow or tour, the revised 2.0-litre if you mostly stay urban. The buying guide above breaks down what each step adds.

Every Everest is rated to tow 3,500kg braked, the common maximum for the class. What sets it apart is the 6,250kg gross combination mass, which leaves more headroom to carry a load in the car while towing near the maximum than some rivals allow. The V6's 600Nm makes it the easier engine for heavy trailers and long hauls. As always, check the gross combination mass and payload for the specific grade you are looking at, because towing near the limit eats into how much you can legally carry at the same time.

Yes, and more so than most large SUVs. Every MY26.5 Everest is four-wheel drive, with a low-range transfer case, a locking rear differential, selectable terrain modes, hill-descent control and 800mm of wading depth. The V6 grades run a full-time four-wheel-drive system; the four-cylinder grades are part-time four-wheel drive. The Tremor goes furthest, with off-road suspension, all-terrain tyres, a Rock Crawl mode and a raised ride height that lifts clearance to 255mm and the approach and departure angles to 32 and 26 degrees.

It comes down to how you drive. The 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel makes 184kW and 600Nm and does everything more easily, the clear choice if you tow a heavy trailer, tour long distances or head off-road. The revised 2.0-litre single-turbo four makes 125kW and 405Nm and, now that it is paired with the 10-speed automatic, is a smooth and thrifty choice for buyers who mostly stay in town. Worth knowing: the four-cylinder grades use a part-time four-wheel-drive system, while the V6 runs full-time four-wheel drive.

The Everest carries a five-star ANCAP rating from 2022, with 86 per cent adult-occupant, 93 per cent child-occupant and 86 per cent safety-assist scores. Standard across the range are autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and nine airbags, including curtain airbags covering all three rows of seats. Higher grades add a surround-view camera, useful for placing a vehicle this size in tight car parks and on the trail. It is a strong family-safety case, particularly on child-occupant protection.